Planning an eco and sustainable wedding and feeling overwhelmed by everything? Today we are joined by Rachael Clark from Electric Joy Ceremonies who not only planned this eco wedding inspiration shoot but shares, with the team, simple and practical ideas on how to create an eco wedding.
Why did you do the styled shoot?
“This shoot was created with a desire to spotlight how weddings can marry beauty with an eco-conscious focus to achieve a stunning aesthetic. A group of local suppliers collectively designed and captured a stunning aesthetic using a combination of pre-loved, sustainable and eco-conscious items, from a pre-loved dress and accessories, to items repurposed from a building yard.”
How can a couple turn this theme and ideas into reality?
“Planning a sustainable wedding can sometimes mean bringing out your creative side. Local charity shops and antiques stores are a fantastic place to start to source pre-loved items that can be re-purposed or up-cycled. Vinted and Facebook Marketplace are also a great way of finding some gems at a bargain price. Wherever your wedding venue try and find local suppliers to cut down on those miles. Your venue can certainly help with this. Maybe you live on the Isle of Wight and want to celebrate with locally sourced goods at your wedding breakfast. How about some beer kegs from one of the island’s breweries or some cheese from a nearby farm? For sustainable attire, there are so many bridal shops which now specialise in pre-loved dresses. Fancy tying the knot in a designer gown for a fraction of the price? These are definitely your go to! Suit wise, most formal wear shops provide hire suits for both the groom and groomsmen. This is a more cost-effective route, plus it is absolutely sustainable!”
“Whether it’s your venue styling or wedding favours, by being resourceful, asking people you know and making eco-conscious decisions for your day, a beautiful and sustainable wedding is absolutely possible!”
Get the Look
The Venue
“Hothorpe Woodlands is nestled amidst the rolling Leicestershire hills. Bird song and soft notes of trickling water flow alongside the outdoor ceremony area with the bridal treehouse framing the backdrop of this serene location. The Tipi and Woodlands buildings provide a beautiful space for indoor gatherings and drink receptions. Being a picturesque countryside venue, it lends itself to rustic weddings, boho celebrations and enchanted forest gatherings.”
The Styling
“Whether you are planning to style your own wedding or have a venue stylist for the day, a mood board is a must for having a clear vision of what you are aiming for. Pinterest or Canva are really useful tools for creating a mood board which you can then share with your stylist. If you have a sustainable focus for your day, ideally you should look out for stylists who specialise in this as they may already have lots of pieces that fit your vision.”
“Before meeting with your venue stylist it is really helpful to have an idea of your budget for the day, and although no-one is keen on discussing this side of things, it helps them to put together a realistic breakdown of what can be achieved.”
The Photography
“If you are keen on a photographer with sustainability at their heart, sourcing a local one who uses equipment powered by solar energy for example may be a perfect fit for your eco-conscious day. Some photographers also plant a tree for each couple they shoot – just wonderful!”
The Dress
“Buy a pre-loved dress and save a few quid – yes please! Remember that wedding dresses are typically worn once and sometimes not for the entire day. They can cost thousands especially from big designers but with the pre-loved price tag you will potentially save a fortune. This also goes for the veil, shoes and accessories. So many bridal shops dedicated to pre-loved bridal dresses are now out there and the variety on offer is just astounding!”
The Flowers
“To fit your sustainable theme, it’s only fitting that your flowers are also in line with this aim. Seasonal flowers are your go to for this. Opting for flowers which aren’t currently in bloom will raise the cost per stem which also means that they may have come from a lot further afield. Some florists now also opt to grow the majority of their blooms themselves which means they only offer what they can grow and what is in season. Try to avoid arrangements requiring floristry foam as this isn’t a recyclable material.”
The Hair and Makeup
“Can hair and make-up for my wedding day be something I can make fit my sustainable theme? Absolutely!! There is a growing trend in the beauty industry to reduce waste and move towards more sustainable products, better known as ‘green beauty’. Sourcing a make-up artist who uses products which are cruelty-free, refillable and with more planet-friendly ingredients, is a great way of even making sure you look great but with a nod to sustainability.”
The Cake
“Cake isn’t often the first thing you think of as being on the sustainable radar – wrong!! It is absolutely possible to create a wedding cake which is also eco-conscious. From biodegradable piping bags and fair-trade ingredients, to recycling empty packaging and composting eggshells, using a local supplier and upcycled cake stand, there are many ways to make your delicious centrepiece as kind to planet Earth as possible. With this in mind, check in with potential cake makers to see if they have sustainability as a focus.
When providing your guests with cake, napkins are usually provided. If using disposable ones, you can also use ones that are compostable. To prevent food waste, you can perhaps consider how many guests that you’d like the cake to serve and by reducing this slightly you will potentially avoid any cake being leftover!”
The Stationery
“Stationery made from recycled materials or even compostable materials is a lovely nod to sustainability. There is no compromise on the ‘look’ side of things, as plantable seed paper and recycled paper make for designs that are just as beautiful as normal paper or card. This can be used throughout your wedding stationery from your wedding breakfast menus and place settings keeping the theme the same.”
The Team:
Photographer: Louise Richardson Photography @louiserichardsonphotography @louiserichardsonphotography / Bristbro Productions www.bristbroproductions.co.uk @stevenbristbroweddings / Zoe Harris photography www.zoeharrisphotography.co.uk @zoeharrisphotography @zoeharrisphotography
Venue: Hothorpe Woodlands www.hothorpe.co.uk @hothorpe @hothorpevenues
Dress, shoes and accessories: Dress: Bridal Reloved leicester www.bridalreloved.co.uk @bridalrelovedleicester / Accessories: Sydney Grace Bridal @sydney_grace_bridal
Groom/Bride suit and accessories: Stringfellows Gentlemen’s Outfitters www.stringfellowsoutfitters.co.uk @stringfellowsgentlemen’soutfitters
Styling/Stylist: Kara-Mia Venue Styling www.kara-mia.com @karamiavenuestyling @kara-miavenuestyling
Florist: Ashton Flowers www.ashtonflowersflorist.com @_ashtonflowers @ashtonflowers
Hair and Makeup: Hair: Bridal Hair by Sharon @bridalhair_bysharon @bridalhairspecialistsharon Makeup: Adele Coxon Bridal Makeup Artist www.adelecoxon.co.uk @adelemakeupartist
Cake: ShirleyRae’s www.shirleyrae.co.uk @_shirleyraes @shirleyraes
Planning: Electric Joy Ceremonies www.electricjoy.co.uk @electricjoyceremonies @electricjoyceremonies
Model Couple: @just_my_cup_of_tea_couple
Stationery: Penny Lemon www.pennylemon.co.uk @pennylemondesign
Audio Guest Book: www.audioguestbook.co.uk @audioguestbook @audioguestbook
Dog sitter: Emily’s Canine Crew www.emilyscaninecrew.co.uk @emilyscaninecrew @emilyscaninecrew
Confetti: Shropshire Petals www.shropshirepetals.com @shropshirepetals @shropshirepetals
Harpist: Rebecca Barnes www.allthingsharp.co.uk @rebecca_harpist @rebeccabarnes-harpist
Want more eco wedding inspiration and advice? Read these:
How to choose an eco wedding venue
Wedding registry Ideas for the eco couple
How to have a zero waste wedding
