Wedding Reception Styling in Cornwall and Devon

Zero Waste Weddings

Zero Waste Weddings

Nice day for a green wedding

Wed's guide to planning a planet-friendly party



Do you know what the real cost of your wedding will be? Because what your spreadsheets may not highlight is the impact beyond your bank balance ' with the latest statistics on food wastage alone revealing that on average a tenth is discarded per wedding (which amounts to almost £500 worth of food being binned!)
 
MimosaPhotography TheOldBakery296
The Unique Cornish Event Company
 
Zero-waste weddings are becoming increasingly popular as the climate crisis refocuses our collective conscience, with couples deciding to do good during their big day by adopting the latest green practices while saving both the planet and money in the process. 
 
Whether you wish to go all-out for a bona fide zero-waste event or make changes to decrease your carbon footprint and consumption, green is undeniably the new white when it comes to W-day planning.
 
'It is important to let your wedding planner know from the start that you are interested in holding a zero-waste wedding,' says wedding planner Jenny Granlund of Jenny Wren Weddings & Events (jennywrenweddingsandvents.co.uk). 'This way, they can use locally sourced products and environmentally conscious suppliers, enabling the couple to reduce their carbon footprint throughout the process.'
 
From the invitations to the flowers and food, take each aspect of your wedding as a challenge to see just how zero waste you can make it…
 
RoCha Designs   01a
RoCha Designs
 
The pre-wedding communications 
'Online invitations and RSVPs are becoming increasingly popular,' observes Jenny. 'This is great in terms of reducing paper usage and also a huge help for me as a wedding planner as it makes it incredibly easy to organise guest responses. I often suggest using Paperless Post (paperlesspost.com) to my couples.'
 
'Email 'save the dates' are a great, cheap and ecologically sound way of getting your date out there,' agrees wedding planner Rebecca Green from The Unique Cornish Event Company (theuniquecornishevent.co.uk). 'If you want to have something for people to put on the fridge, ensure the materials used are recycled and recyclable and avoid any additional adornments, which won't be processed in a recycling plant.'
 
You can put a small note on the invitation too, saying, for example: 'Please remember to recycle me', as a gentle reminder. 'There are also some awesome seeded invitations, which can be planted and grown into wild flowers or herbs,' she suggests.
 
Apply the ethos to your gift list too, such as by requesting donations to an eco charity of your choice such as Friends of the Earth or Rainforest Alliance, or more local charities like Surfers Against Sewage or The Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
 
Justin Duance CMYK
 Justin Duance
 
The rings 
'Many people who work towards a zero-waste wedding often forget one thing: the rings,' says Jenny. 'Diamond mining causes extreme harm to our environment and continues to be one of the most damaging processes. Many companies now create recycled precious metal rings that can be tailored to suit the buyer's requirements, making it a much more sustainable and unique approach to sourcing a ring.'
 
'Pre-loved antique rings are a favourite for me,' says Rebecca. 'If that's not your thing, then look into recycled gold, fair trade silver and conflict-free diamonds.'
 
Cornish jewellery designer-maker Justin Duance (justind.co.uk) not only sources conflict-free stones and uses reclaimed and recycled materials to make his gorgeously bespoke rings, he has also launched his own plastic-free packaging. 
 
'We wanted something that felt special, as well as being eco-friendly,' he explains of how his cork and natural wool felt ring boxes came into production.
'Cork is completely natural and sustainable. According to the World Wildlife Fund, cork oak forests support one of the highest levels of biodiversity among forest habitats, as well as the highest diversity of plants found anywhere in the world. The wool felt inside holds the jewellery in place and has been sourced from a UK company, and the box is completely compostable.'
 
'We hope people will value these boxes as items in their own right, not just throwaway packaging,' he says. 'We have included some ideas of future uses, or you can send the box back to us for it to be reused until the end of its life.'
 
Justin Duance Jewellery Cork Ring Box RGB
 Justin Duance
 
The venue 
Ask each venue on your shortlist about their environmental ethos to see if it matches your own, or if it's possible for them to work with you on your zero-waste mission.
 
'There are some amazing ecologically friendly venues in Cornwall; Eden Project (edenproject.com) being a firm favourite of mine, along with The Green (thegreencornwall.co.uk) and Cornish Tipi Weddings (cornishtipiweddings.co.uk),' reveals Rebecca. 
 
'If possible, keep the travel down to a minimum by having the ceremony and reception in the same location,' she says. 'If not, try to hold them within walking distance so you don't have to rely on coaches or minibuses. The ushers and bridesmaids could lead the way holding 'This way to the party' signs.'
 
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Eden Project
 
'By 2025 we are going to try and run weddings without plastic, balloons and anything that has done more than a day's nautical miles,' says Fiona Flindall of Chypraze Farm (thecornishweddingbarn.co.uk).
 
The venue has already replaced paper cups with triangular water cups, which can be recycled or composted; leftover food is given to the homeless; electricity is sourced from solar panels and a wind turbine; radiant heaters have been installed, and a DraughtMaster system has been fitted to reduce the usage of beer bottles. 
 
'We are lucky that our meat comes straight from the butchery on our farm and therefore our barbecues are free from plastic packaging. We also buy cheeses and pasties from local producers and again there is no plastic packaging,' she adds, while other issues they're currently tackling include plastic bottles and waste from plates.
 
Meanwhile, Landal Gwel an Mor (gwelanmor.com) was named a top 50 winner at the recent Family Traveller Excellence Awards, picking up the 'Sustainable Intentions' Excellence Award for their Wildlife and Conservation Centre, Feadon Farm.
 
Not only does the resort and wedding venue present luxury lodges amidst an inspiring coast-meets-country location, but advocates a 'back to nature' ethos in everything it does, from supporting wild areas by reducing strimming and leaving areas to grow naturally (with recent projects including the planting of 600 trees) to increasing recycling, installing solar panels and offering free electric vehicle charging points. 
 
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Chypraze Farm
 
The bridal wear 
Thanks to Cornwall-based bridal designer Claire L. Headdon (clairelheaddon.com), you don't have to compromise when it comes to wedding wear, with her Organic Collection crafted at her Falmouth studio from sumptuous organic and fair trade silks.
 
'I am incredibly passionate about promoting eco-friendly products and processes within the textile industry, choosing natural organic fibres over synthetics and sourcing locally wherever I can,' says Claire. The capsule collection comprises stylish separates and gowns that can be easily customised to create a bespoke look. 
 
'Focusing on versatility and the longevity of the gowns, they were designed with the perspective to be able to reuse, redesign and to pass on to others,' she says. 
 
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OliviaBossertPhotography (2 Of 113)
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Claire L. Headdon Designs
 
Another Cornwall-based design studio, Roamer Rose (roamerrose.com), puts sustainability at the heart of their ethos, handcrafting beautiful bespoke gowns from discarded materials. 'Regarding our ethical stance ' 'hunt & gather' means the practice of collecting discarded materials to re-use, re-imagine so we can contribute to stopping waste,' Kyla Sidwell of Roamer Rose.
 
There are further fashion options for eco-minded brides. 'Hire a dress or go to a pre-loved dress shop and ask a seamstress to adapt a dress unique to you,' suggests Rebecca. 'Or if you want your very own, new dress, reuse it by asking a seamstress to repurpose it for another occasion.'
 
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Indiebride London
 
The flowers 
'When looking for flowers, it's important to check that they have been locally grown, in season and pesticide-free. These are likely to last longer and do not negatively affect the environment,' highlights Jenny. 
 
'It is sad to see how many flowers often go to waste once the wedding is over,' she continues. 'I think it's a lovely idea for couples to bring an extra set of jam jars or second hand vases so that table flowers can be given out to guests. If this isn't feasible, many nursing homes would greatly appreciate a delivery of this kind.'
 
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Down By The River Florals
 
'If creating your own tablespaces, ask friends and family if they have any foliage that can be used as central runners. Or use plants and ceramic pots to create that al fresco style dining effect,' says Rebecca. 'Work with a florist who doesn't use floral foam and uses locally grown organic flowers, where possible. Also, ask that no flowers are wrapped in plastic, but preferably hessian ' or delivered to you in glass.'
 
Fancy a more au naturel approach? 'Forage!' suggests Rebecca. 'Ivy and foliage always look amazing and help create that natural indoors/outdoors vibe. Look in charity shops for beautiful ribbons or, if you want to buy new, use naturally dyed ribbons.' 
 
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Downbytheriverflorals4 Lisamariegrigsby
Down By The River Florals
 
The food & drink 
'Always source local, seasonal, organic produce and work with caterers that have this ethos,' says Rebecca. 'And 'ugly' fruit and veg is a must! Try to keep waste to a minimum, so limited packaging, if any, and ensure the venue has a good recycling policy,' she says, adding that if you're having a DIY wedding, ensure your caterers have recycling and compost bins and your bar has recycling bottle bins.
  
'If you're really brave, keep your menu meat-free or plant-based. There are some incredible vegan caterers out there. The food is so delicious your meat-eating guests won't complain!' continues Rebecca. 'Organic vegan cakes are delicious, so source a baker who can work their magic and your guests won't know any different.'
 
Halloumi Chili Courgette Canape
Mount Pleasant Eco Park
 
You could even take your cue from Charlotte and Nick Baker ' a couple from Cumbria who hit the news in 2017 with their reputedly first 'food waste wedding', which involved the Real Junk Food Cafe catering for their 135 guests with food rejected from retailers that would have otherwise been thrown away.
 
Take the same approach with the alcohol. 'Source local, organic and vegan; it can be done and you'll have fun experimenting,' says Rebecca. 'Another fun idea is to ask guests to bring a bottle from their drinks cabinet. Hire an experienced mixologist who can work their magic with a hotchpotch of different spirits and liqueurs that have been gathering dust in the backs of cupboards.'
  
Plastic straws are no longer welcome and, if you have a DIY bar, try to use glass, or at the very least recyclable or compostable cups. 'For any food or drinks waste, there's always the next day! Who doesn't love a post-wedding lunch' she says.
 
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Mount Pleasant Eco Park
 
Mount Pleasant Eco Park (mpecopark.co.uk) was built with environmentally friendly methods, and not only enforces the green factor in its sustainable daily practices (such as using a wind turbine to power 30% of the electricity, harvesting rainwater to flush the loos, being part of the plastic-free initiative and requesting that wedding parties do not bring single-use plastics onto the site), but delivers delicious vegan and vegetarian menus from the Cabana Kitchen Café. 
 
'As a wedding venue, we believe the site provides environmental peace of mind along with the space to express yourselves as a couple,' says events manager, Izzy Blacher. 'Our passion for the environment is also why we are a 100% vegetarian venue. Our on-site cafe very much shares in our ethos and produces seriously good vegetarian and vegan food, and as much as possible it uses home-grown organic produce from the Eco Park allotments to produce fresh seasonal menus for our weddings. From sharing platters and big-pan paellas to banquet style feasts we just love showing people just how good veggie food can be!'
 
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Mount Pleasant Eco Park
 
The minutiae 
Don't forget the little things, like décor, confetti and favours. If single-use, think second-hand and biodegradable, otherwise always try to repurpose items to prevent them from reaching landfill. 
 
'Biodegradable confetti is generally all that most venues will now accept,' says Rebecca. 'Simple but lovely eco-friendly favours are either packets of seeds or, better yet, pre-planted seedlings or plants, in beautiful ceramic pots.' 
 
Biodegradable Petal Wedding Confetti With Pail 2
Not on the High Street
 
With décor, select items with 'shelf life' that will last beyond the day, and then gift them (to guests or charity) after the event. This could include anything from used candles and centrepieces to soft furnishings, which you can source from your own home or buy second-hand. 
 
For their recent wedding in Falmouth, Matt and Dan transported their own artworks, furniture and homewares to dress their venue, which ' along with hiring giant potted palms ' gave it a uniquely stylish and homely feel full of personal detail. Matt also handcrafted much of the décor such as the votives and pottery, which he presented as post-wedding gifts. Self-penned letters served as a surprise on-the-day gift to every single guest, and they sold or donated the remaining items after the event. 
 
'Beg, borrow and steal,' instructs Rebecca. 'Ask friends and family for help. If you're having a rustic outdoor-style wedding, ask if anyone has any picnic blankets, spare outdoor furniture, hay bales…' In short, be as resourceful and creative as you can to design a bespoke day that's as green as it is distinctively 'you'.
 
Personalised Succulents Wedding Favours In Tin Pots
Not on the High Street
 
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Wedding in a Teacup