https://unsplash.com PRE-LOVED PRECIOUS PIECES Laura Dalton is the founder of Kept Weddings, a personable and detaildriven wedding planning and consulting service creating stylish and refined celebrations across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and beyond. When it comes to making a wedding more sustainable, Laura has plenty of expert ideas. Planning your big-day outfit sustainably is so important. Laura recommends renting a wedding dress or purchasing one secondhand. She says, “When you discover how much new wedding dresses cost, you might want to consider dress rentals or buying secondhand which not only helps your budget, but it’s kinder to the environment.” She also suggests using ethical beauty products where possible. “Some make-up and hair stylists will only work with ethically sourced brands and products so do your research to see which suppliers support the cause of being sustainable.” When it comes to planning your special day, Laura stresses the importance of booking a local venue. She says, “Choose a local venue and suppliers to avoid unnecessarily long travel journeys for guests that can contribute fumes into the environment. On the topic of travel, instead of requesting presents, cards or contributions towards your honeymoon, request donations towards a sustainable cause instead.” Why not invite guests to your wedding with stylish recyclable stationery? Laura says, “Rather than using traditional paper or card, use recycled options or alternative papers like seed or hemp. Menu cards, place names, table numbers, orders of service and seating plans can all contribute to being wasteful if they cannot be repurposed or recycled after use.” Also, do you need favours? More and more couples are opting out of providing them because not everyone wants to keep them, especially if it isn’t something they need. “Avoid the waste and consider ditching the favours!” Laura says. Finally, Laura explains how picking locally grown flowers helps. She says, “Book a florist who works sustainably through growing their own flowers locally, and by using other methods to install blooms instead of the use of floral foam. If you’re getting married in a church, you can ask if there’s another wedding taking place and whether the other couple would like to repurpose the flowers to ensure they are not just for one use.” www.keptweddings.co.uk www.instagram.com/keptweddingswithlaura www.facebook.com/keptweddingswithlaura SUSTAINABLE SUMMER WEDDINGS Award-winning wedding coordinators in Cornwall and Devon, Out of the Ordinary Wedding Events – by Hazel Parsons offer wedding day coordination and event design for creative couples. When it comes to eco-friendly wedding ideas for summer celebrations, Hazel suggests looking for a venue with décor incorporated. She says, “Choosing a beautiful venue will allow you to opt for minimalistic décor that highlights its natural features. The venue may have a wildflower meadow, stunning sea views, well-manicured gardens, or feature exquisite architecture. Some venues offer décor included in the hire, from lanterns, arches and backdrops to ceiling installations, faux flowers and table centres. Enquire what’s included to cut down the amount you need to hire or buy.” Hazel also explains how hiring instead of buying will give you a wider variety of choices and ensure the reduction of waste and excess production. She says, “Instead of buying new, opt to hire table decorations, props, ceremony styling items, furniture, lighting and more. There are so many wonderful businesses out there that provide a wide range of options and hire companies will also take care of the logistics, delivery, maintenance and cleaning so that you don’t have to!” Hazel stresses the importance of sourcing fresh seasonal produce locally when it comes to the wedding menu. She recommends, “When it comes to booking your suppliers and sourcing produce, shop local to the venue to cut down on the carbon footprint. There is so much choice available to you now, it is much easier to find the supply team you want to create your day.” She adds, “For your caterers, chat to them about where they source their produce and opt for a seasonal and more sustainable menu. When it comes to flowers, consider hand-cut varieties from a local flower farm, hire potted plants and trees or book dried flower arrangements.” To minimise waste, Hazel offers some top tips. She says, “Choose drink options from recyclable containers, glass or if needed, plastic. Buy reusable plates, cutlery and glassware or ensure it’s fully recyclable or bio-degradable. For confetti, pick natural dried petals or biodegradable alternatives. Reduce food waste by opting for plated menus rather than a buffet, or provide medium-sized plates for the buffet so that guests choose to refill rather than pop everything on one plate. For your wedding cake, if you have cake left, most can be frozen. One of our favourite things to do after the wedding is to pre-portion out any cake left along with any of the wedding flowers and give them to guests in bunches the next day as they leave. Finally, up-cycle, re-use and re-purpose flowers, stationery, decor, material and signage - get family and friends who are creative involved with lending, making and re-modelling things.” https://outoftheordinaryweddings.com www.instagram.com/outoftheordinaryweddings www.facebook.com/outoftheordinaryweddings https://paulkeppel.co.uk https://paulkeppel.co.uk VENUE STYLING 55
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