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Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, Lutterworth

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, Lutterworth

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.

 

 

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

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!”

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

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.”

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

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.”

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

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.”

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

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!”

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

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.”

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

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

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

Pin this image on Pinterest

 

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

Beauty In Sustainability: Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

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

Eco Upcyled Wedding Inspiration In Hothorpe Woodlands, LutterworthPin this image on Pinterest

 

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