We know your love is going to last a lifetime but will your wedding day choices be as perennial?
At Frog Hollow we’re all about sustainability, both yours (in terms of health and nutrition) and the planet’s… We use recyclable, biodegradable packaging and avoid plastic wherever we can. To reduce packaging, we offer a refill option with our energy bites.
As wedding season approaches, we started to think about green weddings… Don’t panic! We’re not going to suggest you dress in hemp, (unless you want to), but we do have some tips, including some from our expert friends on how to make your wedding day more sustainable.
The venue: We can’t recommend Tuppenny Barn highly enough! A wedding reception venue where your green credentials will be reflected in your wedding celebration. By choosing Tuppenny Barn you will be supporting the Tuppenny Barn Education Not for Profit Organisation in their social and environmental aims, enabling them to provide learning experiences to children, educating them about healthy diets and lifestyles, as well as promoting sustainable lifestyles for all. Tuppenny Barn is eco-friendly and ethical, as well as exciting and enchanting.
The flowers: We spoke to Sarah Newman from Driftwood Flowers, who gave us the following advice.
To make your wedding flowers as sustainable as possible:
- Buy British and as local as possible
- Don’t have designs using foam as it is not bio-degradable
- Always decide who to give your flowers to at the end of the day – everybody loves to receive flowers and it is tragic to ‘bin’ them when they still have long to go.
- Use a florist who composts green waste and re-cycles non-green, whenever possible.
- No cellophane, just ask for unbleached kraft paper for your thank you bouquets.
The frock: Personal Stylist and Coach, Vicky Booker, gave us the following tips.
- Go for an ethical wedding dress –There are a few independent boutiques out there that embrace the ethical clothing philosophy when it comes to bridal wear. They use ethically sourced materials, upcycled garments, and organic and fair trade. A few suggestions are Sister Organics, Luna Bride and The Green Wedding Co.
- Choose something you could wear again – A wedding gown becomes unsustainable when you only wear it for a few hours then pack it away a box. So get creative, or step away from the traditional long wedding gown. Alternatives can include a gown that isn’t white or cream, or perhaps a trouser suit, or cocktail dress, that you could wear again on special occasions.
- Dye your dress or recycle it – If you’d rather not step too far away from the traditional, you can get more wear out of your dress if you dye it after the big day. And wear it as a stand out evening gown. Check that the fabric is suitable for this, and that any embellishments will work with the dye. You could also do this with shoes! If you’re crafty with a needle (or can find a great dressmaker) you can get your wedding dress re-purposed into something new.
- Donate it – Give somebody else the chance to feel and look fabulous on their special day.
- Sell it, or choose a ‘pre-loved’ gown – Make sure your dress gets to see the light of day again, and make some money back in the process! There are many bridal dress agencies who sell pre-loved gowns, which also work out more cost-effective if you’re choosing your dress from there too. I love Bijou Bridal in Barnham.
- Don’t wrap it up in a box and forget about it – wedding dresses are for life – not just your wedding day! If you’ve found the dress of your dreams, but it isn’t quite as organic or fair trade as it might be, or if simply you can’t bear to cut it up, dye it or part with it! Then do what my friends and I did… Have a wedding dress party! It’s great fun and a chance for another knees-up!
The face: Our good friend Miriam King, Makeup Artist, suggests doing your research on organic and fair trade skincare brands, recommending Neals Yard Remedies, to help you glow on your big day! But Miriam also suggests you do your research well in advance, making sure you try any cosmetics a few weeks before the big day, so you don’t get any nasty reactionary surprises!
The food: That’s where Frog Hollow comes in.
- Move over sugared almonds, grant your wedding guests the favour of our 100% natural energy bites. They’ll get the party started with their gorgeous goodness! Talk to us about sustainable packaging options to tie in with your wedding theme and colours.
- Looking for a cake to delight your guests? Look no further than Frog Hollow Superfood Cakes, they are free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar, and bursting with local ingredients to keep your carbon footprint light!
Contact me if you’d like to find out more about how we can help with your wedding day cake and favours.
