Zero Waste Sustainable Wedding Inspiration
Photography by Emma-Jane PhotographyCan you really have a completely waste-free wedding? Yes! Recommended Supplier, Karin Tindall Weddings, and all the suppliers involved in this incredible editorial shoot set out with the desire to prove that an eco-friendly, sustainable, zero-waste wedding is possible to achieve, without compromising on style or substance. It’s really not as hard as you may think. By choosing local suppliers, who use ethically sourced materials, you’re already one step closer to creating your own eco-friendly wedding. Shopping pre-loved is another way to do this! Recycle My Wedding is our pre-loved buy-and-sell platform for all things weddings, if you’re looking for a second-hand wedding dress or decor! On hand for hair and makeup was the lovely Recommended Supplier, Anna Jones Bridal. This wonderful and inspiring shoot was captured by the talented Recommended Supplier, Emma-Jane Photography.
Eco-friendly sustainable wedding at The Garden Tipi with zero waste and ethically sourced decor
I took the mission to create a fully eco-friendly shoot seriously. When we walked out of the Garden Tipi that evening, the only rubbish we'd accumulated was that of an empty packet of biscuits.
Karin Tindall Weddings
The Garden Tipi Eco-Friendly Wedding
Nestled towards the back of Preston Bissett Nurseries, reached via romantically winding pathways, past the potting shed and pretty shrubbery, sits The Garden Tipi. With its cosy interior, including a wood burner and wicker pendant lights, The Garden Tipi is the perfect eco-friendly wedding location. The wintery season, location, and sustainability-focus ensured the styling centred around plants! Pulling the outside in, seasonal shrubs and trees were used for a lush immersive feel. Herbs from the polytunnels were scattered along the table, and all of it was given a contemporary and soft feel with white draping, pearl-edged plates and stationery; while a luxe edge could be found in the gold-rimmed glasses, cutlery and tea lights.
Sustainable Wedding Decor & Fashion
Everything in this wedding was either made by British designers, sustainable fabrics or bought pre-loved and vintage. The dresses from Recommended Supplier, Love & Loved Bridal, were made for the eco-conscious bride. All their stock comes from British designers who use eco-friendly, sustainable, locally sourced fabrics. Pretty Lavish and Kurt Geiger have sterling sustainability policies, but the items from here were also bought pre-loved to reduce the carbon footprint further. After the shoot, one dress was sold on and the other was given away to the model. Recommended Supplier, The Kind Designer, created the wedding stationery using materials that are cruelty-free, vegan, and plastic-free and all fully recyclable or compostable!
Every aspect of this wedding was repotted, sold on or returned after the day - there was literally no waste!
The plants and planters were all returned to their original homes outside the tipi, and in the polytunnels, like we'd never been there. All crockery, cutlery, glassware, candle holders, plinths, draping etc were all hire items, returned to their owners to be washed and used again. Plus, all suppliers involved in this shoot were locally based, to reduce fuel consumption.
Karin Tindall Weddings
There’s a stigma that low-waste and sustainable weddings are actually high maintenance. But, we hope this shoot proves they’re a lot easier to plan and organise than you think. Weddings don’t have to cost the Earth, so take a look at our steps to plan a low-waste wedding. We’ve also put together a roundup of some eco-friendly real weddings we’ve previously shared that make a conscious effort to put their green foot forward.
