HEAL THE WORLD

Make your wedding – and world – a better place by thinking about your carbon footprint when it comes to your day, as Felicity Wiggins from Amega Fleur Floral Design explains

“When you think of sustainability, decadence and luxury aren’t usually the first words that spring to mind. However, our shoot at North Essex venue, Houchins, proves that sustainability doesn’t have to mean scrimping on style.

“As we become more aware of the actions we have on the environment, it makes sense that industries are starting to look at what they can do to minimise that impact. The wedding world is not known for being environmentally friendly, and floristry has come under fire for the pesticides used to preserve the cut flowers, not to mention the use of materials such as floral foam, which isn’t biodegradable and can release microplastics into the environment. With this in mind Houchins and myself have been looking at what we can do to help.”

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THE VENUE “Houchins prides itself on being an eco-friendly venue and boasts beautiful gardens which will soon have the addition of a wildflower meadow. They also have an active programme to plant native trees and hedgerows to increase biodiversity, creating habitats for a wide range of wildlife. As well as recycling, using LED lights, and installing waterless urinals, the venue uses a water source heat pump for heating resulting in an almost carbon-neutral solution.”

THE FLOWERS “I’ve become increasingly aware of the need to reduce the carbon footprint of my own business and have put policies in place to address this. When possible, I only work with seasonal flowers. This means there is no need to import any blooms, and they can be sourced locally. I also grow a lot of foliage, both at my home and at my studio, allowing me to ‘forage’ legally from my own supplies! I order carefully to avoid any waste being leftover, plus I recycle or reuse packing or decorations wherever possible. For example, for this shoot all materials were composted or recycled. Everything else, like pins and ribbons, were cleaned to be reused. There was no floral foam to be found, opting instead for more eco-friendly options like chicken wire, floral fibre and reusable containers to create the striking floral designs.”

SUPPLIER CONTACTS Photography, Farlie Photography, https://farliephotography.co.uk | Venue, Houchins, www.houchins.co.uk | Flowers, Amega Fleur Floral Design, www.amegafleur.co.uk | Dresses, Amara Bridal & Prom, www.amarabridalandprom.co.uk | Accessories, PS With Love, www.pswithlove.co.uk | Hair and Make-up, Bumblebee Bridal, www.bumblebeebridal.co.uk | Cake, Luca’s Cakes, www.lucascakes.co.uk Styling, Party Squared, www.partysquared.co.uk | Videography, Tony Davies Wedding Films, www.tonydaviesfilms.co.uk