Weddings are rubbish! Not something you would expect from an experienced wedding celebrant, but it is why I am now working towards my sustainable wedding accreditation. Let me be honest. I have never been married, and when my friends and I were of marriageable age, celebrants were unknown in the UK. When I became a wedding celebrant I fell into a world in which I was completely unversed. The ceremony, the love story, the individual elements I could enhance, and the relationship with my wonderful couples - all of that came naturally and thanks to my training, But the rest? When did flip flops become a thing? When did party favours go from being a bag with five almonds to personalised plastic gifts? It slowly dawned on me that this must be having an impact on the environment. I have always recycled and reused and am a haunter of charity shops and junk shops, but now I was actively wanting to learn more about the carbon footprint of the average wedding. According to the Earth Trust, the average wedding creates as much C0 2 per wedding as 5 people would do in a year! So what can we do about this? Personally I am working on my car use, which is the sole biggest part of my net zero aim. But I am also a member of the Natural Wedding Directory, and the Sustainable Wedding Alliance. In addition I work with a group of other sustainable suppliers, including photographer Emily Brown, and venues. For each couple I conduct a ceremony for, I plant a tree through the Woodland Trust, as a romantic reminder of their day which will grow with their family, whilst also offsetting some of the Carbon produced. Together we are turning the tide on wasteful weddings but also showing that glamour, beauty and even Luxe do not need to suffer, just because you are choosing to be sustainable. This photo, taken by Emily Brown was part of a sustainable wedding shoot at the wonderful Barnfield wedding Venue. Why not take a look at sustainable venues in your area, and consider ways to make your day wonderful without costing the earth! Suppliers on this shoot were: Venue: @barnfieldweddings Tipi: @coasttocoasttipis Photography: @emily_brown_photography Videography: @millenfilms Models: @abi.mikes Dresses: @sabinamotasem Menswear: @greshamblake Fine Jewellery: @kata.jewellery Florist : @helen_sheard_floral_designs_ Celebrant: @celebrantkate65 Tables: @disco_dining Cake: @rtcakes Plantable stationery: @greenplanet_living