I am a wedding blogger with vegan tendencies. Eco is a big deal for me, and vegan is a #lifegoal I’m working on steadily (chocolate is holding me back)! My Instagram is half filled with wedding pretty; and half with vegan and organic lifestyle influencers’ feeds. These two things make me so happy… and it’s a rare treat indeed to see my two favourite things come together on English Wedding! Gwenda from Bohotanical – you know I love you, right? With the deepest admiration and respect for THE most amazing team of wedding creatives, let’s have a look at today’s photoshoot, shall we?

 

Concepts, flowers and styling are by Gwenda (Bohotanical & The Gilded Fern)
“I first had the pleasure of working at Bore Place in 2017, and was immediately captivated by both its beauty and the ecological ethos that underpins it. The founders of the charitable trust wanted to explore how to live and work sustainably, understanding and recognising the interconnectedness of the environmental, social, economic and political aspects of sustainability. They sought to achieve this through practical action and by working cooperatively with others in order to share and inspire change, which they do through community projects, education, green tourism, and leading by example on the farm itself. I was thrilled when they agreed to host the shoot!

I used all locally-grown flowers for an ‘untamed’ bouquet and lots of upcycled bottle arrangements, which are ideal for accenting ceremony spaces, and for trailing along trestle-style reception tables. Like the flowers, the rest of the styling was colourful, fun, and free-spirited. The wildflower seeds and the cacao favours featured are from a collection of eco and ethical gifts I have curated; one of my suppliers, in fact, is the lovely Lea, who created the favours, the cacao bars and modelled for this shoot, too!

When looking for collaborators for this shoot, I knew that I wanted a team who shared the same philosophy in their personal and professional lives. Although most of us had never worked together before, the process both before the day and during it was effortless.

I’ll let the team take over from here…”

The beautiful images are by Denise (One Love Pictures)
“I’ve always been a lover of nature and the planet, someone who’s appreciated the magic of where we live and all the little things it has to offer. As I’ve grown older and educated myself on how things work in the world, I’ve tried my best to do the right thing. So much so that a little while ago I got so overwhelmed with trying to help every animal in need that came to my attention, trying to give every charity a little money, trying not to eat anything that might do harm to the environment…that I found myself totally depressed with it all. I then made the decision that as long as I do my little bit, I’m doing my best….I can’t save the world on my own but if everyone does a little bit, who knows!

I really enjoyed this photoshoot, the idea of it, meeting the other what I’d call ‘earth friendly’ suppliers and the stunning location! How could I not enjoy a day in the sun, in the countryside, surround by beautiful things, people and food! Although I have to admit, the sun was a bit of an enemy that day (not often I’ll say that), as it’s so difficult to photograph in, creating blown highlights and harsh shadows. My photography style is very natural and less posed, so my aim that day was to show the gorgeous items I had to work with in the natural way they should be but trying to get the best out of the light that I could. It obviously helps to have a great model and a great team to work with!”

Lea’s gorgeous hair and makeup are by Gina at Bambi

“As a hair and makeup artist, I believe the only way to truly be beautiful is to be kind. So when Gwenda asked me to create a hair and makeup look for this shoot I was so excited!

The shoot encompassed everything I believe life should be; cruelty free, plant based, non toxic, non harmful and kind!
A wedding is a celebration of love, so it was great to work with a team of people who all share those values and whose work all comes from that same place of love.

I wanted to keep the look simple, elegant and clean to represent the inspirations behind creating an eco wedding.”

We LOVE the stationery by lovely Rachel (Made by Rae)!

“I was honoured when Gwenda invited me to provide the stationery for this unique ‘Eco & (Almost) Edible’ bridal shoot. Right from the beginning, I decided to use edible flowers as inspiration, and after a bit of research I fell in love with the jewel tones of pansies and nasturtiums. I wouldn’t normally put bright hues of purple, yellow and orange together but I think on this occasion it really works! Everything was designed and handmade from beautiful textured recycled card, papers and envelopes at my home studio.”

Jessica (The Bridal Boutique of Jules)
“I create bespoke vegan garments for The Bridal Boutique of Jules under the brand of Jeska Hammond. Each is lovingly designed, using a mix of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary ideas, manipulating classic silhouettes to create romantic collections with a playful personality rooted in heritage chic.”

Lea (Rosemary & Robert)
“We are a Kent based vegan cacao treat company, aiming to spread kindness and happiness through its handmade products. Rosemary & Robert’s range is made with the most ethical and high quality ingredients available to its small producers and are wrapped in earth-friendly packaging. You won’t find Rosemary & Robert in the supermarkets; creating cacao treats with thought, love and intention means going mass scale isn’t the goal. Slow living and personal connection is a priority; it’s no coincidence that Rosemary & Robert shortened is R&R. This is something the company would like to encourage its customers to give themselves a bit of each time they enjoy R&R creations.”

If I was planning my wedding, this cake would be top of my list!!! It’s by talented Lorna from (Totally Nuts by Blue Milk)
“This was my first ever photoshoot and being eco inspired was the cherry on top. It was a wonderful experience and an honour to work with such inspiring and talented women.

Creating a raw plant-based wedding cake is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and what a better why to do an eco wedding with an all vegan raw cake made with 100% whole-food ingredients. You could call it somewhat “guilt free” made with wholesome nuts, dates, coconut in many forms, fresh fruits and all things good while using as much organic produce where I can.

I believe a little indulgence is always welcome so I also created some baked vegan goodies which were decorated with beautiful edible flowers from local organic farmers. This photoshoot has inspired me in so many ways and is definitely the way forward for weddings with conscious mindful thinking.”

CONTRIBUTORS
Venue: Bore Place (www.boreplace.org)
Photography: One Love Pictures (www.onelovepictures.com)
Flowers & Styling: Gwenda at Bohotanical (www.bohotanical.co.uk)
Dresses & Accessories: Jessica at The Bridal Boutique of Jules (www.boutiqueofjules.co.uk)
Crockery, cake stands, cutlery & glasses: Harriet Stable (www.harrietstable.co.uk)
Hair & Make-Up: Gina at Bambi (www.thatvegansalon.co.uk)
Favours: Gwenda at The Gilded Fern at The Sustainable Wedding Movement (www.thesustainableweddingmovement.co.uk)
Cake and Desserts: Lorna at Totally Nuts by Blue Milk (www.facebook.com/totallynutsbybluemilk)
Stationery: Rachael at Made by Rae Designs (www.facebook.com/madebyraedesigns)
Cacao Bars: Rosemary & Robert (www.rosemaryandrobert.com)
Model: Lea