Eco luxe wedding style inspo from River Cottage in Devon

Published by Claire Gould on June 28, 2019June 28, 2019

Happy Friday lovelies! I hope you have exciting plans for the weekend ahead ? – but before we even get there, let’s make Friday AMAZING, shall we? I have a wonderfully tranquil and beautiful feature for you today. It’s all about sustainable wedding styling, and comes from (where else?) the fabulous River Cottage in Devon.

The shoot was perfectly styled by Claire and Vicky from Do Me A Favour. The stunning images are by lovely Laura at Freeformimages Photography. Laura’s website is a beautiful, vibrant and joyful little part of the internet and I wholeheartedly recommend you check her out – we LOVE her style here at English Wedding HQ! Laura’s here to tell you all about today’s editorial photoshoot. Enjoy!

Creating an Eco wedding with a luxury twist was at the heart of this shoot and was coordinated in harmony with the venue and suppliers involved. We wanted to embrace as much as possible the ethos of being ECO and create a stunning Luxe styled elopement wedding. A wedding at River Cottage will always inspire and enchant. Nestled in a picturesque valley on the Devon, Dorset border surrounded by the rolling fields the beautiful countryside is the perfect backdrop for a wedding. Couples can say “I do” in the famous farmhouse or the walled kitchen garden, or the beautifully restored threshing barn. River Cottage really is the perfect setting for an unforgettable wedding.

The Bride had a selection of 3 dresses, the ‘Beach’ dress made by Luna Bride available at The Conscious Bride. Organic silk, bamboo and French lace. Handmade in the UK by Luna Bride.

‘Meraki’ two piece made by The Conscious Bride ‘own label’ created from vintage broderie anglaise. Hannah says.. “I wanted to create something from cotton that had form and structure. So many wedding dresses are in silk and I wanted to find away to utilise beautiful vintage cottons and still create a wedding dress that was comfortable and striking.”

And finally a bespoke heirloom silk gown made by The Conscious Bride ‘own label’ “This dress was created specially with this shoot in mind. The lace on the top was purchased from a fair a few years ago and I had been hanging onto it for something special. Teamed with this hand loomed fair trade silk from Cambodia it is a dress that keeps traditional technique and skill alive. Lined with non bleached bamboo (from a closed loop system). It’s still all about stunning and slightly daring backs, and because the lace was only a small piece it influence the design.”

Two Pure Cotton Mantilla Shawls in different creams were also used by Cadogan Cardigans, hand made here in Devon. Made in only Natural Yarns and ethically sourced.

Even the make up products Michelle Stanford, Arbonne used were environmentally friendly, zero waste, recyclable, Carbon neutral, Sustainably sourced ingredients, Non – toxic, Non GMO, Vegan, Cruelty Free and much more and still give a flawless look. The model’s look was inspired by the colours used in the shoot, so a smokey look, with some coral and gold added to the mix. With a beautiful Coral lipstick to finish.

The hair by The Up Do Girl was a soft; natural textured looking hairstyle “I felt would suit the brief and the beautiful countryside venue location”. The hair products used are a brand called Maria Nila, their products are vegan and cruelty free, they use climate compensated packaging, working with Zeromission and Plant Vivo which helps farmers plant trees in poorer parts of the world for reforestation.”

Even the headpiece was up-cycled and re-worked the elements. “I managed to find some gorgeous 1940’s vintage fabric millinery flowers from a local vintage shop, which I used as part of the main headpiece along with some beautiful blush vintage pearls and other antique beads. I love the 3D effect and the softness of the pearl sprays and glass leaves. The gold and lavender crown contains the most beautiful vintage brooch that had been in my collection for a number of years just waiting to be used in something special! The soft colours and organic structure were perfect for the River Cottage theme.”

To complete the bridal look. were the shoes from Beyond Skin. Simple, beautiful, ethical and elegant vegan shoes.

The Groom was wearing a Thought Clothing classic hemp long sleeve shirt, organic chino trousers and Cock and Bull Tweed Collection’s handsome and colourful tweed waistcoats and caps. Using the finest hand-woven tweeds from the Isle of Lewis, paired with organic hemp/silk linings gave us excellent quality and sustainable style. Even the bow ties from Patore’ are lovingly created from solid wood, the grain ensures no two are alike. And to complete his look were unconventional sophisticated men’s shoes from Bourgeois Boheme, providing ethically made, sustainable, vegan shoes with a literal minimal footprint.

Using natural fabrics hand died with natural pigments to add the colour tones of coral from the brief, these flowed out from the foliage of greenery table runners creating a wonderful natural but luxury feel to the tables. Slate chargers gave depth and contrast to the wooden tables and we used gold cutlery and gold tea light holders to bring more luxury elements in. To give the Threshing Barn dinning area an extra dimension Petal and Posie hung many macramé plant hangers with beautiful plant holders filled with gorgeous seasonal flora’s such as Tulips, Narcissi, Hellebores and lots of foliage for a lush, green ‘just gathered’ spring look. This created a celling of natural luxury and framed the top table in a unique way. Our hand made table plan was strung with matching stationery to the table settings and was naturally at home with Claires Sweet Temptations‘ cake and gift area of the room. Outside our co coordinating hexagonal handmade arch framed the bride, groom and celebrant with elegant ease in front of the iconic farmhouse doors.

Everything about River Cottage chimes from the stunning surroundings to the ethically sourced food. Nixie from Unique Ceremonies says, “As a Celebrant my main creativity is through my words; however for the shoot I used my old favourite wooden lectern and created a beautiful hand fasting cord plaiting together all natural cotton and linen ribbons and cords…adding feathers too. Lastly I made a Besom style broom; from a hazel stave and dogwood twigs wrapped round with sisal and linen ribbons, for our delightful bride and groom to jump over into their new married life together! Unique Ceremonies for Heartfelt Weddings with Soul!”

The rings are symbolic and so important in a wedding so it was only fitting to ask Eco Wood Rings to provide us with the stunning wedding bands. “You have a unique opportunity when you choose a custom eco wood ring to create something truly meaningful. Limited only by your creativity, the possibilities are almost endless. Your ring can tell a story, capture a moment in time and be a beautiful reflection of what really matters to you. Lovingly made, a custom wood ring is the thoughtful choice whilst being both affordable and ethical. The options are literally unlimited, providing an opportunity for your ring/s to be an enduring memento of your life together. Most of our customers use their wooden rings as an opportunity to tell their unique story. You can add in materials from special places including wood from the River Cottage HQ or a treasured possession.

Even Keslowena Confetti‘s natural confetti was hand picked and lovingly made for this shoot. Hops, delphinium and lady’s mantle were the choice of petal and the soft scents were perfect for the Cottage Garden ceremony.

Native aim to be as green thinking as possible. ”We choose high quality, long-lasting bell tents made from sustainably sourced cotton. Our canvas tents are arguably more eco-friendly than the modern nylon tents. Our furnishings are largely bought from a fantastic North Devon based business who sell up-cycled, re-cycled and second hand goods all following fair trade standards to the highest degree. Much of the furniture in our tents is pre-loved and lovingly re-stored in-house to suit our unique style.”

See the full River Cottage wedding supplier list below the images…