sustainable
barn wedding

There’s nothing we love more than being sent an amazing real wedding to feature on our blog! Frances and Seb’s sustainable barn wedding was full of colour, laughs and lots of dancing – just how we like it here at UW! Keep reading for DIY, eco-friendly wedding ideas.

Photography by Dave Fuller

'A GREAT
BIG PARTY'

Here’s what Frances and Seb told us about their sustainable barn wedding:

“We got engaged in lockdown and toyed with the idea of a micro-wedding, but ultimately after 2 years of on-and-off isolation, we just wanted a great big party!

We wanted to make the day our own as much as possible. We got officially married the day before in the local registry office so we were free to do whatever we wanted for the ceremony. We had our 2 close friends conduct the ceremony, which made it so intimate, fun and uniquely us. We really wanted to make the day as relaxed as possible, and having our friends conduct the ceremony definitely put us at ease. So did having our close friends Amy and Dave Fuller do the photography.

We followed the ceremony with the classic confetti train, though with the small addition of Seb cycling a cargo bike with Frances as the passenger!

We then had lovely canapes, mingling, and the wedding breakfast before sharing a joint speech thanking all our guests. The party then started with a costume change for Frances into a sequin jumpsuit for the Ceilidh band and DJ set, which saw all the guests on the floor for “Rock The Boat”.

ADVICE FROM
THE COUPLE

Delegate

The week before you host a party for all your friends and family can be a tad stressful, but delegating tasks to loved ones can be super helpful.

Invest in Photography

It’s worth splurging on a good photographer and photo album so you can treasure beautiful memories forever.

Prepare

With DIY, it always takes longer than you think, so start early and make a timeline or schedule to help keep you on track.

sustainable barn
wedding venue

Frances and Seb kept the environment in mind throughout their wedding planning, even down to choosing a wedding venue that aligned with their values:

“We got married in Folly Farm, a barn-style wedding venue that is owned by the Avon Valley Wildlife Trust. The wedding was a pretty chilled event, all kicking off on the Friday night with a family meal on site. Many of the guests were able to stay on site, which meant Seb had company for his last breakfast as a single man and lots of help adding bunting to the grounds of the venue. We loved the grounds of this venue but we also loved that it was a charity, with all profits going to the Wildlife Trust. During the planning of our wedding, we tried to make more eco choices where possible, so this venue really ticked that box!

We sourced a lot of second-hand or homemade decorations and chose local suppliers, Trying to make as many sustainable wedding choices as possible to reduce the impact of our day.”

eco friendly
wedding wear

The most important thing about your wedding wear is that it makes you feel like you! Frances & Seb looked absolutely brilliant for their sustainable barn wedding. Here’s what Frances told us:

“We wanted wedding wear we would feel comfortable in. Seb is known for his bold and colourful clothes choices and is frequently seen in Hawaiian shirts. For his wedding, he wanted something extra special, which required a trip to Brighton to a specialist Hawaiian shirt shop, which sources all its shirts from Hawaii.

I wanted something simple and classic, but was conscious of the environmental impact of the fashion and wedding industry. So, I was set on a secondhand or vintage dress. After a visit to a local vintage bridal shop, Ashwell & Co, I was sold on the most perfect 1930s dress, paired with some second-hand orange suede shoes. I paired this with a flower crown – Think Maid Marian in ‘Robin Hood – Prince Of Thieves’!”

sustainable barn
wedding decor

This couple were savvy with the DIY for their wedding, and reached out to local suppliers for the things they couldn’t make themselves:

“The flowers were from The Rambling Rose, a local florist who used a mix of fresh and dried flowers so we could keep the flower crown and bouquets after the wedding. We wanted an explosion of vibrant, Autumnal colours to reflect the season.

We sourced a lot of the centrepieces from second-hand sites and used houseplants that we could then keep or gift to our guests after the wedding. We also made miles and miles of bunting!”