Andy & Elaine’s eco friendly wedding at Bore Place in Kent was filled with love (for each other & the planet!), fun and lots, and lots, and lots of rain.
Where the love story began:
“We met as students at Durham university, although only got together a couple of years after. Andrew proposed by a mountain lake in the Pyrenees after camping under the stars mist the night before.”
Sustainability at the heart
“We try where we can to act in a sustainable manner and we encouraged this at our wedding. All food served was vegetarian, with most of it grown on the farm where the ceremony was held. Half the guests were able to stay on site, minimising the use of taxis, while we also encouraged car share between guests. All suppliers were relatively local as well, the dress is made from eco-friendly material, and made by a co-operative in Nepal. Wedding materials were recycled or re-used, and we asked guests to give money to charity rather than buy presents that will end up hidden in a cupboard somewhere.” – Elaine
Elaine’s wedding dress is by Sanyuka Shrestha and made from eco friendly and organic fabrics which have been hand loomed by Nepalese woman from the Tulsi Mehar Mahila Ashram which houses homeless & destitute women. The home is dedicated to helping deprived women from challenging backgrounds, with a goal to provide vulnerable women with shelter and training while educating their children. “Sanyukta’s decision to use these natural/eco fibres in her collections underlines her commitment to the environment and development focusing on ‘beauty with a conscience’.”
Let the wedding begin
Elaine and her bridesmaids had their hair and make up done off site in the local town, then continued the preparations back at Bore Place, before heading to St. Mary’s Church for the ceremony. The rain began just as they left for the church, and didn’t stop until the next day! Â The church ceremony took place at St. Marys Church in Sevenoaks, it was a beautiful ceremony
After the ceremony it was back to Bore Place for the reception! From their early commitment to organic farming to their drive to reduce our carbon emissions by generating green energy, Bore Place continues to evolve with a green agenda and a focus on sustainability at its core.
“The venue itself is just down the road from where Andrew grew up so the area means a lot to both of us” – Elaine
A Rainy Autumn wedding
We snuck out for some couple photographs in the rain whilst guests were mingling inside. Thankfully the couple were SO chilled about the rain, it is just one of those things you can’t control in England! What most people don’t realise is that rain makes the colours more vibrant, and you can create some really fun and unique wedding photos in the rain!
It was pretty wet, so we got these done as quickly as possible so the couple could re join their guests and have some food! The wedding breakfast was created by Bore Place Caterers, who farm organically and are committed to eating organically and seasonally, not just because it is beneficial for our wellbeing but because of the wider impact on the environment. All of their food was vegetarian too, adding to the eco friendly wedding approach.
After funny speeches were said, food was eaten and wine was drunk, it was time for the party! Andy and Elaine chose Rare Groove Party Band to play their first dance and lead the party into the night! The couple had choreographed their first dance which was fantastic! The evening food was provided by Pizza Federicci, who served wood fired pizza out of their food truck. Pizza Federicci also use local produce and support local business to reduce food miles.
As the guests partied into the night and enjoyed the wood fired pizzas, the bride and groom joined me to make some rainy wedding day photo magic!
I thoroughly enjoyed Andy & Elaines eco friendly wedding on a rainy day in October. I left the day wanting to be more like them, more sustainable, more kind to the planet, and to do more for worthy causes. They are an inspiration and their day reflected exactly who they are.
I asked Elaine & Andy what advice would they give to future couples?
“Firstly, be more decisive! We took months making decisions that couple have been made in minutes. At the end of the day, it will be a special day whatever you do. Secondly, don’t spend too much time listening to others’ advice. Everyone has different perceptions/expectations of a wedding, make it your own.”
Credit to the amazing eco friendly suppliers:
Venue: Bore Place
Catering: Bore Place Caterers & Pizza Federicci
Wedding dress: Sanyuka Shrestha
Suits: Slaters
Flowers: Sevenoaks Florists
Hair and Make up: Graham Webb
Band: Rare Groove Party Band
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