An eco-friendly beach wedding with natural handmade decorations

Today I have some beautiful inspiration for anyone planning an eco-friendly, rustic beach wedding.  Lucy Dyer is a wedding planner who has a really hands-on approach, often making table plans and seating cards as well as doing the decor.  She created this castaway, rustic island inspired wedding at a beachside restaurant.

The brief from the couple was lots of natural decor, no plastic and manmade products – they wanted it organic and natural.  Lucy spent months gathering driftwood and shells from the surrounding beaches, which she used to decorate the venue.

Lucy made a driftwood holder for the table plan, which she painted with blackboard paint and wrote ‘take a seat’ – it has been so popular that it’s been used at many of her other weddings. 

Raffia was tied around the chairs, which added a nice natural touch.  The beautiful whitewashed tables were already there – don’t you wish you could find more venues with great tables like these? 

On her hunt for driftwood, Lucy also came across an old weathered telegraph pole, wedged under some rocks.  With the help of a friend she got it loose and had a local carpenter saw it into pieces.  She also used brown luggage tags and string for place cards.

I love that Lucy kept all the colours very soft and delicate, using the place and setting to inspire her table decorations.  Lots of pale candles, soft worn wood, and slate grey shells. 

Lucy has been planning weddings in Ibiza for five years and is already planning more weddings with this natural eco chic beach style due to its popularity.

Luxury Robinson Crusoe style eco honeymoons

I am a sucker for anything that brings back memories of childhood, especially when it comes to holidays.  When I read that Tribes Travel, one of the businesses listed on the directory, offer Robinson Crusoe inspired honeymoons my mind conjured up romantic notions of living quietly on an exotic island somewhere.

Often, real life fails to live up to your imagination, but not this time.  Just take a look at these incredible honeymoon islands – the location, the living space, and on top of that they’ve got a strong committment to the environment.

These are my top choices from the Tribes Travel ‘Luxury Robinson Crusoe’ list are (based purely on what I loved the look of!):

Chumbe Island Lodge, Tanzania

This tiny island off Zanzibar has seven rustic eco-bungalows, recognised globally for their innovation and conservation principles, and is “what Robinson Crusoe could only have dreamt about.”  Sleep beneath a palm-thatched roof and spend your days gazing out at the Indian Ocean from a hammock. 

Kaya Mawa, Malawi

Located on an island covered with mango trees and surrounded by sandy beaches and rocky coves, the lodge at Kaya Mawa was built entirely by hand in partnership with the local community.  Rated as one of the planet’s most romantic destinations, you can explore the island on foot or by bike, or go snorkelling.

Guludo Beach Lodge, Mozambique

Here you can relax in your adobe banda, with its high thatched roof, private veranda, alfresco marbled bathroom, and views overlooking one of the best beaches in Mozambique.  Located between the Indian Ocean and the wild African bush, Guludo has been built using strict ethical principles, boasts incredible wildlife, and offers a sunset sail on a traditional dhow ‘Mustajabo’.

Tribes Travel is an independent specialist travel company offering holidays that are inspiring but also bring benefits to local people, wildlife and the environment.  They have a variety of tailor-made holidays to Brazil, India, Jordan, Morocco, Nepal, Zambia and many other places.

For more eco-friendly honeymoon destinations and travel companies visit The Natural Wedding Company directory.

Images: Tribes Travel and Chumbe Island Coral Park

Sweet wedding couple with jam jar tealights

I am utterly pooped having spent the afternoon writing up posts all about our wedding stationery to share with you lovely people next week.  There will be a peek at what’s to come in the way of our wedding invitations up on the blog tomorrow, but for now I shall leave you to your evening with this lovely photo from an inspirational blog.  Love her dress!

Image: Fotopastele

Fentafriddle: a private wedding venue with panoramic Cornish sea views and eco touches

Are you looking for a fabulous private wedding venue with eco-friendly credentials, a backdrop of blue seas, rolling hills and panoramic views of the North Cornish coast?  Hard to believe such a place exists, but it does. 

Fentafriddle, part of the Unique Home Stays group, is located at Trebarwith Strand in North Cornwall.  It is made up of a collection of luxurious barns that have been beautifully converted to combine stylish coastal living with traditional design.

Surrounded by 50 acres of private farmland, there are far reaching views to Tintagel, with its mist shrouded headland and legends of King Arthur.  It’s only a short wander through the fields and down along the coastal path to reach the beach.

And the great news for couples looking to get married?  Fentafriddle is licensed for wedding ceremonies in its sunny round room, with room for up to 60-70 guests.

If the weather is nice enough you could even marry beneath the arch of the round room whilst listening to the sound of the waves.  There’s also a pretty church nearby for those who want a religious ceremony.

A number of options are available for your wedding reception at Fentafriddle, from giant tipis in a field with seaviews, an informal buffet-style reception in the roundhouse, or a marquee.  And how about a wedding feast of handbaked pasties or fresh line caught fish?  All possible at Fentafriddle.

All the water come’s from the property’s own spring via boreholes and it’s heated by ground source heat pumps.  In addition to all that, there’s also accommodation for up to 16 guests in the barns – just look at those rolltop baths and beautiful antique furniture.  

For more information visit www.fentafriddle.uniquehomestays.com or contact Unique Home Stays at sam@uniquehomestays.com or 01637 881 942.

All images: Unique Home Stays

Cornish seaside garden wedding with deck chairs, lawn games and a stunning yellow wedding dress

Today I have a lovely Cornish wedding to share photographed by the talented Sarah Falugo of Green Photographic.  This beautiful wedding was held at Rosteague, with the ceremony in the summer house followed by lawn games and champagne overlooking the sea.

At the heart of this wedding was a relaxed day full of fun, with no strict timetable and plenty of time to play cricket and croquet and take a walk to the beach.  Plus the bride wore a stunning pale buttercup yellow dress and had the most unique bouquet.  I shall say no more…

Images: Green Photographic

Julie Dutton eco couture wedding dresses

Julie Dutton Designer Dressmaker has recently launched her new website, full of her beautiful handmade wedding dresses.  Julie uses a variety of fabrics to create her stunning dresses, including ethical silks, Fairtrade organic cottons, vintage textiles and fabric remnants.

Cara: a lightweight bridal gown in peace silk

Julie also up-cycles vintage textiles and reworks heirloom dresses to create for you a bespoke wedding dress.  The emphasis is on reflecting your personal style and vision in the creation of your own custom made handcrafted dress.

Island Girl: textured detailing made from silk fabric remnants

Sienna: simple style in organic silk satin using studio remnants for design details

Website: www.juliedutton.co.uk

If you’re looking for more ideas for eco-friendly, ethical or vintage wedding dresses visit our directory: www.thenaturalweddingcompany.co.uk

Wildflower wedding

Image: Jose Villa via Style Me Pretty

A truly exquisite design – all my favourite things: luggage tags, lace and gorgeous flowers.