How do you find a green wedding venue?

If you're a closet fan of the long running BBC Radio 4 soap, the Archers, you'll know that Nigel's gone eco and is keen to turn Lower Loxley Hall into a green wedding venue using only local produce for the catering. We wonder if he's aware that it needs more than just local food to really justify the wearing of an eco tiara...

Apart from the food, here are some other ways to identify a green wedding venue:

Consider venues that support environmental or social causes like museums or organisations supporting heritage and tradition, country houses, village halls and community groups. There are hotels with strong eco-credentials and restaurants that source their food from local and organic producers.

For an intimate reception, consider a small restaurant with rooms or a bed and breakfast where the chef or owners grow their own food and cook delicious meals.

If you're planning to have an outdoor party, a private garden with a marquee, nature reserves, woodlands, arboretums or a public park can offer a diverse range of atmospheres. A picnic wedding breakfast on Dartmoor or the beach would be very eco.

Campsite villages of teepees or yurts, would provide accommodation for all your guests as well as an area for your party picnic. A friendly landowner may be persuaded to allow you to erect a huge tent in a field.

We're really excited by the quality and diversity of the ethical wedding venues, from across the country, who have recently joined GreenUnion like The Longhouse at Mill on the Brue, Huntstile Organic Farm, Pines Calyx, Barrington House and Buckland Hall.