INSPIRATIONAL EDITORIAL - An Eco-Conscious, Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpaca Attendants, Captured By Katrina Matthews Photography At Newton Park Barn, Buckinghamshire

18th December 2020


INSPIRATIONAL EDITORIAL - An Eco-Conscious, Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpaca Attendants, Captured By Katrina Matthews Photography At Newton Park Barn, BuckinghamshireIs anyone else an absolute sucker for an alpaca?! I have a super soft spot for these critters - Just. Look. At. Them! This beautiful shoot by Katrina Matthews Photography also has a guest appearance from a cute pupper, too...oh, and a gorgeous couple doing the wedding thing is eco-conscious style :) 

Katrina pulled together a fabulous team of local suppliers to bring together this floral-themed shoot, which was aimed towards eco-conscious couples as well as animal lovers:

"From the beginning of 2020, I made a few big changes in my own life to be more eco-conscious and live a more sustainable lifestyle so naturally, that also followed into my work and the idea for this eco floral styled shoot was born. I was really conscious of creating a true eco wedding shoot and was so proud of the work these guys did to make it that way. From our florist using only naturally dried flowers (no dyes or chemicals) to our stationer who uses all recycled and seeded paper. Our makeup artist who uses only vegan products to a variety of suppliers whos work is hired out again and again to reduce single-use décor. It came together so beautifully and is a great example of how an eco wedding can be fun, beautiful and elegant in a sustainable way."

The shoot took place at Newton Park barn in Buckinghamshire, where the team had lots of beautiful indoor and outdoor space to make the most of!

The Bride

An Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - brideAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - brideAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - brideAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - brideAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - brideMegan's hair was styled into a lovely loose updo by Claire of Barberella Bridal Hair, and the Powder Box created her eco and ethical makeup look:

"Now more then ever it’s so important to take care of our environment and planet. All the make up we use for our brides are cruelty-free, vegan and the biggest company we use the ingredients are sustainably sourced and are now Certified B Corp which means companies meet standards of verified social and environmental performance. The makeup we use is prestige and not only feels amazing but photographs beautifully."

She wore a gown supplied by The Ivory Wardrobe and the bridal look was completed by a dried flower bouquet and later a hair garland by Bits & Buds (sported first by the lovely woofer!):

"We used a mix of flowers and grasses, including limonium, that was dried in the shop and no bleached or dyed products so minimal processing and chemicals. All pieces could be kept, repurposed or gifted, making great keepsakes. There was no floral foam in any of the pieces and nearly all the mechanics were biodegradable apart from a few wires Our florist did an incredible job of creating a dramatic look with dried flowers and used some great ideas and tricks to keep the flowers and installations eco friendly and free of unrecyclable and single-use materials. From the table runner to the arbour decoration and the beautiful bouquet to the floral headbands, Helen created such a beautiful look that really brought the shoot together."

The Groom

An Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - groomAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - groomMichael wore a light three-piece suit, perfect for a Summer wedding, topped off with a statement buttonhole by Bits & Buds.

The Stationery

An Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - stationeryAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - stationeryAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - stationeryThe wedding stationery suite was created by Clare Gray Designs:

"I love working with eco-friendly materials, so the brief was right up my street. All the stationery is printed on recycled cardstocks, using eco-friendly inks. The place cards are made from seeded paper to grow wildflowers when planted. I love the beautiful pink and peachy tones of this suite, so often people assume eco-friendly stationery means browns, so it was a joy to create this bright colourful suite to show that eco friendly can be colourful, too."

The Outdoor Ceremony

An Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - outdoor ceremonyAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - outdoor ceremonyAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - outdoor ceremonyAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - outdoor ceremonyAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - outdoor ceremonyAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - outdoor ceremonyAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - outdoor ceremonyPink Peony Weddings was in charge of styling the day. I love installations at the start of an aisle, and this one is filled with lovely natural elements. I also love asymmetry - the top of the ceremony arch was treated to a large dried installation on one side, and another floor-based installation on the other side. 

The Alpacas

An Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - alpacasAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - alpacasAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - alpacasAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - alpacasI know you were waiting to see these guys! Katrina remarked:

"My favourite part of this shoot was when the alpacas turned up, these beautiful creatures came from Alpaca Evolution, a local farm that offers alpaca walks and wedding hire. We had a blast working with them and our couple had such a wonderful reaction to them that created great photo opportunities."

The Portraits

An Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - portraitsAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - portraitsAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - portraitsAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - portraitsThe grounds of the venue hold plenty of opportunities for some gorgeous portraits (with or without four-hooved friends).

The Lakeside Retreat

An Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - portraitsAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - portraitsAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - portraitsAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - portraitsThe team created a relaxed lakeside area - perfect for elopement portraits, or as a retreat for those precious newly-wed moments before heading back to your guests to enjoy the rest of your wedding day together.

The Tablescape

An Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - tablescapeAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - tablescapeAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - tablescapeAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - tablescapeAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - tablescapeAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - tablescapeAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - tablescapeAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - tablescapeYou probably spotted some splashes of colour in the portraits, courtesy of some oversized paper flowers by Blooms of Bierton, who constructed this statement backdrop for the reception table in the barn:

"Each flower is made entirely from paper with a little glue at the base to hold the petals in place. I’m always conscious that the glue I’m using doesn’t contain solvents so produces minimal pollution and that the paper suppliers I use are focused on being sustainable. All offcuts and scraps are saved to use on future projects and anything that can’t be saved is taken to a recycling centre. Paper flowers are both environmentally friendly and beautiful and the best part is that they last forever!"

The setup featured a table plan, table number, menus and place names by Clare Gray Designs. Décor from Wren Ark and table linen from Northfields were all combined with a dried flower garland which ran the length of the table by Bits & Buds. 

The Cake

An Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - cakeAn Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - cakeThe three-tier cake masterpiece by Oh My Cakery! provided an injection of bold colour, combining painted decoration with dried flowers for a fantastic effect.

Final Thoughts

Katrina concluded her submission with the following statement:

"After everything this year has thrown at us, we really hope this shoot excites couples and gives them some fun and eco-friendly inspiration to add to their day."

I think she succeeded!

An Eco-Conscious Animal Lovers' Wedding With Alpacas - Katrina Matthews Photography - Newton Park Barn - alpacasCredits

Venue: Newton Park Barn

Photography: Katrina Matthews Photography

Décor & Styling: Pink Peony Weddings

Dress: The Ivory Wardrobe

Paper Flowers: Blooms of Bierton

Florist: Bits & Buds

Hair: Barberella Bridal Hair

Stationery: Clare Gray Designs

Makeup: The Powder Box

Cake: Oh My Cakery!

Models: Megan & Michael

Alpacas: Alpaca Evolution

Table Décor: Wren Ark

Table Linen: Northfields

 


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