This inspirational bridal shoot proves that you can be every bit alternative and edgy whilst being eco-friendly and ethical. Claire of CRZyBest, maker of the fabulous crystal accessories and bouquets that feature in the shoot, tells us more...
Imagine an amazingly rustic wedding venue with loads of eco credentials and then turning that all on its head and contrasting it with an Industrial Galaxy themed wedding, still keeping with those green values! I was determined to put across what CRZyBest firmly believes in, which is you can be sustainable and ethical without going totally rustic. With the confidence that Donington Park Farmhouse could speak for itself, having won awards for its green credentials, (which include solar panels, reed beds and a biomass boiler, as well as planting over 5000 trees a year for the last 15 years), we went headlong into focusing on the details of this Eco Industrial Galaxy Shoot, which amusingly enough was entirely shot inside on a stormy day in March and doesn’t feature a single tree from its 150 acres of SSSI woodland!
The details of this eclectic shoot were initially inspired by a favourite film (try and guess what it is), and to be as plastic free as we possibly could. The focal point being predominantly the alternative Galaxy and Icy bouquets with in-depth and symbolic details created by CRZyBest using thousands of Swarovski crystals (a brand well known for its support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals), and bespoke embellishment with tiny kiln fired sculptures in bronze, copper and silver created using precious metal clay, a material derived from recycled metals combined with an organic binder for an environmentally-friendly choice and outcome. The accessories and jewellery were all made to complement the two bouquets, and also have tiny sculptures within them, which added to the uniqueness of the styling as similar tiny sculptures were also hidden amongst the table décor.
Natalie, our wonderful make-up artist, embraced our eco-ethical values and created the amazingly bold and colourful looks on Megan and Suki using cruelty free and vegan make-up palettes and Scott our talented hairdresser and only man on the shoot, embellished their awesome space buns with bio-degradable glitter after putting in place the most CRZyBest hair accessories I have ever seen used!
Getting that eclectic mix, meant using two different stylists so that we had a broad range of options for the styling, and using elements from a prop hire business meant that we were using a more sustainable option and reducing the requirement for single use items. The Wedding Alchemist used metal charger plates for the place settings and foliage and copper fairy lights to bring all the tiny details of the table setting together. Bringing in a stylist or using the services of a prop hire business as an option is also a great way for couples to achieve the look, they want without breaking the bank or being left with a pile of unwanted items after the partying is over! Our hire company ‘This Will Be Forever’ use a mix of new and pre-loved, refurbished items to create a couple’s vision and their neon effect lighting is actually achieved using LEDs, which due to their energy efficiency, are much less harmful for the environment than traditional neon; their bright pink backdrop looked stunning!
As part of the shoot we were able to showcase a wonderfully talented stationer in Millie Stone Calligraphy, who always keeps her air miles down by printing locally and preserves the art of traditional calligraphy, keeping it alive with her talents in this age of computer-generated imagery. Although of course not having any physical stationary at all and being totally paper-free, going online using email, or your own website for invites and menu choices is also an eco-friendly option!
Our gorgeous galaxy inspired desserts were created by two awesome suppliers, which again supported our collaborative ethos within the shoot. With our first supplier Molly from V-Bakes baking the tantalisingly tasty Vegan donuts and cupcakes, as sampled by the gorgeous Megan and Suki during the day, definitely some of our favourite shots from the day as they really do capture that sense of fun and relaxation that sharing and tasting great food can bring! Our second cake creator was the wonderful Lisa, from Urban Cakehouse producing the stunningly colourful galaxy wedding cake to add some height and drama to the day. All of which were smothered in vegan icing and sprinkles, all ethically sourced by their creators! Molly even treats her postman to cupcakes on his deliveries and Lisa kindly created gluten free treats for everyone to nibble on throughout the day, allowing all collaborators to participate in tasting her treats! A great tip here is to treat the wonderful people who are helping you prepare your venue for your big day to tasty goodies while they are hard at work, whether they are friends and family or your chosen suppliers, keeping those lovely people going and bringing extra love to the occasion, helping you to relax and be ready for the awesome times ahead.
What else came in two’s? I hear you ask! Well those stunning outfits were created from separates by the wonderful Fiona, from Fiona Elizabeth Couture. Having a variety of elements for your wedding outfit is an excellent way of improving the chances of being able to wear your outfit for another occasion, whether you dress it up with a cape like the one worn by Megan, a sparkly little number created especially to match Suki’s stunning trouser outfit, or dress down by mixing and matching with other more everyday items in your wardrobe.