At Mount Pleasant Eco Park, the team re-thinks how weddings can be sustainable and affordable. They do not allow single-use decorations and they encourage couples to reuse items where possible. This can be done in many ways; through hiring from the numerous decor and wedding stylists based locally, or by purchasing pieces that are then re-purposed for use after the big day. Flowers are often sourced from local growers rather than abroad which eliminates milage. Roots Press is the on-site designer and printer that uses eco-friendly soy inks to print stationery allowing couples to make sustainable choices. Canteen was welcomed on-site last year as the new cafe. The team have extensive wedding catering experience and showcase colourful and vibrant plant-based dishes. They have a strong ethos of sourcing local ingredients, with one of their main suppliers being from the on-site garden, Community Roots who deliver produce by wheelbarrow from their freshly picked harvest for Canteen to create seasonal menus. The Mount Pleasant Eco Park wedding venue is forever striving to lessen its impact on the earth, collecting rainwater for flushing toilets to running much of the site from solar and wind power. All food and plant waste is used as compost to feed the indigenous plants and wildflower meadows and couples have the option to compost any floral arrangements after their wedding. Many of the handmade Shepherd Huts and Eco Pods on-site are solely powered by solar panels with compost toilets which also are used to feed the plants. They have living roofs to nestle the buildings into the coastal landscape within this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty while supporting insects and many other animals. Mount Pleasant Eco park offers outdoor ceremonies in the Amphitheatre created from recycled tyres and surplus earth. The cob courtyard has become the perfect setting for canapés and reception drinks, with views stretching across to an old Cornish engine house. This area is embraced by a hand-built earth wall with curves to match the rolling hills in the distance of St Agnes. To find out more and to book, visit www.mpecopark.co.uk Located down a private lane in Tiverton, Devon is Middle Coombe Farm, set against a picturesque backdrop of the rolling Devon countryside with hedgerows frothing with colour. Sustainable weddings come naturally here. Founded more than 40 years ago when owners Angela and her husband Tim took over the family estate, they established the ecological philosophy that still runs through every inch of the 400-acre estate and every wedding today. Just a handful of weddings are held on the estate each year to ensure the minimum impact on the landscape and nature has time to rest and recover. These exclusive weddings have full use of the woodlands, organic meadows, traditional cider barn and Grade II listed farmhouse that provide unlimited inspiration whether couples choose a barn, farm or woodland wedding – or a bit of everything! At the heart of the woods is the ancient oak tree, standing for centuries this tree makes a perfect setting for a unique ceremony site under the branches. The wedding aisle is one of the woodland glades dappled with sunlight, music birds, bees and breeze. With the changing seasons, couples will be delighted with native plants and flowers – from the wood anemones and bluebells of spring through the blaze of autumn colours dancing in the woods to the winter wonderland of a crisp winter’s day. In addition to the land, the licensed traditional cider barn is characterful and full of charm and is complete with a cider press over which nuptials can be made. The barn can be filled with vintage furnishings, wildflowers and bunting for a simple rustic-chic theme. During the summer months, there is also a beautiful marquee for couples to put their stamp on and bring the outdoors inside. There’s also a private glamping hut nestled into the meadow providing the perfect accommodation for the first night of married life. Accommodation is provided in the Grade II-listed classic 17th-century farmhouse. Cited in Pevsner’s Buildings of England as a spectacular survivor of the era, the farmhouse still retains many of its original features including thatch, mullioned windows and Jacobean panelling fronted by the late medieval gatehouse that can only hint at the farmstead that once sat on the site. There’s also a sensitively converted barn to holf more wedding guests. A highlight is the solar-heated pool and hot tub. To find out more and to book, visit www.coombefarmwoods.co.uk Eco-friendly wedding venues Images courtesy of www.roamingsouls.co.uk 52
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