Supplier case studies

Our ethical wedding suppliers are doing some great things so we thought we'd give you the chance to find out a bit more about them and why they think green weddings are the way forward!

Leblas - ethical jewellery

Leblas jewellery works with artisans to revive skills that are fast disappearing while at the same time using ethical materials such as recycled gold and platinum.

Arabel and Clare of Leblas are inspired by Lorenzo, their filigree artisan from a small village in Spain who continues to invest huge amounts of passion and care in his work after 40 years of making.

The Organic Chocolate Cake Company

From his first job washing up aged 13, to cheffing with Keith Floyd near Paris, to making his brother's wedding cake, Dominic Vyvvyan-Jones tells how he came to set up The Organic Chocolate Cake Company in Bristol, the UK's first organic chocolate cake specialists, and the longest established organic cake maker in Britain.

Inspired by all things beautiful, Dominic makes sure he keeps his kitchen ship shape and Bristol fashion!

Sweet Loving Flowers - seasonal wedding flowers

Organic gardeners, Sue Harper and her husband Pete started their business, Sweet Loving Flowers, growing and selling seasonal cut flowers two years ago.

Their main inspiration comes from the flowers themselves, never ceasing to be amazed by their intricacy, beauty and variety. Roger MacLennan, gardener at The Centre for Alternative Technology, also played an important role by teaching them how to grow things in the first place!

The RSA - London green wedding venue

The RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce) is striving to offer a green wedding venue (for civil ceremonies and receptions) in the heart of London.

From its beginnings in 1754 through to the current day, the RSA has always been about making a difference by encouraging and supporting innovation and creativity throughout society.

Now, in line with one of their five manifesto challenges for the 21st century, 'Moving Towards a Zero-Waste Society', they are trying to make their venue and services as ethical and green as possible, supporting local producers, recycling 75% of their waste and being as energy-efficient as they can - besides which being located in central London with its excellent transport links means it makes sense for wedding guests to leave their cars at home!

Cred Jewellery - ethical wedding & engagement rings

Founded by Greg Valerio, Cred is proud to be the original ethical luxury jeweller. Over the last 10 years, they have pioneered a responsible supply chain so customers can buy products that marry ethics and aesthetics.

Working with small batches of hand-finish metal they create jewellery that combines beauty, grace and timeless style.

Cred is one of the founding members of the Association for Responsible Mining and work as a partner with Oro Verde Mining Corporation who work to improve the wellbeing of communities through social and environmental standards in Columbia.

Vinati’s Paper - recycled & handmade paper wedding stationery

A passion for handmade paper, traditional printing methods, and the environment led Vinati to set up Vinati's Paper in New Delhi in 1998, to design and promote eco-chic recycled paper products.

Vinati's Paper is run on fair trade principles and promote traditional skills such as silk screen printing.

Oxfam Bridal - pre-loved, new & nearly-new wedding dresses

After starting the first Oxfam Bridal Outlet from her spare bedroom in 1985, Barbara Walmsley has seen the initiative grow into a national concern with Oxfam Bridal Shops in 11 towns across the UK.

Motivated by the impact that Oxfam Bridal's profits have on Oxfam's overseas work, Barbara is always on the lookout for new stock - whether from big hearted former brides or designers and bridal shops who change their stock at the end of the season.

Barbara is inspired by Joe Mitty, the Manager of the first ever Oxfam shop who would say you had two kinds of days in Oxfam shops - good and very good!

African Dowry - charity wedding gift lists

African Dowry have created fun and inviting charity wedding lists, offering gifts such as Village Vet starter kits, and Primary School tree nurseries, which give you the chance to make a huge difference to people's lives as part of the celebrations for your special day.

Working with people in the poorest parts of the world, African Dowry are inspired by the determination, enthusiasm and hard work of the communities who ultimately benefit from your support.

Give It - charity wedding gift lists

Andy Hickey set up Give It with his partner in 2004. Give It offers a number of charitable gift list services, where instead of toasters and kettles, or pots and pans, all the gifts are donations to a wide variety of different charities - couples pick a group of charities, guests then pick a gift to the charity of their choice from the couple's list.

Andy is inspired by his 3 daughters (and thoughts of their future nuptials!) as well as by his partner and all the other volunteers who have supported what Give It does by offering their help and guidance, and standing for hours upon end at dozens of wedding shows talking to thousands of couples about their services.

While it is a challenge working in an industry where most suppliers encourage couples to spend, spend, spend, Andy says being part of the ‘counter-culture' does feel good!

Our Green Wedding List - green wedding gift lists

Holly runs charity wedding list, Wedding List Giving and green gift list, Our Green Wedding List and has been motivated to make the world a greener place since growing up with Greenpeace HQ in her hometown!

She is inspired by all the people she meets who make an effort to live in a more ethical and environmentally conscious way on a daily basis - from the couples who choose to make a difference through using the charity or green gift list to other green and ethical business pioneers.

Morgan Boszilkov - eco-friendly wedding gowns

Morgan Boszilkov's Natural Bridal Collection is based in Atlanta, Georgia and was born out of her love for fashion, everything green and everything romantic!

Morgan's eco-friendly wedding gowns - hand-crafted locally using sustainable fabrics - are inspired by nature and by the strong, intelligent and beautiful women in her life for whom she names her dresses.

EcoChic - fair trade & ethical gifts, fashion & accessories

Deborah Miarkowska was inspired to start online boutique EcoChic when on a trip to Poland in 2006 she bought a bag in the street and was told that through this simple purchase she had made a difference to a child's life.

EcoChic now works with marginalised groups in the developing world as well as artisans in the UK, offering ethical and fair trade homewares and fashion collections that have been individually handmade, using recycled and organic materials with eco-friendly methods of production.

The heartfelt project - ethical wedding favours

A tragic event led to Julie setting up The heartfelt project as a way of giving a voice to women from rural communities in South Africa.

10 women are now working on the project, creating hand-sewn individual wedding favours from felt, using beading and traditional crafts

The women are empowered by their work, which contributes a small donation to an HIV/AIDS & TB charity within the local community, as well as helping to feed and clothe the Heartfelt ladies and their families.

Gants Mill - green wedding venue

Gants Mill is the perfect green wedding venue. A family run 50 acre sheep farm with a wonderful working watermill, the history of the Mill goes back to before the Conquest, and it is still used to grind barley for the sheep and show to visitors.

The Mill has been producing hydro electricity since 2004 - feeding clean energy straight into the National Grid and giving Gants Mill a virtually non-existent carbon footprint.

The Mill has been in the family for years and the aim is to keep the place going for generations to come. Offering the Mill as a green wedding venue was a natural choice for the family, as it complements existing activities and can help maintain the wonderful Mill.

It is a magical place. Most visitors quickly fall in love with the beautiful surroundings, but many also come to share the family's enthusiasm for ensuring the Mill remains sustainable.

Chocolate Couture - ethical jewellery & gifts

Chocolate Couture - ethical wedding jewellery & gifts

Gina Johnson and her husband Philip set up Chocolate Couture to offer high quality ethical jewellery at a reasonable price.

The couple create beautiful wedding and commitment bands individually crafted in the UK from mostly recycled metals and with coloured gemstones, certified diamonds or fair trade gems.

As your ring is a symbol of love and commitment, they feel passionately that you should be able to know the story behind it - who made it and how it got here.

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