Emma & Ed's Wedding

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Emma & Ed's Wedding

Emma and Ed, from Penzance in Cornwall, met through mutual friends at `The Levellers' music concert in Devon.

Following on from Ed's romantic proposal to Emma, on a mountain top in Wales, the couple are now looking forward to their forthcoming wedding which will take place later this year, at Hazelwood House.

Emma's parents had visited Hazelwood House, an eco-friendly venue, a few years previously. "They suggested it as a possible wedding venue for us. We chose Hazelwood House because as soon as we walked through the door we felt at home there. It fits with our ethics and values - it's local, it's green and it's fun. "

Local and seasonal produce is being used as far as possible in the wedding feast menu - the beef and cider is from the next-door farm! Hazelwood House use their own spring water for drinking. All suppliers are from the local area. Everything that can be is recycled. There are open fires to help in heating the house. The house and surrounding land is a wildlife haven - there are even rare bats in the old chapel.

When Emma and Ed began planning their wedding, they were already aware that they could add some eco elements to the day. "We both work in the conservation sector so were very keen from the outset to add as many eco elements to our day as possible."

"We didn't get engaged with any preconceived ideas of `our wedding'. However we both have very strong values and were very aware of wanting to make the day as eco-friendly as possible. Our ideas have evolved as we've gone along and are leading to a traditional yet informal day (hopefully!)"

Emma and Ed commissioned Carnethie Design to create their wedding invitations, which are made with eco-friendly and fair traded materials.

"We love the stationery - it looks great and it looks environmentally friendly. We chose Carnethie Design because of their ethos, but also because the stationery looks classy and unique."

Ed's Mum made the cake with local ingredients; "Our friend who lives locally is doing the flowers - we're opting for seasonal colours and all foliage is from their farm up the road and from Emma's parents' garden; we're asking guests to share lifts and we're organising a bus for people locally; we're planning to make our own table stationery as far as possible from local products; and we're trying to reduce travel by using local suppliers for everything, including dress and suit shops."

Emma and Ed enjoyed a dream honeymoon - "We're planning a walking safari in Africa for our honeymoon. We'll be staying in tents, walking and watching wildlife when we're there."

The Wedding

"We had a wonderful wedding day - it was just perfect in every way and we wouldn't have changed a moment. It did rain a bit on the day (which we expected!) but it just added to the character. It remained dry for the blessing that we held after the civil ceremony down by the river, so that was fantastic. It was a really relaxed and happy day."