I am sure that most of you reading this watched The Royal Wedding, I was glued to the TV myself; but did you know that the wedding of the decade had some fabulous eco-friendly ideas which any modern bride could happily steal! Here is Part 1 of my rundown of the best green bits:
The Dress:
The dress, that dress, well what can I say. It was beautiful, stately, simple and made by British craftsmen. Kate chose the British design house of Alexander McQueen to design her special gown and what a fabulous job Sarah Burton did. The Royal School of Needlework hand-made the lace applique at their home in Hampton Court Palace and hand-cut and stitched each flower and motif in place using tiny stitches. Both tutors, students and former staff at the school worked on the dress ensuring that the workmanship was perfect. I am happy to say the other fabrics in the dress were sourced and supplied by British companies too - a perfectly ethical dress.
The Bouquet:
This was a beauty; shield-shaped and carefully made with traditional British flowers and foliage. The bouquet, designed by London florist Shane Connolly, included only English flowers, including fragrant lily of the valley (my favourite), myrtle, sweet williams and hyacinth. The myrtle was cut from a bush planted by Queen Victoria in 1845 and was also used in The Queen’s bouquet in 1947. Using this historic plant could also have doubled up as the ‘something old’!
The Wedding Ring:
This was a plain gold band, hand crafted in Wales by Wartski, a family jewellery business founded in 1865. The Welsh gold nugget was a gift from The Queen to Prince William shortly after the engagement was announced. Using Welsh gold ensured that is was sourced ethically as well as locally and again made best use of British craftsmanship.
The Make Up:
Following the trend for DIY weddings, the Bride decided to apply her own make up on the day. A brave move, given the importance of the occasion and the presence of TV cameras, but I think that she did a fabulous job. Rumor is that she took make up lessons before the big day, something that she will be able to draw on for years to come.
The Wine:
I was so pleased to see that the couple decided to keep their wine miles down by serving English wine at the wedding reception. A sparkling white wine by ‘Chapel Down’, one of England’s biggest producers was enjoyed by the couple and guests. This is one aspect that we can all try at home!
Part 2, including a rundown on the jewellery, will be coming soon…
Photos courtesy of Clarence House & Chapel Down Wines
Photograph courtesy of Three Nails Photography
