Sustainable styling
With the focus being so strong on sustainability across the board, as a venue and supplier, we are constantly thinking about how we can make sustainable changes in the wedding and events industry, not only now but through forward planning and future proofing!
All About Flowers
As the head florist, stylist, and designer at Penn Creative Collection, Tessa talks to us about her responsibility to make sure she is doing as much as she can to incorporate sustainability into our practises.
Here at The Penn Estate, we provide styling for weddings and events and pride ourselves on our floral designs. Oasis is a material that has been widely used in the styling industry to create floral centrepieces; however, it has a terrible impact on the planet due to its 100% plastic composition. We’ve therefore been exploring alternative ideas. Successful processes include the use of moss and chicken wire and designing with buckets and vessels in mind to create similar effects.
Large Scale Designs
Large-scale installations prove the most challenging when it comes to sustainability. When looking at alternatives, it’s important to consider the cost of materials and, more importantly, time. The monetary value of this cost is what we then have to either pass on to our clients or, in the process of striving to be a more sustainable company, absorb ourselves.
What can you do?
But, you may be asking, where is it easy to make more sustainable choices? Okay, it might not be the large-scale floral installations of the day. But it’s the elements, such as smaller floral arrangements, confetti, and even your choice of supplier.
Everyone knows you can put flowers in a vase or vessel with water, and this is probably considered to be the most sustainable choice for your table centres, but have you thought about plants? Plants are a fantastic alternative to a mass of cut flowers, which inevitably end up on the compost heap or, worse, in landfills. Plants can be purchased from local nurseries, potted in decorative and statement pots, and then, at the end of the weekend, taken home by your family and friends and enjoyed for (hopefully) years to come!
Confetti
Confetti is also a great one and an easy, sustainable swap! We’ve teamed up with Polly’s Petals, based less than a mile up the road, to provide our couples with the most beautiful dried petal confetti. Polly’s Petals has given us some insight into their sustainability practises:
‘Natural products are the very core of our business. How we use resources and what we put back into our surroundings is a question we must all ask ourselves. It is the very reason we started selling natural petals as wedding confetti instead of paper, plastic, and foil.’
‘We create our own natural dried flower petal biodegradable wedding confetti blends to grace your special day. All our natural dried flower petal confetti is prepared with petals from our trusted suppliers, which are ethically grown, and is mixed and packed by hand by our wonderful team in Dorset.’
‘We love the colour, the smell, the texture, and the versatility of them, but most of all, we love the fact that they are 100% natural and friendly to the environment.’
Lastly, think about your suppliers. Choosing your suppliers based on their location means travelling fewer miles. As an events team, we certainly can point you in the right direction for suppliers across the board, based in and around Dorset. As an event designer, I will ensure that if I am bringing in external suppliers, such as lighting technicians or props, I am only offering what’s local to us. Not only from a budget point of view but also from a sustainable one, achieving a better outcome all round.
And if you are a client of ours and would like to know more about our sustainable choices for your wedding or event, please don’t hesitate to ask
