Outdoor eco wedding with a mountain biking and hiking bride and groom

Kate and Aidan’s outdoor eco wedding with a hike to the venue, mountain biking, and cornflowers in beer bottles

Charlie

Kate and Aidan’s outdoor eco wedding, set on Masson Farm in the rolling hills of Derbyshire, is truly inspiring. This biking, hiking and climbing loving couple had a personal vision for their wedding day, but rather than it being about bunting and flowers (though there is an abundance of both) their vision focused on ensuring their celebrations were sustainable and ethical.

The couple and their guests reached the wedding venue by cable car and a hike, before they were married in an outdoor ceremony. Afterwards the reception was held in a tipi that could only be accessed along a steep road which provided seclusion and created an intimate, relaxed atmosphere. Kate and Aidan’s relaxed outdoor eco wedding has been beautifully captured by TNWC recommended supplier Chris Scuffins Photography.

We caught up with Kate to shed some light on their ideas and explain the reasons behind the couple’s choices…

Focused priorities for an outdoor eco wedding

“We wanted a wedding that was local, sustainable, outside, relaxed and was ‘us’. Both of us are happiest outdoors. We are keen mountain bikers, cyclists and lapsed climbers, and all our friends are similarly active. My research area is also related to environmental sustainability and ecofeminism, so we wanted a wedding that would reflect both of these aspects of our lives. It was really important for me that the wedding reflected the partnership between Aidan and I, and that also influenced how we shaped the day.”

A wonderfully understated wedding dress

Every bride needs to find a wedding dress that reflects them as an individual, and Kate was no different. “I actually found shopping for my wedding dress really frustrating. I hate dress shopping anyway, and so wedding dress shopping was not a fun activity.

My main requirements were that it was light, not to ‘floofy’ and had a low back. The dress itself was wonderfully understated and very different to what I had originally envisaged!”

To accompany the beautiful lace, low-backed Lusan Mandongus gown, Kate added carefully chosen, locally sourced accessories: “I discovered my hairpiece on Etsy. I wanted to use someone local and settled on Joanna Reed who is based in Bath, where my folks live. I loved the understated designs and the use of natural pearls.”

Starting and ending the day together

Not only did Kate and Aidan hire a cottage with friends the night before the wedding (something Kate highly recommends) but they got ready together the next morning too.

“I loved having Aidan around the next morning – it was a laugh getting ready and made it very much a shared experience”.

Locally sourced, seasonal bouquets and buttonholes

Kate can’t compliment Denise at Masson Farm enough – not only did they find Denise welcoming, ultra-organised and very straight with the couple (something Kate says Aidan particularly valued) but she also introduced them to florist Nadia Di Tullio.

“Nadia completely understood my not particularly coherent description of what I wanted for my flowers and the look of the day. Because Aidan is massively into cooking, she incorporated this into the buttonholes, and sourced all the flowers locally. I loved my bouquet and the fact that the colours and flowers were seasonal.”

A secluded setting

When Kate embarked upon the search for a wedding wedding venue, it took her a few weeks to find Masson Farm, and when she did she knew it was right.

“Aidan and I immediately felt at home. The venue itself was in a hanging valley that overlooked High Tor and was only accessible by a very steep narrow road. This meant that it was really private and had absolutely stunning views. We could also walk from the Heights of Abraham (a cable car) to the venue along a footpath – something that I really wanted to do.”

But it wasn’t all about the location, there were practicalities to consider too: “it was also the only venue where Aidan and I could get married and hold the reception at the same time”.

Commissioning bespoke jewellery from artisan friends

“Neither Aidan or I are crafty people, but many of our friends are artisans. Keeping to the ethos of the wedding, I wanted to commission as much as possible from my friends.

One of the most important commissions was to our friend Frances Barkworth who took my grandmother’s engagement ring and turned it into a necklace. This ring has been in my family for three generations, and came from my Canadian side. The style of the ring didn’t really suit me, and I knew that I wanted to wear it all the time. In the end I decided to have it redesigned and Frances did a beautiful job.

I also asked her to make the gifts for the wedding party. She made swallow bracelets for the bridesmaids and cufflinks for the groom, best man and bridesman. What made it even better was that she was a guest at the wedding so could enjoy her work on the day.”

A uniting partnership

Kate feels passionately about equality not only in marriage but not the wedding day too: “I wanted the wedding to be as equal as possible and reflect the partnership between Aidan and I. To that end, I didn’t want to be given away (I’m not a parcel), and I wanted my mother and Aidan’s mother to be involved in the wedding as well.

I thought the best compromise was for Aidan and me to walk down the aisle together, and for both our mothers to do the readings. Then, my dad and Aidan’s dad gave speeches at the wedding breakfast. I think it worked, and it meant that each set of parents could feel involved in the wedding while also reflecting equality.”

Choosing ethical wedding rings was an easy decision

“The wedding rings were one of the easiest purchases. Aidan had discovered CRED Jewellery who make ethical and sustainable engagement and wedding rings. The gold in my ring was from a cooperative mine in Peru, and the diamond was sourced from Canada. We went back to choose our wedding rings and I made my decision in about 20 minutes and Aidan even faster.”

Simple, relaxed, natural decor

The decor of Kate and Aidan’s outdoor eco wedding is simple and understated – their beer bottle vases are personal but at the same time environmentally considerate (what better way to reuse bottles that you’ve already enjoyed once) and their bunting is playful without being frivolous. Wooden benches, tree stumps and locally sourced seasonal flowers and a simple grass aisle all contribute to a sense of the natural.

Memorable food in an evocative setting

Sheltered from the British summer rain in their twinkly-light adorned tipi, Kate and Aidan sat down to enjoy good food with their friends and family. “My only quibble is that I didn’t really get to eat any of the food on the day itself. I might book another meeting with Adam [at Vanilla in AllSeasons] to enjoy the bits of the meal that I missed!”

Focus on the important things

Early on in the planning, Kate prioritised what was more important for their outdoor eco wedding: “I decided that the most important parts of the wedding were the rings, photographs and venue. The ring and the photos were what we would look when we were older, and the venue would shape the feel of the whole day.”

And what a choice she made in Chris Scuffins Photography; the pictures capture the ambient moody light created by the slightly misty, overcast day and turn it into something beautiful. There’s something earthy and organic about these photographs.

Capture who we really are

Kate has a great piece of advice to couples hoping to make their wedding memorable and personal: “Organise to do something with the wedding party the next day – include something that is inherently part of you.” For Kate and Aidan it was going mountain biking in their wedding outfits in Burbage Valley in the Peak District.

“It was such a blast and in some ways I enjoyed that just as much, if not more, than the wedding day itself. As much as I love the wedding day photos, it’s the post-wedding day photo shoot that I think reflects who Aidan and I are.”

And relax

Kate’s final piece of advice to couples is simply: “if it rains, it rains. Don’t get stressed about it.” These pictures of Kate and Aidan’s outdoor eco wedding brilliantly demonstrate that in fact rain can add something ethereal to wedding photographs. This sense of other-worldliness alongside the relaxed nature of the couple’s celebrations combine to create quite a spectacle.