Images by Sandra Henri Photography
A Less Stuff, More Meaning wedding story…
“The wedding industry and a lot of wedding resources promote materialistic, expensive and exhaustingly long ‘to do/ to buy/ to conform to’ lists and standards, however, the Less Stuff – More Meaning website and the Mindfully Wed E-Guide are the antithesis of that mentality. They are refreshing and calming and make the experience much more enjoyable and help you to create a wedding that reflects you both and aligns with your values and beliefs, not the wedding you think you should have” said Emma.
To achieve the wedding they wanted, the Guide helped Emma and Brad come back to the fundamental question, “does it add meaning?” when they were making decisions. In many ways, this question was a great stress buster and helped streamline choices and embolden them to ditch traditions that didn’t make sense for them – like signing in the ceremony, throwing the bouquet, a seated meal, a first dance and weddings favours.
What they arrived at instead was an intimate, environmentally friendly and socially positive party which placed the priority on fun, great food, music and wine with just 65 of their nearest and dearest. The day was hosted by Emma’s godparents, Jen and Russ in the hamlet of Sandfly in Tasmania’s south east, land of fruit farms and old forests on the Huon River.
They bought a lot of the wedding setup including crystal glasses, furniture and plates from op shops, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace, and what they couldn’t source themselves, they made deliberate environmentally friendly and socially positive choices in the selection of vendors and products to complement their ethos.
“I bought my Christos Costarellos wedding dress from Still White and it was in perfect condition but under 30% of the original purchase price.
We didn’t buy everything second hand, but when we did we were mindful of minimizing single use purchases. Brad’s outfit was new but things like his RM William boots he will wear forever,” said Emma.
Emma’s bouquet was so fresh that bees made themselves at home! Thanks to Farmer-Florist Lisa Kingston.
With their wedding taking place just a week before the COVID-19 lockdowns rolled in across the country in March 2020, unfortunately Emma and Brad’s plans for a 3 month honeymoon in their Kombi were put on hold. Instead of feeling disappointed having to delay honeymoon plans it was easy for them to focus on the blessing that they had their wedding exactly how they wanted and with so many great memories of the experience.
“Seeing each other for the first time was really special, so was walking back down the aisle and those post ceremony hugs with family and friends. Also the fun we had during the photo session with our wedding party and as a couple. And the dancing. Really, I loved all of it, it was all so fun,” said Emma.
And the end result is that a marriage was created. For Emma and Brad, marriage means a commitment to love, support and to choose each other every day.
And how does that look in real life?
“For me, it’s when we’re spending relaxed time together. Some of the most thoughtful things Brad does for me day-to-day include getting up before me to feed our fur baby Gracie so I can sleep in longer, always check in to see how I’m going, keeping the fire lit during winter and doing most of the cooking generally,” says Emma.
And for Brad?
“It’s when it is just the two of us (and Gracie) away somewhere, by a fire with wine and cheese, enjoying each other’s company. Emma always asks how my day has been and how I am going, and makes our home an enjoyable place to come back to after work by keeping it lovely and clean and peaceful with music and candles.”
Environmentally conscious suppliers:
Photographer: Sandra Henri Photography
Catering: Hamlet – a social enterprise
Celebrant: Maria Bond
Farmer-Florist: Lisa Kingston
Musicians: The Foley Artists
Story written by Sarah Tolmie Life & Love.
Continue on for more images of Emma and Brad’s sustainable backyard wedding;
To plan your eco-friendly wedding with ease, head to our DIRECTORY of eco-ethical wedding suppliers and check out the comprehensive MINDFULLY WED E-GUIDE...less stuff, less stress, more joy!
