Chris Payne, 50, and Rachel Longbottom, 44, got married in an eco-friendly ceremony that even helped them cut some costs.
The happy couple tied the knot on July 16 at a site that grows trees and grass used to produce green ‘biomass’ – aka organic matter used to produce energy.
Chris and Rachel walked down an aisle bordered with 70 newly planted trees and lined with eucalyptus chips.
They both wore pre-loved outfits, and guests were asked to plant a tree – either on-site or at home – and car share to get there.
Wooden cutlery and crockery were used during the locally-sourced meal, as well as hessian-lined biodegradable table covers, and charcoal from the BBQ was made from wood grown at the venue.
Even the wedding cake was decorated with eucalyptus and willow.
Car salesman Chris, who’s originally from north-west London and now living in Aylesbury, said: ‘You’ve only got to look at the news at the minute and the weather.
‘The heatwaves going over Europe, the hottest summer on record last year, flooding in areas that have never had flooding before.
‘We just thought if we’re going to do this, we have to do it properly.
‘The starting point of this was reasonably recently when we first started planting the walkway for us to walk through.
‘And trying to reduce the carbon footprint of what we do with people coming was key.
‘I think it’s important to Rach and me that we hadn’t chopped trees down, especially for this.
‘It was brash that had been cut down and chipped and nothing was felled and destroyed.’
Rachel, who works at the Co-op and is originally from West Yorkshire, said: ‘The carbon footprint and the effects it’s going to have on the planet and what we are saving is what I’m most proud of.
‘If you see a lot of weddings or go to a lot of weddings there must be so much waste and damage to the planet.’
The couple also asked their guests to follow their example and choose pre-worn outfits for the occasion.
Chris wore his son’s suit from a firefighter’s parade and Rachel bought her dress from a charity shop.
The groom said: ‘Where possible we asked the guests to wear what they’ve worn before as opposed to going out and buying something new.
‘My mum wore an outfit she’s worn before and my daughter Chloe and son-in-law to-be David also wore things they’ve worn before.
‘In the middle of the cost-of-living crisis, I think it’s gone a long way.
‘We’d rather someone came in shorts and flip-flops and be comfortable than wear something they’ll wear once.’
As for how they chose the venue, the pair are pals with the owner.
Chris said: ‘It wasn’t difficult to find an eco-friendly place when you’re best friends with someone who runs something so eco-friendly – hence why he’s just won an award at the renewable energy awards.’
After they made things legally official at the Beaconsfield Registry Office, the pair were carried over to the plantation by a tractor.
They walked down a tree-lined aisle before the ceremony, and sat down for a locally sourced meal afterwards.
Rachel said: ‘We had eucalyptus chip decorations on the plates and the plates for the top table were ceramic but pre-used.’
Chris added: ‘We also had table decorations of potted mini willow trees to ask the guests to plant a tree at home or on the plantations.’
While some plastic had to be used, Chris said he and his wife made sure to opt for biodegradable options.
When it came to music, rather than going with a DJ, Chris and Rachel decided to just use their own playlist and a Bluetooth speaker.
Chris said: ‘Where possible it was all biodegradable or recyclable plastic glasses.
‘There was a huge recycling plan going on behind the scenes.
‘Anything that couldn’t be composted will be composted to go back into the plantation or in our garden.
‘Any glasses bottles will go away to be cleaned and then sterilised and ground down for compost.
‘The things that you do have to buy – and there are things that Rachel wanted that you can’t make out of willow and eucalyptus – but as long as when you’re ordering things they are biodegradable and recyclable, then it’s not too bad at all really.’
Even though the locally sourced food was on the costlier side, the couple say they’ve even saved a bit of money thanks to their eco-friendly nuptials.
Chris said: ‘We’ve been really lucky with the community up at Asheridge where the farm is.
‘Things like the straw and hay were kind of like almost being borrowed.
‘Whereas with a traditional wedding, you might hire out a hall and then tables and chairs – we’ve not had to do any of that.
‘The food that we used was probably a little more expensive than going into a shop, but on the flipside, we know it’s the best quality, and it’s not been driven a million miles to get to us.’
Now, the couple plan to keep the eco-friendly events going – yes, their honeymoon too.
Chris said: ‘We’re going down to a glamping pod in Cornwall with outdoor cooking facilities.
‘We’ll be grabbing some charcoal from the farm and taking that down with us, and we’ve already found the local farm shop which is about three miles away.’
‘It was massively rewarding, and I think for us, it was a bit of a whirlwind, so it’ll be great to see the photos of the day.
Rachel added: ‘It’s definitely about making memories and the fact that all of the guests will be planting and growing their trees is something that wouldn’t happen normally.’
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