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SUSTAINABLE VEGAN HANDFASTING CEREMONY IN SECLUDED HERTFORDSHIRE WOOD | EVA AND ED

Updated: Feb 2


Tall groom in a pink suit facing Bride in silk dress and dried flower crown in an embrace in a secluded wood

SUSTAINABLE, VEGAN WEDDING DEEP IN THE HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE


Evangeline and Edward wanted a simple wedding with just their closest friends and family.


"We also knew we didn’t want a wedding venue or a religious ceremony but instead we wanted to be married outside and have a more spiritual/traditional ceremony where our family could be involved. It was also essential for us that everything was vegan and to make our wedding as sustainable as possible."


Smiling bride and groom being showered with dried lavender confetti by happy guests in a woodland decorated with colourful fabric bunting

Sarah Whyte, owner of Purple Kite Photography, sitting on a bridge in Hertford, Hertfordshire

Hi, I'm Sarah!

I love being able to document the raw emotions and excitement of a wedding day and take pride in delivering stunning images that my couples will cherish for a lifetime.

I create a calm and relaxed atmosphere for my clients, ensuring that they feel at ease and enjoy every moment of their day.

Although I'm based in Hertford, I'm not just a Hertfordshire Wedding Photographer. I can travel all over the UK (and beyond) for your Wedding!



REAL WEDDING - BRIDE Q&A


Bride Eva shares her thoughts on their sustainable vegan wedding, deep in the Hertfordshire countryside.



The Ceremony & Music

Our ceremony was led by our celebrant Alex Hilder. First Evangeline’s brother (man of honour) and cousin (ring bearer) walked down the aisle and then Evangeline was given away by her father. The ceremony involved a reading from one of the best men followed by the laying of our ceremony rope by our parents and the laying of bundles of herbs by our grandparents in the celtic heart knots tied by Evangeline along the rope. After entering the circle we exchanged rings which we had made ourselves with Anna Loucah and then proceeded to our handfasting. The ribbons represent the 5 elements and were made by Evangeline from some old wedding dress fabric given to her by her Grandma and then dyed with natural dyes. After tying the knot, we jumped the broom and walked back down the aisle lines with our friends and family ringing bells and throwing dried lavender confetti grown by Edward's Mother.
  • Father in a pale blue suit linking arms with daughter in cream wedding dress and dried flower crown standing in a woodland setting next to man in a pink suit surrounded by seated guests under trees decorated with colourful bunting
  • Barefoot bride and groom in a pink suit stepping into a rope circle during their woodland wedding ceremony
  • Close up of hands holding a wedding ring as bride and groom exchange vows
  • Tattooed bride gazing up at groom in a pink suit as they stand holding hands before a celebrant reading from a book
  • Bride and groom standing inside a rope circle in the woods while the celebrant binds their hands with coloured ribbons
  • Bride and groom laughing heartily with the celebrant while standing in a rope circle in the woods holding knotted ribbons
  • Bride and groom raising their arms over head as they pull coloured ribbons into a knot as the celebrant laughs happily beforethem
  • Bride and groom share a first kiss after marrying within a rope circle in the woods with a macrame wall hanging backdrop
  • Bride and groom jumping over a broom in the woods with guests lining the path on both sides
  • Bride and groom carrying knotted ribbons laughing as they're showered with dried lavender confetti by happy guests in a woodland

Memorable Moments

Standing in the ceremony circle with our hands bound, listening to the trees, the birds and taking a deep breath together, taking a moment to capture the moment and save it forever. Next was sitting at the end of the table together, looking down and being able to see everyone we love and care about, all on one long table, enjoying cruelty free food and drink amongst the trees.
  • Bride and groom seated facing away at the head of a long table laid out for afternoon tea under trees decorated with coloured bunting
  • Bride and groom seated at the far end of a long table laid out for afternoon tea under trees decorated with coloured bunting
  • Seated bride and groom laughing during wedding speeches at an outdoor table
  • Bride, groom and guests stand around a long outdoor table in the woods raising glasses in a toast
  • Bride wearing a flower crown peeking inside a white box at her wedding cake, a look of delight on her face
  • Bride in cream silk dress and flower crown and groom in a pink suit holding hands and smiling at each other while holding bottles of beer in front of a grey horsebox bar in the woods

Styling your wedding: how did you personalise your day?


Decorations include home made bunting sewn by the bride and her grandmother. DIY signs, homemade napkins made from scrap fabric and hand painted place cards for each guest made by Evangeline.

Vegan cakes for afternoon tea from Dopa Delights. Sustainable dried flowers (bouquet, headband and buttonholes) from Wilt Studio.


  • Barefoot bride holding hands with a groom in a pink suit walking away beside a very long table decorated with tea things and colourful fabric napkins in a woodland decorated with lots of colourful bunting
  • Close up of dried flower bouquet in pink tones being held up by the bride
  • Close up of a cream floral napkin tied with a red ribbon on a plate
  • Three different cakes iced with buttercream and decorated with fresh fruit taken from above
  • Cluse up of blue fabric napkin tied with white ribbon and a hand-painted name tag
  • Purple iced cake decorated with fresh blackberries and purple flowers on a clear cake stand
  • A plate containing a slice of vanilla cake with purple buttercream and fresh blackberries sits on the wheel arch of a horsebox next to a tub of flowers

THE OUTFITS

Evangeline wore a very simple vintage silk dress from My Green Dress in Farnham. It was important for her to have a second hand dress because of the environmental cost of a wedding. She wore bare feet and had a dried flower headband and bouquet from Wilt Studio. She also wore some olive branch earrings Ed bought her when the first started dating and bought a handmade silver olive branch necklace made by Greek Goddess Jewelry in Greece to wear for the day.

Edward wore a pink linen suit from Hawes & Curtis, and some black oxford shoes from Wills Vegan Shoes. Both the suit and shoes are things Ed will wear, and has already worn, many times in the future.


  • A close up of a bride's hand displaying wedding and engagement rings covering a groom's hand which is resting on her shoulder

Advice For Other Couples

Never sleep on an argument and tell each other you love one another every night before you go to sleep. By bringing the problems of yesterday into the present you’re living in the past, learn to communicate and be present with one another.
Don’t live in one another’s shadow, give each other space to grow.
Bride with arm outstretched over a tall groom's shoulder holding her bouquet of dried flowers, on an earth pathway in the woods


WHAT THE COUPLE SAY


"Having Sarah there to photograph our special day was incredible, just like she was a guest. During our initial meeting we outlined what we wanted and she went above and beyond. The photographs are just beautiful and captured candid moments with each other, our friends and family that we will treasure forever. Thank you so much Sarah for making our day so special and capturing such beautiful memories."

Evangeline



A honey bee drinking nectar from a lavender flower

THE DREAM TEAM

Photographer: Sarah at Purple Kite Photography

Celebrant: Alex Hilder

Florist: Wilt Studio

Food/Drink:

Cake: Holly at Dopa Delights

Vegan afternoon tea by the Giddy Up Bar

Outfits/Accessories:

Bespoke wedding rings from Anna Loucah 

Beauty/Grooming:

Hair by Eden Hair Bishops Stortford


This wedding has been featured on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings blog


Whimsical wonderland weddings blue logo

by Sarah Whyte, Purple Kite Photography

Female wedding photographer based in Hertford, Hertfordshire

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