Forget white weddings, green is the new colour. Lucy Richardson talks to a bride who arranged the perfect eco-ceremony

WHITE weddings with green undertones are being held at an eco farm on the outskirts of Darlington where rustic marries romance.

If you’ve always fancied tying the knot outside or dreamt of getting back to nature to celebrate your special day, then getting married at Clow Beck could be top of the wish list.

One of the few venues of its kind in the region, it is hosting a wedding fair on Saturday to encourage more couples to get hitched in the unusual location. It is being organised by Emily Wilson, 28, who has blissfully happy memories of her wedding there last September to her husband Paul, 33.

As someone who has always been conscious of the environment and recycled long before it became fashionable, Emily knew that her love of nature was pivotal to her plans.

She bought her 1950s lace wedding dress from internet auction site eBay and her hen do was spent “glamping” in the countryside with girlfriends.

Emily and Paul officially got married in a low-key register office service a few days before their humanist ceremony in a covered yurt on the 100-acre farm at Croft-on-Tees, which is run by the Clervaux Trust to give young people experience in land-based and craft activities.

The venue was decorated with home-made bunting and glass jars filled with flowers while guests sat on wooden tree stumps before tucking into sausages made to a special recipe created by the newlyweds and the Clow Beck chef.

“I hadn’t thought about alternative wedding ceremonies, but I loved the idea of getting married outside and it turned out to be perfect,” says Emily.

“You just need to choose what level you want to take it to. You can leave a zero carbon footprint or you can pick out the personal elements that are important to you. We used recycled paper invitations instead of phoning or emailing guests and Paul still bought a new suit from a shop.”

“Someone said to me that ours was the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to and it was probably the cheapest as well,” says Emily. “What was so wonderful was that so many people had an input.

“It was totally personal. Like Clow Beck itself, our wedding was unique.”