The Venue

The Garden Museum

Inspired by visions of a sustainable future, the Garden Museum will be the first museum to launch an eco weddings package, available from April 2012. One year ago the Museum welcomed their first trainee in the Sustainability of Heritage, recognising that museums had a large role to play in leading society towards sustainable development. Trainee, Jade-Lauren Cawthray, has led the Museum in championing green causes and designed the new eco wedding package.

Jade says "the need for sustainability permeates into every part of our lives, weddings included, so to avoid the wastage, food miles, and unnecessary depletion of natural resources, the museum are offering their brides and grooms a sustainable reception venue and sustainably approved suppliers."

The Venue

The Garden Museum is situated in the beautiful former church of St. Mary at Lambeth, next to Lambeth Palace on the Thames, London. With a high vaulted Victorian roof, wooden rafters, and large stained glass windows dominating the interior, this is a unique venue.

The only museum dedicated to garden history and design, it comes with a stunning 17th Century Knot Garden, designed by the Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury. The museum offers itself as a wedding reception venue for up to 200 people.

The Catering

The Eco-weddings package is being provided in partnership with Suzanne James Ltd, a catering company based in East Dulwich, London, who exemplifies sustainable business practice, providing a bespoke service to couples for their wedding.

Suzanne James Ltd have a substantial list of environmental awards, including the Green Apple SILVER Award for Environmental Best Practice in Food & Drink Industry, 2011 and Winner of the South London Business Awards, Best Business for Sustainability, 2011.

The Extras

The museum is a Zero Waste to Landfill organisation and as part of the package the venue's carbon emissions are balanced with the World Land Trust. Also included is the museum's approved lighting company, Enhance, whose lighting design transforms the Nave into a sensational ambient venue. They use LED lamps for purple, pink, red, green, white and blue lighting, which gives a 76% energy saving in comparison to conventional lighting.

A list of approved sustainable suppliers for other wedding products is provided as part of the package. This includes sustainable transport options, such as Eco Chariots, who provide bespoke decorated pedicabs and rickshaws and EcoIgo who are a fleet executive Toyota Prius cars, who also run Organic Cultivation Projects in deprived areas of London. Wedding cake maker Olofson Design also provide a sensational bespoke service and use organic and locally sourced produce and sustainable packaging, on request.

Jay Archer Floral Design create beautiful wedding bouquets and decorations from flowers and foliage mostly grown herself and foraged. Whilst our exceptional approved photographer, Sophie Mutevelian, who regularly works at the museum, promotes her work online and supplies wedding couples with a DVD of their images, she also uses recycled materials for her portfolios and is searching for recycled photographic paper that provides a top quality print. The bride and groom can also choose for their wedding gifts to be charitable donations either to the Education Department of the Museum, St. Mungo's the homelessness charity or to the Buy an Acre scheme of the World Land Trust.

For more information on the Eco Wedding Package at the Garden Museum visit gardenmuseum.org.uk. Keep up to date with their latest news by following them on Facebook & Twitter.

1st May 2012