Our Ambassadors
The Sustainable Wedding Alliance Ambassadors are champions of sustainability, and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from across the industry.
Our dedicated team of Ambassadors are passionate about sustainable weddings and committed to making a positive impact on our planet. Based across the UK, they bring a wealth of local knowledge and expertise to our initiatives.
Together we can not only drive change to create a more sustainable wedding industry, but also raise awareness and tackle climate change and attitudes, by proactively encouraging businesses to develop future thinking strategies and make responsible decisions.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done” Nelson Mandela
“We all know that weddings can be extremely wasteful and indulgent for one day – we see it first-hand here with the sheer amount of “stuff” that comes through our doors! I feel that as a wedding venue we have to take responsibility for the environmental impact of the weddings we host. But we can’t do this alone, and I genuinely believe that most individuals and business owners would like to be more sustainable, but they don’t know where to start, so working together will really drive change.
Until recently, the idea that our wedding venue could be carbon neutral would have seemed impossible to me. But having taken the time to assess and understand our impact, deepen my knowledge on sustainable business and generate ideas with my team, we now have a bold but achievable plan in place, and it is really exciting to work towards achieving a carbon neutral version of the business.
This is why I would like to work with others across our industry to help them on their sustainable journey and to see all the positive opportunities ahead for our industry, as well as giving our couples better choices because having a sustainable wedding does not mean compromising on quality and style for their special day. I am thrilled to be an Ambassador for the Sustainable Weddings Alliance and look forward to taking an active role to promote sustainability within the industry.” Fleur Record Smith, Hayne House
Meet our ambassadors
Mercedes Gale
South East
Mercedes is a powerhouse of sustainable innovation within our Ambassador team, running 4YaParty Weddings & Events across South East London and West Kent. Her journey into sustainability is deeply personal; becoming a mother provided the “boot up the bum” needed to ensure a habitable planet for future generations. This transition from passion to action perfectly aligns with our belief that change happens when knowledge meets purpose.
As a stylist, Mercedes leads by example, showcasing how “stylish hosting” and environmental responsibility go hand-in-hand. She has built a business with a fierce zero-waste ethos, hand-making props from reclaimed wood, sourcing stock secondhand, and operating an electric van within a strict 45-mile radius to minimise her carbon footprint.
Mercedes embodies the SWA value of being an “approachable expert”. She isn’t about “eco-perfection” but rather about honest, transparent progress. As an Ambassador, she acts as a trusted guide, using her inimitable style and story to empower other wedding professionals to take their own confident steps toward sustainability. We are incredibly proud to have her leading our regional “Conscious Connections” and helping make sustainable weddings the industry standard.
Fleur Record Smith
South East
Fleur brings a powerful blend of academic knowledge and “lightbulb moment” authenticity to our Ambassador team. Her journey toward sustainability began at home, sparked by a realisation during a family Christmas that a lifestyle change was essential for the planet’s future. What started as a personal mission quickly evolved into a professional one as Fleur recognised that the same impactful changes could be implemented at her venue, Hayne House.
Fleur embodies our core value of continuous learning. To deepen her impact, she completed a Sustainability Business Course at Cambridge University, providing her with the expert guidance and credibility to lead the industry with confidence. At Hayne House, she works alongside a dedicated team to embed sustainable practices into every facet of the venue’s operations, proving that “every action matters”.
As an SWA Ambassador, Fleur is a “trusted guide” who focuses on hope and possibility rather than perfection. She is open about the fact that the journey is ongoing, using her experience to inspire other wedding professionals to take their own rewarding steps toward a more responsible future. We value Fleur’s ability to translate complex sustainability concepts into practical, achievable actions for our community.
Rebecca Yussuf
South East
Rebecca brings a unique and scientific perspective to our Ambassador team, blending her background as a Meteorologist with a lifelong passion for the natural world. Her journey with Lilac and Lace Floral Design is a testament to our belief that “small is mighty” and that every action matters. Since 2016, Rebecca has lead a significant transformation in her business, moving away from imported blooms to prioritise locally and British-grown flowers – even growing many of them herself.
With a deep-rooted love for nature that echoes the wisdom of her hero, Sir David Attenborough, Rebecca made the conscious decision in 2018 to eliminate floral foam from her work. She embodies the SWA value of “continuous learning,” having worked tirelessly to ensure her “flowery world” treads as gently as possible on the planet. She is a practitioner of our “progress over perfection” ethos, showing that even traditional crafts can evolve into future-thinking strategies.
As an SWA Ambassador, Rebecca acts as a “trusted guide” for florists and planners alike. Her story is one of integrity and purpose, illustrating how heritage and modern environmental awareness can bloom together. We are proud to have her as a leader in our floral community, empowering others with the confidence to make responsible decisions for the planet we all share.
Charlie Finnigan
West Midlands
Charlie is the lead for sustainability at Homme House, his family’s historic estate in Herefordshire. For Charlie, the shift toward making sustainability a “primary measure of success” was born out of a deep connection to the landscape he calls home. After years of witnessing the impact of an increasingly unstable climate on the ancient parkland oaks under his care, he realised that climate anxiety could only be transformed through positive, productive action.
At Homme House a “wedding-supported conservation project”, Charlie has evolved the business to move beyond a profit-first mindset, ensuring that environmental responsibility is woven into the very fabric of the estate’s operations. As an SWA Ambassador, he brings this same dedication to his regional community, acting as a trusted guide for other professionals navigating their own sustainability journeys. Charlie believes that while the industry is changing, we are all trustees of the planet, tasked with ensuring it doesn’t just survive, but thrives. He is passionate about showing that sustainability isn’t about being perfect; it’s about making progress with purpose and creating meaningful impact together.
Jacqui Owen
North West
Jacqui is a true leader in the luxury floral space, bringing over 11 years of expertise and a refined eye for detail to our Ambassador team. As the creative force behind Jacqui O – Cheshire Florals, she has become a celebrated name in Cheshire for her exquisite seasonal designs and high-fidelity visual styling. Recently featured on the cover of Cheshire Life magazine, Jacqui proves that luxury and sustainability are not just compatible, they are a perfect pairing.
At the heart of Jacqui’s work is a deep commitment to integrity and respect for the planet. She prioritises collaboration with environmentally conscious growers, weaving her clients’ unique stories into “stylish masterpieces” while encouraging them to make responsible decisions. Her approach perfectly embodies our mission to make sustainability the standard by focusing on progress and beauty rather than perfection.
As an SWA Ambassador, Jacqui acts as a trusted guide, empowering couples and fellow professionals alike. She is a champion for collaboration over competition, sharing her wealth of knowledge to help our community thrive and grow. We are delighted to have her expertise driving the transformation of the wedding industry in the North West and with the floral community.
Harriet Smithson
North West
Driven by a deep-rooted passion for the natural world, Harriet Smithson has spent years championing the “field-to-vase” movement from her artisan flower field in Cumbria. As the founder of Cumberland Flower Farm, Harriet’s mission is to deliver breathtakingly beautiful florals that never cost the earth. Creative, enthusiastic, and a lifelong lover of colour, she is dedicated to proving that sustainable floristry is a medium for hope, joy, and uncompromising beauty.
Harriet’s value-led business model serves as a direct challenge to the heavy carbon footprint and intensive chemical use of the traditional flower industry. By working in harmony with the Cumbrian seasons, she cultivates high-quality blooms that supports local biodiversity. Cumberland Flower Farm maintains a strict commitment to British-only stems to subsidise and compliment their own. Every arrangement is built upon a foundation of zero-waste ethics, utilising simple, compostable mechanics and completely eschewing floral foam and single-use plastics. For Harriet, being a custodian of the land has made biodiversity advocacy a real-life challenge: the delicate, rewarding work of creating a sanctuary for wildlife while maintaining a thriving, profitable business.
Beyond the field, Harriet brings a keen academic lens to the flower industry. She is engaged in personal research as diverse as analysing statistics or reviving historical growing techniques aiming to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and modern sustainability. As an Ambassador for the Sustainable Wedding Alliance, Harriet is dedicated to empowering couples and industry peers to make environmentally considerate decisions. She is a firm believer that informed, collective action will transform the wedding industry for the better.
Amy Cox
East Midlands
Amy brings a lifelong, innate appreciation for the natural world to our Ambassador team. Having grown up on a working farm in rural Northamptonshire and traveled between mountains and oceans, she possesses a deep understanding of the vulnerability of our environment. This personal history has instilled in her a profound sense of responsibility, which she has channeled directly into the management of her family-owned venue, Crockwell Farm.
Amy is a true pioneer within our community; under her leadership, her team was among the first few venues in the UK to achieve accreditation status with the Sustainable Wedding Alliance. She embodies our core value of integrity, proactively encouraging businesses to develop future-thinking strategies and make responsible decisions that protect the planet.
As an SWA Ambassador, Amy serves as a trusted guide, offering approachable expertise to those starting their own sustainability journey. She is passionate about showing that sustainability is not about perfection, but about taking meaningful, step-by-step action to ensure our industry thrives. We are proud to have her calm wisdom and leadership driving the transformation of the wedding industry in the East Midlands.
Claudia Fox
London
Claudia is a visionary in the world of sustainable baking, bringing “show-stopping” energy and a deep sense of integrity to our Ambassador team. As the creative force behind Greenfox Bakery, she creates one-of-a-kind wedding cakes designed to be the centerpiece of any celebration. For Claudia, a cake should never be an afterthought, and it certainly shouldn’t negatively impact the planet.
Claudia truly embodies our core values of continuous learning and innovation. Having achieved carbon neutrality in 2023, she is now on a dedicated path toward net zero by 2030. She is meticulous about her impact, from using an electric vehicle for all deliveries to implementing a zero-waste policy in her kitchen, where even cake offcuts are transformed into new treats. Her commitment extends deep into her supply chain, where she has transitioned to more UK-based ingredients and lower-impact alternatives to significantly reduce her emissions.
Recently, Claudia further lowered her footprint by installing solar panels to provide clean energy for her bakery, especially during the busy summer wedding season. As an SWA Ambassador, she acts as a trusted guide and an approachable expert. We are delighted to have her great energy and commitment to transparency and integrity driving change across London and the South East.
Emma Caddis
South West
Emma is a visionary leader in the world of intimate weddings, having founded Treseren in 2019. Nestled in the heart of “Poldark country” near the North Cornish coast, she has transformed this historic Mine Captain’s House into a multi-award-winning sanctuary for couples seeking beauty, romance, and a quintessential country house vibe. Under Emma’s guidance, Treseren has built a national reputation for delivering magical experiences of the highest quality, proving that “small weddings” can have a significant and stylish impact.
Emma embodies the SWA core value of acting as a trustee of the planet. From the outset, she has led Treseren as a “business with purpose,” meticulously balancing people, planet, and profit. She believes that creating a fulfilling working environment for her team is just as vital as the experience created for her couples, an approach that reflects our commitment to respecting all those who live on the planet.
As an SWA Ambassador, Emma serves as a trusted guide and a regional trailblazer in Cornwall. Her leadership is rooted in integrity and transparency, showing that excellence in customer service and sustainability are inextricably linked. We are proud to have Emma’s authentic approach and dedicated focus on hope and possibility driving the transformation of the wedding industry in the South West.