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
Hiya, My name is Mercedes, I run 4YaParty Weddings & Events in the South East London and West Kent area.
4YaParty is a wedding and event styling service and we hand make many of our props using reclaimed wood and upcycled materials. We source many of our stock secondhand and the rest as ethically as possible. We drive our second hand electric van in a small 45 mile catchment area to keep our carbon footprint as small as possible and we have a strong zero waste ethos. I haven’t always had a strong passion for sustainability but becoming a mother gave me the boot up the bum I needed, to do what I can, to give future generations a habitable planet and now, I’m determined to spread awareness about being more sustainable, especially in the weddings and events industry!
Fleur Record Smith
South East
I am a very active and outdoorsy person so recently I became interested in climate change and living sustainably. My husband and I had a bit of a lightbulb moment one Christmas when we looked at the piles of wrapping paper and toys, and came to the conclusion that we needed to change our lifestyle! We had a long way to go and faced challenges along the way but a lot of the changes we’ve made were easier to implement than I thought, and I realised that many of these could be implemented at the venue too.
Recently, I completed a Sustainability Business Course from Cambridge University which has given me more knowledge and determination to bring change to the venue and beyond.
I feel fortunate that I can align what I am passionate about with my vision for Hayne House, and that my team is as dedicated as I am to making it a sustainable venue. We still have a way to go but I hope we can inspire others to join us on this challenging but rewarding journey.
Rebecca Yussuf
South East
Hello, I’m Rebecca, owner of Lilac and Lace Floral Design, Since 2016, when I started LLFD, we’ve been on quite a journey – transitioning away from imported flowers to use locally or British grown, and now I grow my own too.
I always wanted to be just like Sir David Attenborough – he is and always will be my hero! Instead, through various plots twists, I became a Meteorologist and forecast the weather for airports, roads and then finally for TV. I loved my job, but the hours were very long and unsocial. The garden became my retreat and I grew flowers, trying to emulate my Dad and Grandma. She was a florist too! In 2014, I was brought an Introduction to Floristry course at Hadlow College and the rest as they say is history!
My love of nature is at the heart of everything I do and I made a very conscious decision in 2018 to stop using floral foam. Since then, I have worked very hard on changing my little flowery world into something that treads incredibly gently on the planet. I know that small is mighty, that I can make a positive impact and leave a better world
Celia Gaze
North West
Celia Gaze is the Founder and CEO of The Wellbeing Farm, a unique wedding and events venue in Lancashire, UK, that combines sustainability and wellbeing principles.
With a background in NHS management, Celia transitioned from a high-pressure career to pursue her passion for creating a space that fosters joy, creativity and a unique experience. Under her leadership, The Wellbeing Farm has garnered numerous awards, including Gold level for the Green Tourism certification and being awarded Winner of both the Net Zero Leader and Sustainable Change Maker awards at the inaugural Sustainable Wedding Awards.
The Wellbeing Farm also became one of the first independent venues in the world to become B Corp Certified. Celia shares her journey and insights in her book, “Why Put a Bow Tie on a Llama?”, which provides a candid look at her entrepreneurial path and the lessons learned along the way.
Jacqui Owen
North West
I’m Jacqui, the creative force behind Jacqui O – Cheshire Florals, a Nantwich-based luxury floral brand celebrated for its beautiful seasonal flowers, sensuous designs, and commitment to sustainability. With 11 years of expertise, I’ve become a trusted name in Cheshire for weddings, tributes, private events, and visual styling. Recently featured on the cover of Cheshire Life magazine, I’m known for her my for detail, bringing dreams to life through exquisitely crafted florals and venue styling, weaving clients’ stories into every stylish masterpiece.
I love to collaborate with eco-conscious growers, creating treasured memories for my clients, encouraging them to make sustainable choices.
Michelle Taylor
East of England
Hi I’m Michelle, the Funky Celebrant. I am based in Essex but travel throughout the region delivering lifecycle ceremonies for all rites of passage. My green journey started in earnest in 2023, when I started to carbon offset by contributing to reforestation and tree planting for every ceremony I delivered, however I soon realised that, that wasn’t enough on its own, and found the SWA.
I became an accredited member on my birthday in March 2024 and am proud to fly the flag of sustainability in the wedding industry high. My home life and work life have drastically changed for the better as a result of everything I continue to learn on this necessary journey. As a celebrant trainer I also deliver an input of greener weddings to all celebrants I train as I believe starting their business with the right grounding will ensure they are thinking about and delivering greener ceremonies from the get go.
I am excited to be a part of the promotion of greener weddings, this is something I am passionate about, and hope anyone reading this can also share the passion of celebrating love and life with a greener hue.
Amy Cox
East Midlands
Having grown up on a working farm in rural Northamptonshire, before travelling to work in mountains and oceans, I have an innate appreciation for our natural surroundings and their vulnerability.
I have channelled this awareness and sense of responsibility into the management of our family-owned wedding venue and am proud that our team were among the first few venues in the UK to achieve accreditation status with the Sustainable Wedding Alliance.
Claudia Fox
London
My name is Claudia and I am a sustainable wedding cake designer. I create one of a kind, delicious cakes that everyone will fight over. I believe that wedding cakes should be a show stopping, centre piece of any wedding day, that reflects the couple’s personality. Cake should never be an after thought, and it certainly shouldn’t negatively impact our planet.
I’m obsessive when it comes to sustainability, and am always striving for new and innovative ways to make a difference in my business and personal life. I’ve just installed solar panels and it’s all I can talk about.
Emma Caddis
South West
Specialising in small weddings that are big on style, Founder Emma Caddis set up Treseren in 2019. Located in Poldark country, just 10 minutes from the spectacular north Cornish coast, this historic Mine Captain’s House, with Austen-esque proportions offers beauty, romance and a quintessential English country house vibe. Winner of multiple gold regional and national awards, Treseren has gained a reputation for delivering magical weddings of the highest quality.
From the outset, Treseren set out to achieve the highest standards of excellence in customer service and as a business with purpose; balancing people, planet and profit. Sustainability is at the heart of Treseren and they strive to ensure the team have a happy and fulfilling working environment. This is as important as creating a magical experience for their couples; the ethos and approach form the central pillars of the business.