Are you looking to plan your wedding, but don't want to break the bank? Why not also consider having an eco-friendly and sustainable wedding as both go hand in hand.

If your fed up with the traditional cookie cutter wedding and want to plan something a little different it can often be a daunting task.

Green Union's Ethical Wedding Directory is the place to find eco friendly, sustainable, unique and dedicated wedding suppliers and services. From Tents to Tipis and Delightful Dresses to Fabulous Flowers, Green Union will help you to truly reflect your style and ethos on your gorgeously green wedding day.

My favourite part of the site, as a wedding photographer, is the Green Wedding Venue's Directory, Lisa Dawn Photography loved to photograph weddings that are a little different from the norm. So if you are planning your green wedding, do Get In Touch!

The directory showcases venues such as the new wedding venue, Winkworth Farm in Somerset http://www.winkworthfarm.com/ and Clavels hay Barn in North Petherton, Somerset http://www.clavelshaybarn.co.uk/ and also one of our personal favourites Huntstile Organic Farm, Goathurst, Somerset.

Eco Chic Boutique. Absolutely no compromise on gorgeousness, our online shop is a saviour for anyone who prefers eco-friendly gift shopping. We personally source hand made, organic, sustainable and fair trade products for that very special occasion.

Green Union's Blog, is definately worth subscribing to to keep up to date with the latest green wedding news, events and special offers.

With a background in design and based on our personal values, Green Union is committed to helping make your wedding a stylish and sustainable event. Aiming to take the fuss out of wedding planning, makinging it easy to consider the environment without compromising design for the perfect Eco-chic wedding day celebration.

Founder Rosie Ames is passionate about nature and committed to social justice since her childhood in Africa. Her background of 20 years in fashion design and on-going lifetime commitment to environmental responsibility embodies our ethos of contemporary style with a conscience. She now runs GreenUnion and her wedding planning business from Catsheys, an organic smallholding in North Devon.

Esther Maughan McLachlan, a marketing and communications specialist with a keen understanding of environmental and social issues and a personal commitment to ‘doing her bit’. A founder member of the Association of Sustainability Practitioners, Esther writes regularly on sustainable consumption for the alternative press. Her biggest disappointment is that downsizing to Devon forced her to learn to drive after 30 years on foot, bike and train. Esther helped in the establishment of Green Union but has since become a Mum and is concentrating on that life project, but advises us from time to time.

David Ames, Rosie's husband and company secretary, is a furniture maker by day. He designs and makes beautiful furniture to commission using sustainable woods and local timber.

Together with other committed and creative individuals, we are pioneering a return to beautiful, meaningful and sustainable celebrations, in an industry which will see over 260,000 couples in the UK get married during 2008 and spending an average of over £19,000 each, totalling at least £4.6 billion annually.

We are all committed to living and working a sustainable life and while none of us claim to be perfect, we make heaps of effort to embrace the guiding principles outlined in our Green Gauge.

I am thrilled to be featured on Eco Chic Weddings Blog and would like to thank Emily Anderson for featuring our wedding photos from a recent wedding we shot at Huntstile Organic Farm in Somerset. Lisa Dawn Photography love to work with couples planning a Green Wedding and for anyone doing so, Eco Chic Weddings is a great resource!

Eco Chic Weddings is a Wedding Ideas & Inspiration Blog focussing on all that is Ethical, Thrifty and Chic. Three things close to my heart.

The founder, Emily Anderson used to work in marketing and branding, first for a fashion company, Donna Karan New York, then for Vanity Fair Magazine, and after that for (much loved) lifestyle company Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. Emily also worked as a New Media Consultant with television stations and web sites during the first Internet boom, pre-2001.

Emily then wrote a book about weddings, Eco Chic Weddings and it became a part of a big trend called the Green Movement. This is when Eco Chic Wedding Blog also began. The blog became so popular that a lot of the blog's readers didn't even know about the book!

In 2008 Emily wrote a book for Popular Mechanics about making green changes around the home, When Changing A Light Bulb Just Isn't Enough.

Most recently, her book Eco Chic Home has been added to the list, which will be available in Spring 2010, so definitely one to look out for!

This book includes over 60 design projects, each project fits the same profile: chic, purposeful, affordable, easy, and made from an everyday material that can be remade into a brand new item for your home. Some of the items include a rug, cake stands, and lamps. Emily found inspiration and ideas from all over the web, from magazines, books, friends, family-basically, everywhere. More of her ideas can be found on the blog, Writing Design and Life, as well as some of the sources that inspire Emily Anderson.

Cathryn & Mark got married on the 25th September at the Balmer Lawn Hotel, a country house hotel in the heart of The New Forest.  Cathryn & Mark were such fun to work with and we made the most of having the forest on our door step.  The light was perfect for some romantic shots in the woods- we love The New Forest and so this wedding was a real treat.  We hope Cathryn & Mark had a fantastic time on their honeymoon and wish them all the best for their future together.

We visited Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, Queen Victoria's Palace by the sea and wanted to share some of our photographs of this stunning wedding venue with you! No other venue can offer such decadence and your own private beach!

"This extensive estate has an exquisitely furnished house and terraced gardens with panoramic views leading down to its own private beach on the Solent.

The House was built in 1845 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a country retreat. The Royal couple escaped to Osborne regularly and were there on 24 May each year to celebrate the Queen’s birthday and almost always for the Prince’s birthday on 26 August.

After Prince Albert’s untimely death in 1861, the distraught Queen retreated to Osborne for several months, but thereafter avoided being there on these poignant dates. Nonetheless, the Queen spent much of the year at Osborne up to her death in 1901." If you are planning your wedding here we would love to hear from you!

Scott and I had always planned to have another break (second half of our honeymoon) once the wedding season had simmered down a little.  So after much searching for a romantic short break with a difference-I came across Vintage Vacations on the Isle of Wight.  As soon as we saw the 1960's America Airstream Caravans complete with retro furnishings we knew we had found our destination. With a love of all things vintage and the countryside, it was right up our street!

We met with owner Helen, who showed us around the site and the caravan and soon got settled in.  We had a cream tea waiting for us and a baby sham for later! We would like to thank Helen and Frazer for a fantastic holiday and we will definitely be coming back!

The Airstreams are also available for hire for your fabulous events, weddings and bespoke JAMBOREE extravaganzas! We thoroughly enjoyed our short break on the Island, the beautiful country side and delicious local food.

Places we visited and recommend! The Garlic Farm & Restaurant: http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/

The Queens Palace by the Sea-Osborne House: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/book-and-buy/venue-hire/osborne-house

Arreton Old Village http://www.arretonbarns.co.uk/

Ventnor Botanical Gardens: http://www.botanic.co.uk/

Amazon World http://www.amazonworld.co.uk/

Carisbrooke Castle http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/carisbrooke-castle/

The Taverners Pub & Restuarant, Godshill http://www.thetavernersgodshill.co.uk/

Cowes Freshwater Bay and Coastal Path