Tessa is the designer and founder of plant-based handbag label A_C Official, and together the Melbourne-based couple own and run The Common Good Company, a B Corp certified ethical and sustainable fashion basics brand. As the pair are both deeply passionate about the environment, they wanted to make sure their wedding had as little impact on the planet as possible – while still hosting a beautiful event.
“We crossed paths in a yoga class, from there we saw each other everywhere from farmers markets to cafes and bars dotted around Richmond until finally we bumped into one another on a staircase, five years go.”
“He proposed on a hot Sunday night on the beach, I had no idea and was speechless for a good five minutes before I burst into tears and said yes”, Bride Tessa shares with Wedded Wonderland.
When it came to hosting a sustainable wedding, the newlyweds explain that it was a non-negotiable from the start.
“We are always mindful and conscious of where and how we spend money and the impact this has on people and the planet. We live and breathe these values and we walk our talk so when it came to planning our wedding, it was just a continuation of ourselves.”
In lieu of Bonbonnieres, Tessa and Benny planted a tree for every guest that travelled to their wedding and for every meal served they donated a meal to someone in need. The newlyweds also incorporated paperless invites and RSVPs to avoid paper and mileage on postage – and signage, menus and name cards were printed on recycled paper using eco-friendly ink.
“At daybreak, my sister and I went for our morning walk on the beach which was hugely important and set the tone for the rest of the day. Another highlight was walking across the property (the world’s longest aisle!) on my father’s arm as he tried to keep it together and seeing my brothers toss rose petals as our Flower-people.”
When asked what the biggest highlight of her day was, she describes the moment she saw “Ben smiling at the end of the aisle, reading out our vows together and realising we had included the same jokes and then spending the evening dancing under the stars together.”
The wedding was held at Tessa’s parents off-the-grid property in Yallingup, Western Australia.
“Getting married at my parents’ property in Yallingup was the first and only location we ever wanted to be married at. Yallingup means ‘place of love’ and my parents’ property sits high in the hills of the region, looking out over the ocean.”
“It is a very special place not only because of the views but because of the way the place feels when you are there. There is a certain peace on the land and we have spent many a summer falling in love with the surf, wine and each other.”
“I’d like to encourage everyone to be mindful of their footprint when you get married. Yes, it is your Big Day but it doesn’t have to be wasteful. We celebrated our wedding the same way we live our lives and as a result – we’re so proud of everything we achieved and we feel no guilt for creating landfill or buying things we won’t use again and again. Doing things sustainably doesn’t make them any less special – in fact I would suggest the ‘come down’ is reduced because you have less to ‘clean up, throw away or sell’.”
All vendors were sustainable and catering was vegan.
Did you have a destination wedding and want an editorial feature on Wedded Wonderland? Send us an email with a little about your day alongside your wedding album to:
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