A Green Milestone: The Walled Garden Becomes Nottinghamshire’s First Accredited Sustainable Wedding Alliance Venue
We’re proud to share that our Nottingham wedding & events venue The Walled Garden at Beeston Fields is now officially the first in Nottinghamshire to be accredited by the Sustainable Wedding Alliance.
Over the past few years, we’ve been making consistent changes behind the scenes across every part of our business. From the way we run the bar and kitchen, to how we print, garden, and plan events, we’ve been rethinking it all with the goal to tread more lightly on the planet.
The Sustainable Wedding Alliance is a UK-based organisation helping wedding businesses improve their environmental impact. Their accreditation recognises those who are making real, lasting progress when it comes to ethical sourcing, reducing waste and lowering their environmental impact. We’re proud to now be one of them!
Sustainable Wedding Alliance Accreditation Badge
So what does that look like in practice for us?
Our bar sources drinks from UK-based suppliers only, reducing transport emissions and supporting local producers.
Our chefs work with local and sustainable ingredients wherever possible, and we’ve swapped coal for coconut briquette shells in our BBQs.
We print less, and when we do, it’s on recyclable stock from eco-conscious printers.
All kitchen and coffee waste that can be composted is, and goes straight back into the garden.
We’re always looking for new community projects to get involved in. Most recently we visited Pulp Friction in Bestwood who do really important work in Nottinghamshire. Now couples have the option to donate their leftover wedding flowers to Pulp Friction.
We invest in ongoing training for our team to stay up to date on sustainability practices.
We create and share educational content to our couples & event holders on how to make sustainable choices in event planning.
Our gardeners avoid pesticides, grow herbs and edible flowers for drinks, and are creating a ‘bat buffet’ to help boost local biodiversity.
Much of this happens in the background, so it won’t change how joyful or fun your wedding or event feels here at The Walled Garden. But it does mean that while you celebrate, you can feel proud that your event is taking place in a space that puts people and planet first. So if you're planning a sustainable wedding in the East Midlands or looking for an eco-friendly venue in Nottingham, we’d love to host you.
Jenny Macare Photography.
The accreditation process itself has been in the works for over a year. We’ve had in depth conversations with the SWA team, spent time with their founder Michelle, and taken part in a full-day training session that challenged the team to evaluate every corner of our business.
Its of course an incredible milestone for us to gain this accrediation, but we’re no where near finished! We’re already exploring next steps, including a move to renewable energy and further sustainability certifications.
Our General Manager, Emma Davidson, put it beautifully:
“Our Garden has been here nearly 200 years, and for the past 13 we’ve been lucky enough to call it a venue. In recent years, we’ve made nature our muse, and the result has been incredible. 2025 is already our busiest year yet. We won a Judge’s Choice Award earlier this year, and now, this Sustainable Wedding Alliance accreditation proves just how deeply we stand by our values.
We’re in love with our garden and everything it gives back. A garden with an unordinary story, an extraordinary team, and a proud planetary purpose. The future is full of exciting plans, from B Corp boot camps to restoring old buildings and building a cottage pantry garden. We’re brimming with ideas, and can’t wait to keep growing.”
Michelle Miles, Founder & CEO of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance, also shared her thoughts:
“We are incredibly proud that The Walled Garden has achieved the Sustainable Wedding Alliance Accreditation. Their dedication to sustainable practices throughout their entire operation is truly inspiring. By prioritising people and planet, The Walled Garden team is setting a wonderful example for other businesses in the industry and empowering couples to plan weddings that are both beautiful and environmentally conscious.”
It means the world to us to receive this recognition; when you work in a garden like ours, you feel connected to the seasons, the nature and the life it supports. Sustainability has always felt like a top responsibility for us, and now, we have the framework and support to keep doing better.
For the couples who choose us, and the businesses who host events here, we want you to trust that when you host here, you’re investing in eco-friendly practices. We love when guests ask questions on how they can improve, and also teach us something new - sustainability is all about progressing and learning together.
This is just the beginning of our journey, and we’re committed to continuing with care, curiosity, and purpose to help our planet!
— The Walled Garden Team x
Jenny Macare Photography.