From The Straits Times    |

Photo: Asiya Kiev on Unsplash

Not only can weddings be expensive, they can also contribute to our food wastage problem. 

UK couple Kayley and Joe Tilston, however, turned their wedding celebration at Victoria Hall, Saltaire, England, into one that not only helped them save money, but also prevented more than 250kg of food from winding up in the dump.

According to BBC, the couple’s sumptuous buffet spread for 280 guests was created from surplus food that would otherwise have ended in the rubbish bin. It included canapes, sea bass, sea bream, ox, pork ribs and chicken, with vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options.

And if you’re thinking they were procured from leftovers or have expired, fret not. The feast was catered by The Real Junk Food Project, a charity which intercepts and redistributes food that’s considered waste simply because it’s been over-ordered or mislabelled by retailers, not because it’s past its sell-by date. In fact, the food was so good, it had guests going back for second and third helpings, even after knowing the origin of their meal. 

 

 

The bride, who’s a self-confessed environmentalist, shared with The Sun, “We are environmentalists at heart and try to avoid waste wherever possible, recycling everything we possibly can. We visited a TRJFP pay-as-you-feel café in Saltaire and sampled the food at a pop up in Trinity Kitchen in Leeds and loved it.”

“Before even booking our wedding, we had discussed TRJFP being involved in the catering on the day.”

The food wasn’t the only aspect of the couple’s big day that was recycled. 

The ceremony and photo booth backdrop was in fact, an old room divider, while other decorations were gifts from two of the groom’s Ska Punk bandmates, who recently had their own weddings. (Also read: 5 useful things you can do with your decor after your wedding!)

The bride’s headpiece was adorned with surplus flowers provided by a florist friend, and she plans to redesign her wedding dress for future wear.

 

Also read: 21 SINGAPORE WEDDING VENUES THAT’LL MAKE YOUR WEDDING MORE MEANINGFUL