Katie Fewings, founder of ethicalweddings.com, talks to New Consumer

Brighton-based Katie Fewings went ethical for her wedding

Name: Katie Fewings
Age: 30
Company: Ethical Weddings

Mission: To give everyone something to celebrate by making your big day green

What’s your biggest success?
Setting up Ethical Weddings in my spare time could count as one of my biggest successes. I’m quite pleased with that. Then again, when I was five, I did win the local playgroup painting competition with my interpretation of ‘house and flowers’. That’s something that’s always stayed with me.

What is your top tip for breaking into the ethical business world?
Get a good support network around you. Make lots of contacts with like-minded people and they’ll be happy to spread the word about your business, just as you’ll be happy to shout about theirs – because you all believe in what you’re doing and what you’re trying to achieve.

Is it unethical to make a decent profit?
I did have a bit of a crisis of conscience at first at the thought of making money, but I have realised it is pretty much essential if we want to carry on developing the website, providing a good service and doing fun stuff for our couples.

What’s been your biggest mistake?
Ouch! Maybe dismissing all business-related courses as ‘boring’ at school and now thinking they could have come in quite handy.

Would you wear hemp underpants for the cause?
Absolutely! I’m in Fair Trade cotton ones at the moment (a Christmas present from the husband). I don’t yet have a hemp pair in my knicker drawer, but I hear great advances have been made and they would be silky smooth against my skin… anyone want to send me a pair so I can check?

What does your future look like?
Rosy, I hope. Full of excited couples planning ethical weddings and working with them to provide a bigger and better service. And revolutionising the wedding industry, of course!

Check out Katie's site! www.ethicalweddings.com