Every bride wants her wedding day to be a signature event.
This was no exception for 48-year-old Brakpan resident Jenny Hanley, whose big day on Friday stood out and will certainly be one to remember.
Jenny turned heads as she made her way to the Brakpan Department of Home Affairs to say I do to her partner of several months, Alf Biddulph (61).
While she looked every inch the blushing bride, it was Jenny’s unusual mode of transport to her wedding that received the most looks.
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Jenny, a friendly woman with an outgoing personality, arrived at the venue on a recycling trolley – those used by informal recyclers to collect recyclable materials.
While it is not uncommon for brides these days to shy away from the traditional and to create wedding items using recycled goods, Jenny took it to a whole new level.
Read: Help save the environment by recycling
Her bouquet was made from newspaper and other recyclable items and a large colourful paper flower pinned to her white wedding dress complemented the look.
Refuse bags were also featured and Jenny wore one draped over her shoulders, and as a hair accessory.
Her bridesmaid, granddaughter Nevaeh Wessels (4), looked adorable in a dress made from the black plastic.
The unconventional wedding theme is a result of Jenny’s passion for recycling and stems from her days living on the street.
Following the death of her spouse two years ago, Jenny found herself without a roof over her head and she was destitute for months.
She told the Herald she never begged and would earn money by washing cars, cleaning swimming pools and washing and ironing clothes.
“It’s just so tough you know and you can never make that extra little bit you need to get yourself out of it,” she said.
Jenny would get meals from local soup kitchens and would sleep in doorways and other places that offered some sort of shelter.
“You have to sleep with one eye open or you get robbed,” she said.
She remembered a time her pillow was stolen and another time she woke up to find someone had defecated in her shoes.
“I wish they had rather stolen them,” she recalled with a laugh.
Read: Plastic: Only half of the R2 billion levy on plastic bags has been allocated to recycling
It was during these hard times, however, that Jenny’s love of recycling started.
“I would just walk around and pick up litter,” she said.
“People waste so much and throw so much away and I just wanted to create awareness about that.”
After meeting future husband Alf, Jenny’s fortune changed and she managed to get back on her feet with his help.
Blessed to have found each other, it wasn’t long before the pair became a couple and headed down the aisle.
Following the nuptials, the newlyweds hosted a recycled-themed reception, complete with recycled decor and other creations, for friends and family at their Northdene Avenue home.
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Also read: The insatiable desire to be fashionable has created the second largest polluter in the world
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