Making sustainability a priority - with RSA House

Let's get going with today's episode. Today I'm joined by Amanda Azarian the wedding sales and marketing executive RSA House. I met Amanda a showcase event earlier this year and got to experience her lovely Georgian wedding venue for myself. Based in Central London, RSA house hosts beautiful and unique weddings, and as I found out at their event, they're also keen to work on ways to reduce their carbon footprint by encouraging more sustainable wedding options. Amanda, welcome to the podcast.

Hi. Thanks for having me. I am so happy to have you on the podcast. I had such a great time at your event. The Eaton Mess that they served downstairs in the vault was incredible.

In their office, and I kind of just reached the point where I think a lot of people got to during the pandemic where they start to kind of reassess all the decisions they've made in their life and would've led them, you know, to the, to the point where they're at. And I basically made the decision that going forward I wanted to do something that truly made me happy. And that wasn't practicing law. And so I just kind of started thinking, you know, what is it that I actually enjoy doing?

And at the time I was planning my own wedding and I know that's. That, you know, is probably a case for a lot of people who get into this career. They start planning their own wedding and fall in love with it and, you know, end up in events somehow. But that's, that's what happened. I, I loved planning my own wedding and I, I mean, I've always loved weddings. Like that's, that's kind of been a thing of mine forever. But I never really thought of it as a career option.

And so, you know, when I was trying to think, okay, what move am I gonna make that was. That was where I came out to every time. I just kept coming back to working in weddings and so last year I just decided to, you know, jump ship and make the change and take risk and yeah, that's what led me to, you know, this job.

Now you are working in weddings and events, so how has some of that experience helped you in your current role?

It's, you know, it's a different kind of stress that I experience from this job than from, you know, working in the legal field, but I've. Kind of learned ways to be able to manage that and to be able to, you know, just keep going and, and deal with tricky situations on my feet. And so those things have, have helped, you know, quite a lot in terms of having. Really good attention to detail. That's something that I, I kind of pride myself on.

You know, I was the person who would sit and review an email for probably 30 minutes to make sure that it had absolutely no typos, no, you know, no issues. And I think when you're. You know, when you're working in events and planning and dealing with couples, you have to be super organized. You have to have every little detail accounted for. And so that's something that, that obviously has, has transferred over perfectly.

And yeah, I mean, I think I've, I've also, I've been, you know, for the past seven, eight years working in a very high pressured, you know, profession and I'm. You know, I know how to deal with people. I've come across so many different types of personalities, and so that has also really helped me with this job.

Being able to just feel very confident in, you know, forming relationships with couples, getting to know them, and being just confident in, in kind of, you know, the abilities that I do have and that I can, you know, Can share with the couples in the planning.

Obviously, you know, my background really didn't have, I didn't have much experience in the events industry at all coming into this, but I. I knew that I could handle it just because I felt like I have, you know, I've worked in, in a tough job for the past eight years, so, you know, that's, that's kind of been key as well.

How have RSA House been dealing with the last couple of years since you've come in? What are your struggles and what's going well for you right now?

And then unfortunately, you know, the pandemic hit and kind of, not to say that all of that work was completely lost, cuz it definitely wasn't. But you know, it was hard. It was basically like having to start from, you know, The ground up again in building it back. So my most recent predecessor kind of did an amazing job at that. I sort of took over once things were nice and settled. But yeah, I mean, I think.

For us, it's, it's all about just really trying to promote the quality of this venue, the quality in the spaces, the quality in the staff, the quality in the food that we offer, and. From the many weddings now that we have had post pandemic, just really relying on the, the feedback that we get from our couples to really just build this business back again. And I think we're doing a really good job. We have, you know, we had our best year last year, which I think probably a lot of.

You know, businesses had, because it was that, you know, everyone was excited to get back into the events world, to host events, but also a lot of weddings that had been postponed also happened last year. So we were kind of dealing with both, you know, some postponements along with, with new weddings. And so, yeah, I mean, I think that. We continue to try and grow the business, but we've hit a really good point now where we are, you know, we have quite a few weddings every year, and.

Yeah, I mean it's, we'll, we'll see what the next few years have to hold, but, but business has been great and, and we continue to get a lot of inquiries at Rs, a house, so, so hopefully next year it'll be more of the same

And it's, it's great to see. Now, one of the things you spoke about was relationships with suppliers and how your predecessors have kind of built up some of those relationships. And I think the venue supply relationship can be a really funny one. I think a lot of people I work with, particularly florists photographers, they can feel a little bit intimidated about the venues and what the venues think of them and how they get on these elusive supplier lists.

So they kind of hold you in this really high regard. How have you found that you build relationships with suppliers? What can suppliers do to build a good relationship with someone like you that's working in a venue day in and day out?

Then to just to make initial contact and to try and set up a meeting to showcase. You know, your, their portfolio. I think one of the things we are trying to do more so now is to make sure that all of the suppliers who we recommend align with our values, which I'm sure we'll touch on this more, but really comes down to sustainability. So when I get emails or calls from suppliers looking to, you know, be one of our recommended suppliers.

The first thing that I ask them is, you know, what are you doing in terms of sustainability? How is your business basically trying to, you know, be more sustainable? And you can tell right off the bat when someone hasn't really put much thought into that. And then you also have some suppliers who are like, absolutely, I'll send you my policy, da da, da. Which is really great. We, as a venue, we don't.

Require our couples to use any particular supplier except for our in-house caterers, which is a company of cooks. But we obviously do send out lists of recommended suppliers. Now with our new sustainable package, which again, will, I'm sure we'll touch on this in a little bit. We have certain suppliers who we know, you know, are doing kind of above and beyond to make sure that their efforts. Towards a greener future, you know, are, are just highlighted across everything that they do.

And so these suppliers are the ones that we are recommending kind of on in the first go round when we send out basically our packages. However, that's not to say that we wouldn't recommend others as well, and so over the next few months, we definitely will be reassessing our recommended supplier list. So it is a good time, you know, to get in touch if you do want to get in touch and become.

One of our recommended suppliers because we will definitely be looking to kind of overhaul that list to make sure that the suppliers are, yeah, just aligning with, with, you know, our beliefs and values.

Work with you because you'll be able to spot that a mile off and you will know the people that have either worked with you or have a genuine interest or have an a real understanding of what's what you are doing and how they can compliment that. Now, let's get real here because I know that often you are a wedding day and you see the supplies that are coming in and out of that wedding day, how they're serving. And we've all met some great suppliers and we've all met some terrible suppliers.

So what are the kind of. Dos and don'ts on a wedding day. If a supplier's coming into your venue, what are the things they can do which really help you out, and what are the things that they really can do, which can just not be a good idea?

All of your questions and send them in one go, that is the best thing that you could possibly do to make my life easier. Obviously, I get hundreds of emails every day, and so when I have, you know, an email coming through, I. You know, each day from the same supplier. You know, it can be a lot. So that would be one of the things that I would, I would say is super helpful in terms of on the day, one thing is to be on time. I have had suppliers show up late. Really late even.

And that can be pretty stressful because you know, you don't really know when they're gonna get there, if they're gonna get there in time. If you need to start kind of thinking of plan B. So obviously, you know, timeliness is huge. Also introduce yourself to me. Obviously I try to, you know, introduce myself to everyone that comes into the building, but some, some suppliers will kind of just like immediately go to their spot and like not really say anything or you know, and.

It's hard to build a relationship with someone who just is very much, you know, in and out and doesn't say anything. I would also say, I mean, just. Treat our staff well as well. You know, it's not just about me. All of the people in RSA House are working really hard to make that couple's day as magical and as perfect as possible. And obviously, you know, our staff are gonna be moving around the building, setting up the things that they need to set up.

You know, if someone is slightly in your way or. You know, just treat them with respect and courtesy. You know, you should never basically be telling someone, you need to get outta my way, or, you know, you need to do this. We're all working towards the same goal and obviously, you know, we just want everyone to treat everyone with respect. You know, and courtesy, basically. And then, I'm just trying to think of anything else. Just, those are probably the main points.

It's really not, obviously as a supplier, you come in, you kind of get your job done, you know, and, and then you're off on your way. But just being communicative. Making sure that you get there on time and you collect, you know, if you are coming in and collecting anything, you know, to do that when you say you're gonna do it or by the, in the timeframe that, you know, we have. But those are really just the key things. Just like, kind of be nice, like be nice person.

But it's known within the industry that the people at the bottom soon rise to the top. And so if you are rude and disrespectful to the people at the bottom serving the food one day, they're the producers on the TV show, and you'll never work with them ever again. And it's the same in the wedding industry. You need to be kind and courteous to every single person you meet because they will feedback. And if a member of staff. Doesn't like one of the supplies.

I'm pretty sure they're gonna tell you about that. So if you are listening to this, remember, be kind and courteous to everyone you meet, because often the smallest act to any member of staff will feedback in a positive way. But if you are doing the opposite, it will feedback in a negative way as well. Now, Let's get onto our next topic then.

We've mentioned it a little bit, which is your event that I came to where you were talking about sustainability and how that's an important thing for your venue. Why do you think now in 2023, sustainability is something that the wedding industry needs to be focusing on?

You know, you're setting up an event for one day usually, and at the end of that there's so much just, you know, food waste, but then also just, you know, product waste. And if everyone that had a wedding. Or an event, just thought a little bit more about one or two things that they could do that were more sustainable. That would make such a huge difference over all the weddings, all the couples in, you know, all the countries, you know, it would, it honestly would make such. A big difference.

And so, you know, we have to start making the change as suppliers, as you know, venues, because I do think that the more that we put it out there, the more that couples will actually think about it. To be a hundred percent honest, when I was planning my wedding, sustainability literally just didn't enter my mind really.

And I. Wish so much that even some, someone had just like mentioned it to me and said, oh look, if you do something like this, that would actually reduce the carbon footprint of your wedding, you know, by whatever amount. Or even just, you know, a little bit, you know, if you think about this, that would really help, you know, the planet in whatever way. And just having someone mention it to me would've really made me start to think, okay, what, what things can I do?

And I think as a venue, we are kind of that first. Stop usually for most couples. And so if we can put it in their heads, if we can say, Hey, look, we now offer this package that will really help reduce the entire, you know, the carbon footprint of your wedding. That's just something that then they get to start thinking about and they can consider going forward. And then they might think about that when they're hiring their suppliers, their florists, their, you know, whatever it is.

And so, I think we are a great starting point for this, and I think obviously all suppliers should be thinking about it as well.

They're like, oh yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense and that now makes me want to consider your venue kind of even more because you do offer this and there are options that we can, we can have that will at least help a little bit, even if we don't. Fully go all in, you know, with everything's gonna be sustainable. You know, I think it's something that is really making people, couples think, and I think it's something that, you know, is.

Is going to get more and more popular as time goes on, as the word gets out and, and, and couples learn more and more. I think it, I think it is something, I mean even for, for some couples, it's, they come to us with, you know, these kinds of requirements and it's really nice to be able to say, yes, we. Fully, completely agree with you. We share those same values.

We want to do everything we can to help, you know, plan your wedding in the way that, you know, will, will help sustain our environment, you know, in the future. But yeah, I think couples are really responding very well to it and. Even if it's, again, like I said, not something that they had ever really considered before. It does give, you know, RSA house that little like, you know, tick above the rest of maybe their other options.

Wedding show and she told me that she picked her photographer because on their website it said that they planted a tree for every booking they took, and that's what made them stand out to her. Above all of the other photographers that were there at the National Wedding Show, that one small thing resonated with her. Got the photographer, the booking, but also was good for the environment cuz they planted a tree.

So when you are looking at suppliers and what they're doing, and we talked about earlier how you are now looking at that. When you talk with suppliers who are interested in coming to work at R S A house, what things are you looking for from suppliers? What examples have you got of things that you look at and you think, yes, this supply really understands?

Because we have in-house caterers, we wouldn't be looking for, A caterer in that sense. However, if, if couples are looking for caterers, some of the things that they should be looking for are, you know, different awards that they've, they've won, or certifications that they have from an outside, you know, impartial group that's looking into their policies, what they're doing.

So for example, our in-house caterer company of cooks, they have been awarded three stars from the Sustainable Restaurant Association. And they also hold a number of other certifications, but they partner with different groups. So one of them is the too good to go and Neighborly, which distribute the surplus food to different communities and individuals and so, so things like that would be great to, to look at in terms of suppliers that.

There might not be, you know, a certification that they can get at this point, but let's just say, you know, musicians, how are they traveling? Are they, you know, traveling by, by plane to get to you by bus? Can they take public transportation? You know, things like that that are just things to consider. I'm trying to think of other things. So for, for florist, you know, what type of products are they using?

Are they still using that like flower foam that is literally detrimental to the environment? Are they using innovative ways to kind of repurpose flowers? Are they donating flowers at the end of the evening to, you know, a local. You know, hospital or nursing home or things like that. There are so many different things that suppliers can be doing to just help their business be more sustainable. And so those are the little things that, you know, couples can be looking for.

They know why they're doing it and they're really thinking it through Now, just talk to me briefly then about this sustainability package that you are offering a RSA house. What does that look like? What steps are you taking as a venue to become, better and to improve your carbon footprint and how does that look for couples?

However, we've taken into consideration, you know, what kinds of meats are actually much better for the environment because there's a whole spectrum, you know, of different foods and the carbon footprint that is left by, you know, that specific type of food. So our menu has been really carefully curated and it includes, A section that's plant-based, which obviously is always gonna be the best way and the most sustainable option.

However, it then also has options for what we call better meat and fish. And we're making sure that a lot of the, the food from that menu is sourced locally. You know, when possible and fully seasonal. So all of these things that you would take into account, we also offer in the package locally sourced wines from some, you know, amazing wineries.

And again, in the sense that these wines, they're organic, they're biodynamic, and they are all locally sourced, so they're just a much better option in terms of sustainability, in terms of the venue itself. Now, obviously, anyone that gets married at RSA House, regardless of whether or not, they decide to use the Sustainable Weddings package or the menu or not. They're gonna benefit from the things that RSA House is doing as a venue.

And you know, a few of these things include having target of net zero for 2025. With all of the waste oil collected turned into biodiesel, all of our food waste is collected by greener than greener, which uses the food waste to turn into green energy. Our kitchen is run a hundred percent on green energy, so we have no gas appliances. So again, that's something that every couple, no matter what they're gonna benefit from, we've also converted the entire building to L E D lighting.

A lot of them are on sensor timers, so we've, we're reducing our electricity consumption. We're working towards even, you know, reducing that even more. We also obviously are encouraging plant-based menus where we can, so those are just some of the things that we're doing.

So the good thing is, is that even if you want to, you know, try and, and not really consider sustainability, you know that much in terms of your wedding, you're still gonna, you know, benefit from, from that by, by having your wedding at r s a house.

Now, before we bring this, Conversation to close. There's one question I always end every podcast interview with, and that's what's one thing that you wish you'd known sooner within the wedding industry?

You know that, that I can think of that's just like, oh, I wish I had known this. I feel like this job is a job where I am learning something new every single day, and. Especially every single wedding, there is always something that I'm like, oh yeah, next wedding, I need to do this differently, or we should consider this, you know, beforehand.

But I think that's what is also the best part of this job, because I feel like if you've reached the point where you aren't learning anything and everything is just, you know, kind of going Exactly, you know, as you think it should, and you know, there's nothing new that's coming out of it, I feel like you're just not challenging yourself enough and. That's what's just so great about, you know, being in events and being in weddings. There's, there's always something that is just like, Hmm, yep.

Didn't think about that. Oh yeah, that, that's a new one that's never heard that one before. And it's what makes this job so much fun and also so challenging at the same time. But it's, it's great.

If people wanna find out more about r s a house, about the different packages you offer, or about working with you as a venue, Amanda, where's the best place for people to find you?