We've been doing our homework here at Fly Away Bride over the past while to find you beautiful wedding venues that are also eco-friendly, located in places that we love of course. A tall order I hear you say? Well, our series starts today with one of our favorite destination wedding countries: Italy. Believe it or not, eco-conscious venues are more than a little hard to find in this beautiful part of the world! Never fear though, with some on-site help we managed to source two very special wedding venues in the Tuscany region. We give you:

Urbino Resort is an ancient rural village which has been completely restored and is located in a nature sanctuary about three hours east of Florence by car. The owners run a strictly organic farm of 360 hectares and produce wine, olive oil, honey, wheat, and corn among other crops. The resort has 32 rooms with beds for 85 guests in total. Urbino dei Laghi, the on-site restaurant, can cater for up to 230 guests. Both symbolic and Catholic ceremonies can be held here, as a consecrated church lies inside the grounds.

- The farm's organic produce is used in the on-site restaurant.

- Energy is produced with the help of solar panels.

- Only natural and organic cleaning products are used, and a courtesy line of natural, organic cosmetic products is supplied.

- There's a bio-boutique, "Ecospaccio," at the resort where guests can purchase natural and organic products.

- Organic bar by the pool during the summer.

The Villa Medicea Lappeggi sits amidst rolling hills half an hour south of Florence. The residence dates from the 16th century and still retains an ancient aura in its decor and architecture. Intimate receptions are possible here for approximately 30 people in the villa's hall to around 50 in the garden, with a bio-ethical catering company used for reception dinners. There is space for a wedding ceremony outside with over 1000 square meters of beautiful garden dotted with original statues and trees. Accommodation on-site is limited to one suite divided into two rooms, accommodating four guests.

- Food is organic, fair-trade and local where possible. The origin, recipe and quality of ingredients is highlighted.

- Only use environmentally friendly cleaning products, paints, varnishes and recycled paper products.

- Rent electric bicycles to guests and encourage the use of public transport.

- Strive to educate guests on environmental issues by organising visits to organic and biodynamic farms in the area, and providing notices in rooms calling attention to everyday actions with lesser impact on the environment.

A very special thanks to Chic Weddings in Italy and Savvy Event Studio for their on-site venue recommendations, and we'll be continuing this series on eco-friendly wedding venues so stay tuned!