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Plenty of Offbeat Brides include sustainability in their must-have wedding planning list. Green wedding favors can add to the eco-friendliness of your special day, while also expressing your special style. Your first thought might be to go with eco-friendly materials like bamboo, but check out the creative ideas our offbeat brides have come up with!
Plants
Send guests home with something they can plant! It's green, more welcome than a tchotchke they'll have to find room for, and wildly versatile. The cactus cans in the shot above add whimsy to a fiesta wedding.
Succulents planted in recycled jars are a similar idea with a different style. And that's one of the awesome things about getting creative with favors — every single one is special. Think not only about plants, but also seeds. Paper embedded with seeds can be used to print programs that also serve as favors, or try our DIY seed bombs!
Extra benefit — your guests will think of your wedding whenever they see those plants growing in their own spaces.
Vintage favors
Whenever you use vintage stuff, you keep it out of the landfill and save on the energy and raw materials that would have gone into making new. Vintage hankies for happy tears are a perfect example. Vintage handkerchiefs are often very colorful and special, and you can find fancy ones with embroidery or hand-crocheted lace at very reasonable prices. Etsy and eBay are great sources, but don't miss your local thrift shops or antique stores.
Let the mismatch be part of the fun with vintage trinkets like demitasse cups, keys, miniature picture frames, paper fans… you might be amazed by how many cool small favors you can find at flea markets.
Conceptual wedding favors
Sophia decided to give an opportunity to pick a charity to her guests instead of a physical favor. Guests had the chance to support a good cause and Sophia felt great about how she spent her favor budget It was also a very sustainable choice. Read how she did it!
Lara made super-cute scrolls laying out the favors — from computer help to cupcakes –she and her spouse would be happy to do for their guests.
Other brides offered art, tattoos, or personal letters. It really is the thought that counts!
Recycled favors
Green wedding favors can be made from cast-offs. Special bottle cap magnets and personalized snow globes are just a couple of options.
Look around for recyclables you have or can easily source from friends and family, search our wedding favors archive, and be open to inspiration!
Consumable wedding favors
From tea to olive oil, things that guests will eat and drink won't end up in the landfill. This idea also gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of time and money. You can make custom DIY microwave popcorn or gourmet s'mores kits, but you can also crowd-source the whole thing with a candy buffet and take-home bags.
Eco-friendly favors can be as varied and personal as any wedding favors — and you can feel good about them.
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We love when plants are given as a take home gift! Super trendy right now and a great way reminder of an amazing time of celebration and love!
We gave our guests blankets as favors. It was cold up in the North Carolina mountains so we got an ice bin from Home Depot and found matching blankets for each guest (we only had 15 guests) and not only were they able to use them during the reception but now they’re getting used at home as well.
We made a donation to St. Jude’s in each of our guests name, and we sent them home with a little plantable “thank you/favor” card Forever Fiances, so they actually got a physical favor. Everyone was really happy with it, even the super-traditional great aunts and uncles!