Last year we had a garage sale. Besides tons of duplicate items, (from moving in together) we had tons of wedding coasters, etched wedding frames, endless tea light holders, glass wedding bell paper weights, another wedding frame, a glass basket that held those (gross in my opinion) white almonds, endless bottles of wedding bubbles, oh I can't forget the place card holders. Lots of stuff. I think I sold the coasters for 0.25. I don't want to think about what the bride and groom of that wedding paid for them. Some things I gave away, the rest went to goodwill.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not an ingrate. It's sweet, just not my style.
Lately we have been trying to think of eco-happy gifts, in lieu of just-stuff.
Originally we wanted to send everyone home with individual wine bottles, but it's too expensive. Even the small ones (the vineyard won't do) are a waste because you only get one glass of wine - if that, then that's 120 more wine bottles out there because of us.
We went to a friend's wedding recently and they gave away ferns. Currently, my fern sits happily in it's new pot on my fire escape with all his (he's a boy in my head) other plant friends. I loved the idea.
The entire inspiration for the wedding is US! What we like to do together, how we met, things we enjoy together. (get it?) We went hiking on our first date hence an outdoors ceremony. I changed my beer drinking guy into a wino, enter vinyard. As most outdoorsy types usually do...we love trees. Fun Fact* Steve can climb a tree better than anyone I've ever known.
Trees it is.
We are giving away trees. Each of the round tables is going to be a different tree and everyone at their table will get their respective sapling to take home and plant in a park, garden, yard, or even on the side of the road. We are going to have approx. 120 people, that's 120 trees (ideally) that are out there growing, housing animals and bugs, cleaning the air.
:insert kumbahyah hand holding circle here:
I have to think up a cute- and equally eco-friendly way of packaging the saplings. It would be kind of silly to try and be green for our wedding ( examples: all RSVPs are going to be done online to save paper, reused/ up-cycled decorations) to then turn around and use a ton of plastic and ribbon for a a tree that will be planted soon.
*keep in mind to always check that you are planting trees/plants/and flowers that are native to your area as to not introduce an invasive species - check here.
Here are some ideas I've stormed thus far:
- My bestie/m.o.h. works at a bedding/home fashion textile design place (so cool I know) and is always coming home with things they just throw away!- bedding, curtains, swatches, yards of fabric- in the garbage!- so perhaps we can "rescue" some of the more neutral/ linen type of fabrics (it doesn't matter if we mix and match as long as they are complimentary (sort of) shades) to wrap the saplings in like this.
- Using Biodegradable (Peat Pots) that can be planted with the sapling directly in ground. Up the cool factor by getting our "seal" stamped on the planter to then grow with the tree.
- We could package with upcyled beer bottle glasses, but I think we'd use bottles sans labels. I'm confident our housemates (consists of 3 apartments) can get together 120 beer bottles during a BBQ, easy.
I thought these newspaper pots would be fun for next years seedlings, but not for the wedding.
I'd love to hear some eco-friendly wedding ideas from you... yes you. Email or comment below no sign in needed...other than name and what you want to say.
ps... in exactly one year from today, we will be getting married 7.14.11.
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