Saturday, August 1, 2009

Go Green with your Wedding Favors

Article follows is very important thing to do if you want to set up your wedding with green theme, read more...

Being eco-friendly or ‘green’ is fast becoming a key factor in many people’s lives and weddings it seems are no different. There has been a rising trend for ‘green’ weddings in recent years and wedding favors are one of the easiest parts of your wedding to make eco-friendly.

Typical green wedding favors revolve around plants and seeds but there are a number of other favors which would fit with the green ethos too.

If you are choosing edible favors then look for products which are made with organic ingredients and preferably locally grown/produced so they haven’t clocked up lots of food miles. Choose products which are from fair-trade producers as well, such as tea, coffee and chocolate – all of which are widely available now and can be bought fairly cheaply in most major supermarkets.

If you do choose plants or seeds then you need to consider a few factors before choosing your varieties. Introducing foreign species into local habitats has been a contributing factor to the loss of environment and many natural varieties. Bluebells for instance brought over from Spain have thrived so well that they threaten native varieties of the bluebell. Japanese knotweed was introduced by the Victorians as ornamental filler in landscaped gardens but this plant is a vigorous grower and is difficult to eradicate. It can populate huge areas and grows so densely it kills off any smaller plants trying to grow beneath it.

Choose local varieties of plants and native species, particularly for plants which will re-grow each year, spread seed by airborne means and in particular, be sensible with varieties of tree as tree saplings have become a popular wedding favor for green weddings.

Consider your packaging also. Choose boxes and bags which are made from recycled materials and which are biodegradable. Another option is to choose packaging which could be used for something else long after the favor itself has been removed: aluminum tins are a good example of this. Depending on your favor you could dispense with the packaging altogether and simply present your favors with a little ribbon and a thank you tag.

If you choose candles as wedding favors then look for ones made from natural wax or bees wax. Paraffin wax candles emit harmful pollutants when lit, defined by the black smoke they give off when lit. There are many natural candle companies out there and they needn’t cost much more than those produced from paraffin.

Finally, give favors which have some useful purpose and which your guests are likely to utilize. Decorative objects such as mini photograph frames or novelty items are often shoved away in a drawer somewhere or simply thrown in the bin. Giving a favor such as coasters, bottle stoppers or measuring spoons means they are more likely to be utilized than thrown away.

Mae Andrea is a professional writer who collects wedding favors and wedding related articles. Another interesting part of her collections is the list of wedding songs especially gathered for all couples out there.

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