Favours, Gifts & Registries

How do you choose an eco-friendly gift? I feel like an expert on this area having spent countless hours scouring for eco gifts or at the very least not destructive by being made irresponsibly or just more junk that will be one day added to a garage sale.

A few friends suggested that we give trees as favours to go along with our eco-wedding. While I love the sentiment of asking guests to plant a tree to mark our future life together, I realize they are not always practical for all guests, particularly those that have a black thumb or live in urban centres away from easy planting areas. We opted instead for organic jam favours, something we know people will use and like, plus it fits with our harvest theme and colours. We picked the strawberries and blueberries ourselves from local organic crops and made the jam with the help of my Mom.

Finding gifts for the wedding party and those who helped was not so easy. Where possible we shoped at fair trade and eco stores. Finding keepsakes that are green can be a challenge. But the fair trade frames, sculptures and even wrapping paper covered a number of people on the list. Where we couldn't buy gifts that were considered green, we tried to at least ensure they were something that would be treasured for years to come, like sentimental children's books for our parents, a small quilt, Xeko eco-card game, attire accessories, insultated wine cooler and bar accessories were some of the items we chose for our wedding party and close family. Finding eco-gifts for men is particularly difficult. Then it comes to how to package them. I opted for gift bags from tree-free greetings and handmade fair trade papers.

To be true to our eco-friendly wedding, we also needed to ensure we chose gifts that appreciate nature. While we kept some of the traditional elements like fine bone china and proper wine glasses which will hopefully be one day passed down, we tried to choose eco-friendly gifts when possible. From bamboo towels and serving bowls, to kayaks and bicycles to help us enjoy our own backyard, we chose gifts that suited us and helped our guests see that there are plenty of cost-effective eco options. With any luck they may consider bamboo at their next purchase, which is softer and four times more absorbant than cotton, not to mention sustainable because of the rate it grows. We also registered with Ten Thousand Villages for beautiful one-of-a-kind gifts for our home and hopefully we will introduce at least a few guests to one of my favourite stores to shop at.

When guests ask me what I want most though, I tell them in all honesty, we wish to renovate the tiny kitchen in our century home and we would very much appreciate Ikea gift cards. Ikea ensures that all their products are FSC (sustainable wood) and flat packed to ensure that they are eco-friendly. We wanted ensure that our kitchen will be made out of sustainable wood and Ikea is our best option for price, quality and moral reasons.

Hopefully we will inspire some of those closest to us to choose green next time when shopping for gifts.