While you’re sorting out the bridal party, figuring out your theme colors and juggling seating charts with your planner, another thing to add to your list? Wedding party favors. The thought of giving your guests a small token of your appreciation can be a bit uninspiring when you’re not sure what all 200 of them may find useful. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of eco-friendly wedding favors for your consideration. Not only are they super practical and useful on the wedding day and beyond, but they’re also extremely kind to Mother Nature, which is the biggest win of all…(aside from having snagged the love of your life, of course).
15 Eco-Friendly Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Actually Find Useful
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Published Jun 20, 2022
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1. Seed Packets
Give your guests a favor to remember when you purchase these seed packets. You have the option to choose from a set of 15 to 250, so you can decide if you want to get these for just the bridal party or everyone in attendance. The cute little envelopes come in three colorways—gold, silver and rose gold.
2. Reusable Cocktail Spoon Straws
For a truly unique gift, get your loved ones this spoon and straw combo that’s perfect for sipping, stirring, and scooping frozen cocktails, ice cream sundaes or smoothies. The best part is that it’s made with stainless steel making it dishwasher safe and suitable for multiple uses.
3. Personalized Bamboo Straws
If you’re opting for a more personalized feel, go with this set of bamboo straws instead. Each straw is engraved with the name of your choice, and you can purchase up to 25.
4. Succulents
Symbolize your sure-to-be-forever union by gifting your guests with the hardiest, most durable plants in existence—the succulent. This assortment from The Sill includes a variety of three or six miniature succulents in their nursery grow pots. All you have to do is give them a lot of bright, direct light—but little else. Easy.
5. Organic Tea Set
To go with that English-themed wedding. This set comes with a four-ounce jar filled with a tea flavor of your choice—herbal chamomile, spiced raspberry, Morrocan green mint, among other flavors—wildflower honey, a honey dipper, soy wax candle and a box of matches.
6. Beeswax Candle
This cool and unique candle is designed to burn for a whopping 60 hours. The candle coil is fed in small increments through the candle clip, just keep advancing it as it burns. Each three-inch section burns for approximately an hour and once you’re all out, you can totally order a refill.
7. Reusable Tote Bags
Hey, that cute little clutch purse can only go so far. These reusable totes are perfect for stashing small jackets or pashminas, bottles of water as well as other wedding favors. Even better is the fact that these bags allow you to rep your city. So whether your wedding is filled with hardcore New Yorkers, surfing Californians or both, there’s a tote that’ll put a smile on their face. (P.S. you can choose one for any state).
Cathy Scola/Getty Images
8. Organic Treats
This could be anything—from cookies, candy, marmalades, cupcakes, the list goes on. Bonus points if you can source all of it from a local small business or make it yourself…if you have the bandwidth of course.
9. Handmade Soaps
Support a local business while also gifting your peeps with something they can truly put to good use. Vegan, organic soaps such as this bunch are made using essential oils such as castor seed, coconut, palm and olive oils which can contribute to healthy, glowing skin.
10. Shampoo And Conditioner Bars
Pair those bathing soaps with some shampoo and conditioner bars that are made with argan oil, shea butter, ginseng root, coconut oil and other essential oils that’ll nourish your tresses. They give you all the benefits of regular shampoo but without the waste of a plastic bottle and according to reviews, these bars last long. Additionally, they’re shipped in a biodegradable box so it can be thrown in a compost.
11. Plantable ‘thank You’ Cards
Let’s face it, when people receive those “Thank You” cards, the most they do is give a little nod of acknowledgment to themselves and into the trash can it goes. With plantable cards, that doesn’t have to be the case. Instead, the recipient can grow poppies, purslanes or petunias by placing the cards in well-moistened soil and watering regularly. How’s that for multipurpose?
12. Fair Trade Coffee
The only thing that can take that morning cup of Joe to the next level is knowing that it has been sustainably sourced, and that’s what a fair-trade stamp guarantees. This gift box from Drink Trade comes with three bags of coffee specially curated by the company’s coffee afficionados, plus a fourth bag picked based on the recipients’ preferences.
13. Bpa-free Water Bottles
Somewhere between “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “Uptown Funk” and “Single Ladies,” people are going to need to catch their breath and take a swig of water (or something else). Make sure they’re doing so from BFA-free, eco-friendly water bottles like the ones above. They’re super lightweight and they feature time markers so people are reminded to keep hydrating.
14. Upcycled Jewelry
Cheers to some artisans in Austria who looked at wine and whiskey barrels and thought, “We can make accessories out of these.” Without their genius, we wouldn’t have these cool, unique and eye-catching bracelets. We’re sure folks throwing a rustic-themed wedding can get behind this.
Kinga Krzeminska/Getty Images
15. Make a donation
Put an ax to that carbon footprint altogether by skipping out on purchasing anything at all. Instead, put those dollars to a cause your guests are fond of. You can even pick out a few charities and poll everyone, that way they feel like they’re part of the process.
