With the advent of shows like Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and Leonardo DiCaprio’s The 11th Hour, being environmentally friendly has become an increasingly popular lifestyle to many. From reusing and reducing to recycling, even the wedding event has not been spared from the concept.

From using recycled paper to gift wrap favors and presents to using energy-saving bulbs for lighting, there are many ways a bridal couple can be environmentally friendly. There have even been weddings where paper plates and napkins have been made from recyclable paper. If going green is important to you, there is no better place to preach it than at your wedding!

While there are many ways you can go on and on about saving the environment, no method is more prominent in getting that message across than using eco-friendly wedding favors.

Wanting to give eco-friendly wedding favors does not mean you will be limited in your choices. The easiest and most common favors of this type are seedlings in a packet. These can be herbs, even spices or flowering plants – the important thing is that these seedlings can be sown and grow into a full-blown plant so your message of Going Green and being environmentally friendly reaches your guests. Whether they are store bought or purchased online, these seedlings are sold in ready-made packets complete with sowing instructions, so it is just a matter of leaving a personal note on them. Phrases like “Sown In Love”, “Grow In Love” and “Love In Full Bloom” can be printed or engraved on them. Some couples use a separate attachment for their personal notes and leave the original packaging for the seedlings so their guests will know what plant it is that they are given.

Giving a mini watering can with the seedlings is another interesting idea. Various types of watering cans are available for your choosing and all you have to do is choose the color that best matches the rest of your wedding décor.

If giving seedlings and encouraging the planting of plants is too foreign for you, then why not give a little tree? These are already planted in mini pots so all your guests have to do for a while is water and fertilize them until they are bigger and need to be replanted into a bigger pot. This cuts down on the need to find soil and pots in the initial stages and will still be a good reminder to your guests of your wedding and message of going green.

Most bridal couples do not like to poach on their guests’ generosities during the reception but doing good by the environment may make this a necessity. For a truly eco-friendly wedding favor, you can provide your guests with pledge or donation cards to an environmental organization where all they need to do is to fill up their details and contribute a small amount. Naturally, this is all purely voluntary.

A different way of achieving the same goal – donations to an environmental organization – is to inform your guests beforehand that a portion of their monetary gifts will be for an eco-friendly charity. If you do this, however, make sure you indicate the exact amount out of each gift. For instance, two dollars out of every ten dollar gift to you and your spouse will be donated to The Recycling Centre for their daily operations. This is a great way to show your guests how much you care about the world they live in as well.

Another idea as to what you could give as wedding favors – biodegradable, celebratory wedding poppers that are made of recycled and recyclable paper. These are wonderful elements of fun and can be used as a party prop for the reception as well. They are also appropriate for the occasion and you need not worry about having killed Mother Earth in the process of having fun.

Even if your favors are not directly related to saving the environment and the Going Green movement, you can always put your normal favors into environmentally-friendly boxes. Choose boxes that are made of recycled wood or paper, and painted with water based paint. For your own convenience, try and find those that come with a mini bow on the top so no additional packaging is required. These recycled and reusable boxes are both pretty and practical enough to be used over and over again.

Having eco-friendly wedding favors does not mean boring, serious favors. They can be fun and practical, pretty yet recyclable all at the same time. You just want to pass on the message that having fun at your wedding and saving the earth can go hand in hand!