A twist on a tradition
Some people near and dear to me are getting married in a few
months, so we have been kicking around ideas for environmentally
friendly wedding favors and tossing materials. Tossing birdseed
instead of rice has long been a practice. And those little Jordan
almond favors are traditional. But what else? And how would we go
about it?
A twist on a tradition
Some people near and dear to me are getting married in a few months, so we have been kicking around ideas for environmentally friendly wedding favors and tossing materials. Tossing birdseed instead of rice has long been a practice. And those little Jordan almond favors are traditional. But what else? And how would we go about it?
Garden seeds seem like a good idea, after all, most of the wedding party are gardeners. My choice for this is wildflower seed packets printed with the couple’s name and wedding date.
Mine came from Clyde Robin Seed Company (www.clyderobin.com), but a Google search of Wedding Seed Packets turns up an assortment of offerings in a variety of prices. Choices of seeds include wildflower mixes, forget-me-nots, daisies and such. The idea of such a favor is that the seeds are sown in honor of the couple. When the flowers bloom, then the circle of love and friendship is complete.
Here’s a caveat: When checking the prices of various offerings, be sure to understand what you are getting. The seed packets, without printing, are around 25 to 35 cents each, which sounds like a nice bargain buy. But the printing raises the price quite a bit. Of course, the printing is the part that makes the seeds a personal keepsake.
Or, you could make your own. Buy a sack of California poppy seeds, for instance. Put a tablespoon of seeds in a tiny envelope. Use a flower stamp from a crafts store to mark each envelope. On the other side, write a personal thought such as “In honor of Derek and Mary on their wedding day.”
Seed packets could also go into thank-you notes for shower and wedding gifts.
An environmentally friendly wedding favor that is hard to beat is the Birdseed Egg. They are made of solid millet and canola seed shaped like a little egg and topped with a loop for hanging outdoors. Put a Birdseed Egg in a little organza bag available at a crafts store, tie with ribbon and add a tag with the couple’s name and wedding date. The Birdseed Eggs, $19 per dozen, are available at Smith and Hawkin stores or through the online catalog at www.smithandhawkin.com.
Any type of romantic potpourri serves as a wedding or shower favor. Put the potpourri in a small organza bags, tie with ribbon, and mark with the couple’s name.
The wedding toss opens the door to imagination. Rice is an old-time favorite but many wedding venues discourage rice because it’s hard to sweep up and attracts rodents. Birdseed is OK but it can sprout in the soil where it falls. So, what are you going to toss at the happy couple?
My choice would be blue lavender buds because lavender is the ancient herb of love and devotion. Besides, the little blue buds are fragrant, easy to handle, quick to clean up and certainly unusual. Do a Google search for “lavender buds” to find sources for lavender buds sold by the pound. For a decent toss, consider one pound of lavender buds for every 64 people, according to one source.
Rose petals scattered by cute little flower girls are sweet. Yet, some churches ask, “Please do not toss rose petals down the aisle of our church.” It’s messy indoors, but becomes nice organic mulch when tossed outdoors and later swept into the shrubbery. A florist will happily shred rose petals for a price. But this is an easy one for backyard gardeners with rose bushes.
Collect rose petals over two months or so. Lay the petals on trays or cloth to dry in the sun, gather up the fragrant petals, and ask the little flower girls to carry baskets offering handfuls of petals to shower the couple.
Our bride’s mother asked, “What about blowing bubbles?” At first glance that sounds interesting. But it turns out the soapy bubbles will stain satin, lace and other materials where the bubbles pop. That’s something to keep far away from the $2,000 wedding dress.
