Think of wedding favors as your last impression on your guests. What do you want them to remember from the wedding? Of course, you will want this favor to signify your love and commitment, but isn't it also important that the favor is useful in some way? By choosing functional favors that create less waste and pollution, you will be spreading your love onto your guests and the environment.

Why Are Green Favors the Best?

You might think that the only way to get your hands on inexpensive trinkets is to buy them outside of the U.S. and have them shipped half way around the world. Although it's true you might find cheap options this way, you run the risk of purchasing low quality favors that only added to the air pollution during their travels to you. Why not check out a local artisan so you can support your community's economy and actually see and inspect what you're going to be purchasing?

Choosing eco-friendly wedding favors can be an adventure into a whole new world, because there are so many options you probably were never aware of. If your wedding has a certain theme, you're bound to find something that fits in, and if you have an outdoor wedding, your task will be even simpler. Now that you know the benefits of sustainable wedding favors, how do you know when to spot them?

Spotting Eco-friendly Wedding Favors

There are several features that you should keep your eyes out for when perusing the stores for eco-friendly wedding favors. Instead of picking up the first product you like and buying it, you will need to put on your detective hat and check out the product's label.

Local, local, local! One main reason why products are considered green is because they didn't get shipped from far away. Depending on where the product came from, it could have been sent by plane, truck and car, which only adds more air pollution and uses up natural resources. Buying products made locally reduces pollution, and you don't have to worry about whether the favors will get to you in time.

Frown on excess packaging. Instead of having your favors from a local shop shipped to you, just go and pick them up. In order to ship the favors, they will have to use cardboard boxes, packing tape, wrapping paper and maybe packing peanuts. Do you really want all of that waste in your home and then eventually in your local landfill? Packing peanuts get stuck to almost everything, and they can be a danger to children, pets and wildlife too.

Support a worthy cause with your purchase. Some products donate a certain percentage of their profits to environmental or wildlife organizations. Choosing a product like this with eco-friendliness already built into it is a great way to show your support and encourage your guests to be more aware. How simple is that for a wedding favor?

Choose a useful item for your favors. When you go to parties, it's easy to come home with things that you never needed, wanted or had a use for. Instead of giving your guests something they might throw away, pick a functional favor such as plants or organic chocolate.

Clever Yet Simple Wedding Favor Ideas

Just because you're looking for eco-friendly ideas, it doesn't mean that it can't be simple, elegant and budget friendly too. For instance, if you want all of that in your wedding favors, give small trees, seeds, bulbs or plants away. These make excellent gifts, and if you're worried about the individuals who don't have landscaping space, choose plants that can be grown indoors then you can't go wrong. Plants help filter the air and oxygenate your surroundings... who doesn't need fresh air in the home?

You can even support wildlife with your wedding favors by purchasing organic and fair trade chocolate or other products that donate a portion of their proceeds to an organization. Maybe a local organic bakery can create a decadent sample of goodies that will make your guest's mouths water.

Creativity is also a crowd pleaser. If you're an artist, create pieces that come from the heart. A clay pot or bowl is a useful item that your guests can use in their homes, and you can engrave it with your names and wedding date.

Eco-friendly wedding favors are not hard to come by, and with a little creativity and color, you can seamlessly incorporate them into your wedding theme. Whether you choose to give journals made from recycled paper or evergreen trees, the extra thought you put into these favors will make a difference in a larger perspective, which is just another way to extend your love onto the Earth.

-- Marina Hanes