Toasters and fine china are positively passé when it comes to choosing a wedding gift for the modern green bride and groom. Tis’ the season for weddings, and you’re no doubt on the guest list to witness a couple’s nuptials this summer. So it’s time to brush up on the best eco-friendly buys for the betrothed! Here are seven green wedding gifts that are sure to enchant the new Mr. & Mrs., while helping them keep their vow to protect Mother Earth as well.
Give the Gift of a Shared Experience
Help the new couple ride off into the sunset, literally. Think outside the gift box and give them an experience that will create a lifelong happy memory. Arrange for them to share a horseback ride at sunset, or a hot air balloon ride at sunrise, or to go wine tasting at an organic winery. Research their common interests and plan accordingly.
Contribute to the Honeymoon Fund
These days, many couples are registering online not for gifts, but for their honeymoon. Everything from airfare to kayaking and snorkeling once they arrive at their destination is up for purchase. My husband and I were invited to a wedding this summer and the happy couple is registered at Honeyfund, a honeymoon registry which enables guests to purchase specific activities, meals, and experiences that the couple would like to enjoy while on their vacation.
The Gift that Keeps on Giving: A Composter
It may not be particularly romantic, but if the bride and groom are avid greenies, they’ll see a composter as a daily love affair with the planet. Composting is getting easier and easier, and there’s an array of composter options on the market that are sure to fit the bill of the eco-conscious couple.
Weekly Delivery of Organic, Local Produce Bins
Turn the one-time fruit basket gift into a weekly delivery of a produce bin filled with fresh, local and organic fruits and vegetables. Companies such as Organics to You in Portland, OR offer a variety of sizes and plans based on a family’s size and meal preparation needs. You can give the new bride and groom a healthy start at cooking homemade meals together!
Organic Bedding and Throws
Newlyweds spend more time in bed than most couples, but everyone spends a ton of time in the sack to catch some shut-eye. A beautiful gift is organic bedding that is free and clear of pesticides and chemicals. Or opt for a luxurious organic cotton throw blanket that can top bedding or be snuggled up under on the couch.
Organic Olive Tree
The olive branch has long been heralded as the symbol of peace, and this organic olive tree takes the sentiment up quite a notch. Its presence in the new couple’s home will be a constant reminder of their wedding day, and its abundant tiny white flowers blossom during the summer and give way to olives in November.
Homemade Gift from the Heart
One of the coolest and most sentimental wedding gifts my husband and I received was given to us by my best friend. She gave us a beautiful box filled with sand, accompanied by a simple wooden stick. She also gave us a blank journal and a lovely pen. Included was a booklet instructing us to write all of our grievances in the sand, where they would be fleeting, temporary and quickly disappear, and to write all of our joys in the journal, where they would forever be remembered and cherished.
Image: Simon Shaw