Welcome back to Inhabitat’s Green Wedding Guide! So far in this summer series we’ve covered eco-friendly jewelry, locations, invitations and now we’re bringing you our tips and suggestions for eco-friendly gift giving. Favors, gifts and registries are sometimes thought of as the bane of a green wedding. It can get overwhelming to plan details of sustainability into an eco-friendly wedding — let alone find meaningful gifts that aren’t a load of eco-guilt. Some fight the gift giving, but giving and receiving is fun, and there are many easy ways to make wedding gift exchanges more environmentally friendly.

Registries are a delicate topic and difficult for many couples to discuss and decide upon. These days most couples have everything they “need,” not to mention it feels weird to ask your guests for gifts as a requirement of their attendance. But every smart eco couple should definitely create a registry — otherwise you’ll end up with a slew of bowls, platters, and scary expensive blown glass vases that you don’t need or want. This is your chance to get the good Calphalon pans you’ve dreamed about that will last you forever. You can also ask for practical stuff like tools, camping gear, rugs, a composter – just make sure you ask for quality products that will last — and are made from eco-friendly materials. You could also register at green design retailers like Re:Modern, Branch, GreenDepot, even Target has a lot eco-friendly items now. Another popular registry is to ask for donations for a bigger item – like a home or a honeymoon. If you are picking and choosing gifts from all over or are asking for donations, you can also use MyRegistry.

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Wedding favors are small gifts given as a gesture of appreciation or gratitude to guests from the bride and groom during a wedding ceremony or a wedding reception.
The tradition of distributing wedding favors is a very old one. It is believed that the first wedding favor, common amongst European aristocrats, was known as a bonbonniere. A bonbonniere is a small trinket box made of crystal, porcelain, and/or precious stones. The contents of these precious boxes were generally sugar cubes or delicate confections, which symbolize wealth and royalty. (In this era, sugar was an expensive commodity and was treasured only among the wealthy. It was believed that sugar contained medical benefits. As the price of sugar decreased throughout centuries, the tradition of providing gifts to guests reached the general populace and was embraced by couples of modest means. As sugar became more affordable, bonbonnieres were replaced with almonds. For centuries, almonds were commonly distributed to wedding guests to signify well wishes on the bridegroom’s new life. In the thirteenth century, almonds coated with sugar, known as confetti, were introduced. Traditionally, five Jordan almonds are presented in a confection box or wrapped in elegant fabric to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness.

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Select Customized, Unique Wedding Favors. The wedding favors you select are important because it’s the memento your guests take home. Choosing a favor with utility in mind guarantees your guests will use the favor long after your wedding day. Coasters, candles, wine bottle stoppers, luggage tags, and personality boxes are all popular with the savvy bride who mixes and matches unique wedding favors to suit her guests’ needs and interests.

Your own unique wedding favors can all be decorated with your colors or themes, tying your day together flawlessly. The decision to personalize wedding favors is always a big hit with crowds, with items that include photo albums, sticky notes and notepads. Personalize your wedding using favors such as tasteful crystal flutes, ribbons, luxurious fabrics, and boxes.

Choose a Theme Based on Your Interests. A theme is an excellent way to personalize your wedding and a fun way for guests to participate. Though they range from the eccentric – fantasy and sci-fi – to the elegant – seasonal and destination, a theme, complete with food, decorations, colors, and unique wedding favors, makes your wedding day a cohesive event that guests will long remember.

Say you and your new partner are big fans of bungee jumping; personalize your wedding by taking it to an extreme level – do a jump just after your first kiss as husband and wife. Or, for a more traditional touch, wear your grandmother’s lovely silk wedding dress from the ’40s and throw a big, vintage wedding bash complete with a live swing band.

A destination event is another idea that brides are using to personalize the wedding day. It’s more like a vacation within a wedding, which gives your guests an opportunity to get away, see a new place, and attend your big day. Many couples decide to exchange vows in tropical climates, though this is by no means a requisite. Though destination weddings are a bit pricier than their traditional counterparts, it’s an exciting adventure for both you and your guests. If you’re short on money, turn your ceremony and reception into an homage to a destination or locale you both love. Serve inventive cocktails, unique wedding favors, and require everyone to show up in Hawaiian attire.

Use Colors, Flowers, and Food to Great Effect. Personalize your wedding by designing the menu with both of your favorites in mind, treating guests to a smorgasbord of decadent appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts. For the main, anticipated dessert, some brides have elected to personalize the wedding cake by serving flavorful cupcakes with the couples’ new monogram. You can also decorate the cake with unusual wedding toppers, bake with new flavors, or add colorful, vibrant frosting options.

If you are throwing a beach-themed wedding, for instance, your colors will consist of rich caramels, honeys, blues, and baby yellows. You can use these hues on the decorations at both your wedding and reception – drape chairs with silky honey fabric, place unique wedding favors in the shape of seashells strategically by the plate settings, and top your reception tables with sky blue table covers.

The colors you use to personalize your wedding will underscore your theme if used effectively, and flowers, too, can be useful if placed appropriately and will continue to echo your theme throughout the night. Though the most popular flower choices remain calla lilies, gardenias, and hydrangeas, all of which you can order to match your colors and theme, many other flowers, such as roses, birds of paradise, tulips, and hibiscus, will capture the romance and style of your wedding day as well.

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative. Remember that, after all, it is your day. This is your time to plan an event your guests will never forget and a prime opportunity to let your personality and interests shine through. Use your creativity to select unique wedding favors, rich, vibrant colors, and exotic decorations. Don’t be afraid to personalize your wedding by mixing the old traditions of the bride and groom’s families with your new ideas. Though the day may be hectic for you, with your own blend of personalization and sophistication, it will be a day that you and your soon-to-be will never forget.

The Role of the Groomsman

Though they’re often usually observed clowning around during the entire wedding preparation process, groomsmen actually have responsibilities. They are there to stand by the groom and to make sure that he doesn’t pass out during the ceremonies – literally. After all, for the average man, the sacrament of matrimony is a gargantuan step.

Indeed, a groomsman lends his friend, the groom, the support and encouragement that he so desperately needs. Being a man, a groomsman may have reservations about marriage and letting go of a close friend to wedded bliss is not at all easy. But the fact that he’s standing there in his tuxedo, being supportive is enough to reassure even the most commitment-phobic groom. It’s an act that should be greatly appreciated and can thankfully be done so with the groomsmen gifts.

The Right Groomsmen Gifts

It’s a common fact that it’s notoriously hard to shop for a man. Imagine shopping for 3 or 4 groomsmen. It’s nothing short of daunting. Shopping for groomsmen gifts, however, can be easier than expected. As long as you know the groomsmen and know exactly what they can appreciate, you’re on the right track.

Most people opt to purchase matching groomsmen gifts for the whole entourage. By giving identical groomsmen gifts, you’re making sure that nobody is left out and everyone is treated fairly.

The Real Gift

Groomsmen gifts can be purchased anywhere, as long as you use your imagination. Visit specialty shops and stores that cater to male clientele to get ideas. You can also try shopping for groomsmen gifts online. There is a score of online shopping websites that provide ideas for groomsmen gifts.

If you are looking for great groomsmen gifts, GroomStand.com is a good choice for you. For groomsmen, ushers, fathers, and all other wedding party members, Groom Stand has a vast selection of affordable gifts. You’ll find personalized pub signs, beautifully engraved glassware and barware, golf gifts and much more.

Since 2002, Groom Stand remains a leading source of groomsmen gifts and wedding accessories. As a subsidiary of Shopping Stand, Inc., Groom Stand offers an expansive selection of gifts for groomsmen, many that include free personalization.

Specializing in personalized groomsmen gifts for every guy in the wedding party, Groom Stand offers fast, free, and easy personalization. Let your guys know just how much you appreciate their efforts with a carefully selected keepsake that arrives to your home right on time. When it’s time to choose your groomsmen gifts, go with GroomStand.com!