I asked Ashley of Cherished Gifts & Favors if she would share with us some of the latest trends she is seeing in the wedding industry. Here is what she had to say:

I’m seeing a big trend with couples wanting practical or eco-friendly wedding favors. With the state of the economy right now brides want to make sure they are spending their money wisely. They don’t want to spend money on wedding favors that will get thrown away as soon as guests leave their reception. Many of our best sellers include place card holders that can be reused as photo frames, plantable favors, bookmakers, key chains, kitchen timers, bottle stoppers, and my personal favorite, measuring spoons which I seem to use on a daily basis. These favors can range in price so there is something for a bride with a limitless budget as well as stylish favors for a bride with a limited budget.

Even with wedding budgets tightening up a bit, couples still feel it is very important to give their guest a “thank you” gift as a token of appreciation for their attendance.

Ashley mentioned the measuring spoons in her post above, and they are definitely something your guests could use daily! They have measures of love on one side with traditional measurements on the other. A Pinch of Patience=¼ teaspoon, A Dash of Kindness=½ teaspoon, A Spoonful of Laughter=1 teaspoon, and A Heap of Love=1 tablespoon.

Want more favor ideas? Be sure the check out the Cherished Gifts and Favors blog!

Related posts:

1. Planning a Photogenic Wedding – Part 2
2. Chocolate Covered Oreos
3. Getting Maui’d!

With all the trends appearing, disappearing and reappearing, one that seems to be growing steadily over the last couple of years is the eco-friendly wedding.  Each Friday will now be dedicated to providing you with eco-friendly tips to make your wedding not only special to you but special to the environment as well. So sit back, brew some tea, and enjoy.

One eco-friendly trend I noticed even ten years ago when I was planning my wedding was recycled paper products. Everything from invitations to thank you cards and even customized napkins were available in recycled paper products. The problem was the cost. Ten years ago, these items were so scarce that cost was a problem as well as design. I was unwilling to pay $1000 for 100 very plain vanilla invitations, even handmade paper ones.

However, now with companies such as Naturally Ever After, Earthly Affair, and InvitationBoxGreen offering items with at least 30% post consumer fibers, Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) certified, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, and Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) certified these choices are now more affordable as well as readily available in simple and more extravagant designs. Some companies even donate portions of their profits to certain environmental charities. A simple Google search for “eco-friendly wedding invitations” yielded dozens of companies to from which to choose. An inquiry at your local stationary store can also yield great results as more and more companies offer items containing post consumer fibers as well as cotton fiber papers as well which cuts down on deforeststation. 

Naturally Ever After’s Colorful Coral Invite from Invitations By Dawn

Another option for eco-friendly invites is handmade paper with embedded flower seeds. While a smidge more expensive than the traditional invite, these invitations do double duty. The recipient is treated not only to a lovely invite to your day but then has a lasting reminder of flowers. If the invites do make it to the landfill, they decompose into a beautiful spot in the middle of something not so beautiful.

Classic Handmade Invitations from Botanical Paperworks

If only everything disposable were embedded with flower seeds.

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