Green Those Bridesmaids' Gifts

As a wedding planner I work closely with couples and help them identify ways to green their wedding while maintaining their sense of style. Throughout the planning process it always becomes so clear to me that a green wedding truly boils down to a series of choices. It can often be easier to identify ways to green the larger aspects of your wedding such as the flowers, catering, invitations, venue etc. and to forget about the smaller things such as jewelry, transportation and gifts for the wedding party.

I wanted to dedicate this blog to those smaller items, specifically gifts for your bridesmaids. While being a bridesmaid is truly an honor, it does require a lot of sacrifice, mainly time, money and stress. Traditionally bride and grooms choose to purchase gifts as a token of their appreciation. For the bridesmaids, typical gifts include:

• A shawl to match the bridesmaid dress

• Earrings to match the bridesmaid dress

• Purse or clutch to match the bridesmaid dress

• Pay for their hair or make-up on the day of wedding

Notice a theme? Although it could technically be green to give them earrings or a purse thinking they would use them again, there are also other gifts that allow you to be more creative and show your appreciation. Here are five green gift ideas for your bridesmaids:

1. Eco-friendly Bag from Etsy. Instead of buying your bridesmaids a purse or clutch to match their bridesmaid dress which they will probably never wear again, why not get them    a eco-friendly bag or clutch that speaks directly to their sense of style? I love these.

Above images courtesy of Upstyle Design

Above images courtesy of Marbled Bag

2. Magazine Subscription. Here is a gift that truly keeps on giving throughout the year.  Does your friend work out?  How about a subscription to Women’s Health or Self Magazine?  Or you can feed her guilty pleasure and get her an US Weekly subscription.

Image From Women's Health Magazine

3. Workout Outfit. Who doesn’t want to look good when they are working out? While most of us do, too often I think we women resort to old soccer shorts and tee shirts. What about an attractive and eco-friendly yoga pant or top from Prana?

Images from Prana

4. Gift Certificate. Everyone loves going to concerts, plays and shows. You can choose her favorite band or a show she'd love, or just give her a gift certificate to Ticketmaster. She can apply it to her next concert ticket or even take you with her!

5. A Girls' Night In. Lets face it, weddings are expensive and a lot of the times your friends may not even need that new bag or workout outfit. What they may need, however, is more quality time with you. Why not organize a girls’ night in? Kick out all the men, make your bridesmaids dinner and dedicate the night to them. Tell them that wedding talk is not allowed on this night, then, sit back, sip on some wine and relive old memories together!

Written By: Kate Piontek, co-founder of Emerald Weddings

Based in Seattle, Washington, Emerald Weddings is a green wedding consultancy specializing in the creation, design, and execution of green weddings and other bridal events, such as the rehearsal dinner, bridal shower and bachelorette party. Read about Kate's own green wedding.