Ooh look at all the pretty colours, the fancy linens, the delicious food! Not to mention all of the Hummers you rented to ferry your bridal party from the ceremony to the reception. And all that paper that you consumed to bring the day together: save-the-dates, invites, place cards, guestbook. And on, and on. You probably don't realize it, but having a big wedding has an immense ecological footprint. There's a lot of waste and a lot of unnecessary consumption, but we're usually way too busy having a good time to notice.
Of late, thankfully, a lot of brides are planning their nuptials with specific attention to green alternatives. Giving baby trees as favours, using recycled paper for place cards, or making the flower arrangements from what grows in your mom's garden. All really great alternatives to be sure! And vendors are following attentively with their own epic means of satisfying green brides!
So where can you find something fresh, new, and awesome my little prairie brides?
You want your mind blown? Well my friend, you surely came to the right place today. Oh dear. I stumbled upon these guys while I was looking for Winnipeg invitation shops, and it popped up rather innocuously. Seemed like a place that would have some sweet designs for me to peruse on my lunch break.
Sweet is an understatement.
This is probably one of the greenest invitation initiatives I've ever seen, AND it's Winnipeg-grown! (Oh lord how I will be pun-ished for that one). To get down to the basics, Botanical PaperWorks uses printable seed paper, a product they've developed that, when planted, composts away leaving wildflowers behind! Some classics you'll behold are Bird's Eye, Black Eyed Susans, Snap Dragons and more! (SWOON!) The secret is in the seed-embedded paper, which is mainly collected post-consumer waste from businesses and schools. This act itself saves local landfills 10 tonnes of paper per year. That's definitely not just peanuts.
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| Photo courtesy of botanicalpaperworks.com |
Oh dear. This is something that has caught my heart very quickly. Because not only is it incredible ingenius and romantic, the entire company has a strong
Eco Commitment mantra which applies to all of their products, including the wrapping the products come in (biodegradable, compostable corn plastic). They've also reduced their use of office paper, are members of the Green Hotel association, and many of the team members volunteer in local schools and non-profit groups to teach the three Rs to the young folk.
SO. What does all this super amazing stuff have to do with weddings, I hear you quivering? Well let's see! They offer a wide collection of
invitations,
wedding favours,
thank you cards,
place cards, and even
confetti! You can also purchase the paper on its own and print out your unique design at home. And even aside from wedding stationery, they carry other promotional items (journals, post cards, calendars, business cards!) and gifts. Check check check itttt! Shop online or in store, whatever you fancy.
Instructions for
planting your seed paper are here, along with a few delicious pics of customer-results! Any other questions, you can definitely hit up their very helpful
FAQ. How are you not rushing to pay them a visit?! If I were you I'd be jumping in my '92 Grand Am and be jetting it down there faster than you can say biodegrade! All in the name of green, prairie brides. After all, you want to keep those wheat fields lush!
Botanical PaperWorks Inc.
- Toll Free: 1-877-956-7393
- Local Phone: 204-956-7393
- Fax: 204-956-5397
- Email: info@botanicalpaperworks.com
- Location: 111 Pacific Avenue
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Office Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m
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- As always, follow Botanical PaperWorks on Facebook and Twitter as well!
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- ♥Miss Bee
