Wedding Party Gifts That Are Unique and Sustainable
Wondering what are some good wedding party gifts? From personalized items and more – whether they be for the bridal party or your whole wedding party – these fun, unique, and sustainable gift ideas are perfect for your entire 'I Do Crew.'
Sustainable, small-batch, and oh-so-original, these are some unique and personal gift ideas for your wedding party. We’ve included gift ideas for your bridesmaids as well as the groomsmen, and lots of these gift ideas are gender-neutral, so they’d work as a great gifts for everyone in your wedding party.
Do you buy gifts for your wedding party?
While we certainly know that you probably already have a million and one items on your wedding 'To-do' list, one important thing not to forget is getting gifts for your wedding party.
Whether some (or all) of the bridesmaids and groomsmen have been your emotional support throughout this whole process, you'll want to find a way to show your appreciation for them, either at the rehearsal dinner or another wedding event. No matter the time, it's always nice to give your wedding party a little something as a Thank You.
What makes a gift sustainable?
One thing about jumping on the sustainability train is that it helps you think outside the box. So when it comes to looking for wedding items and gifts that are eco-friendly, you end up discovering that you actually have more options than limitations. These are just 4 important things to keep in mind when it comes to looking for truly ‘sustainable’ gift ideas for your wedding party:
Opt out of big brands: Buy gifts from a small business whenever possible.
Why all the waste? Ask about the gift packaging before making a purchase.
Don't fall for all the buzzwords: Beware of green-washing (this goes for anything in the sustainability-sphere!).
How useful is it? Don't get something flashy and throw-away just for the sake of getting a wedding party gift. Giving a useful gift is inherently more thoughtful, because it will be something that your bridesmaid(s) will get great use out of. Give gifts that keep on giving.
Are you the bride-to-be? As a nice personal touch, get your bridal party something unique and personal as a gift.
11 unique wedding party gift ideas (that are eco-friendly, too!)
Show your love to your whole wedding party and say 'thank you' with something personal and sustainable. Some of these unique wedding party gifts might not be your first thought, but we can assure you that your 'I Do Crew' will love them. Are you working with a tighter budget? No worries, because these gift ideas are priced between $6 to 60 (we thought of everything!), making this a great list for all budgets.
1. Soy wax scented candle from Public Goods
Let us introduce you to Public Goods (if you haven't formerly met their acquaintance yet, that is), a New York City based company that specializes in affordable and sustainably-sourced home goods, personal care products, and much more. Order everything from their website from organic coffee, honey, responsibly-sourced essential oils, vitamins, plants, and clean skincare products. All of their cleaning products are available as refills and the packaging is reusable, so buy one new bottle of shampoo and the bottle will last for ages!
One of the best parts about Public Goods is that this brand is totally transparent about what's in their products, so you know what you're gettin'. Everything from their face moisturizer to their banana leather notebooks (yes, that's a thing!) is vegan and cruelty-free. It works on an annual membership basis, and you can do as many orders as you like throughout the year.
One great bridal party gift to get from Public Goods' ever-evolving online shop is their Lavender & Vanilla soy wax candle. It comes in a 12.3 oz or 7 oz glass jar and wood lid, and is plant-based and lead-free. For the groomsmen in your wedding party, the Cedar & Suede is a perfect choice. So nice-smelling and long-lasting, you can order a whole batch for all of your I Do Crew to enjoy.
Top gifts to get your wedding party
2. Non-toxic perfume from 7 Virtues
On top of clean skincare products, clean fragrance has entered the chat in recent years, and with great reason! Some of our traditional favorite scents are filled with harmful chemicals such as Diethyl phthalate, so that's why more people are learning about the benefits of toxic-free perfume and fragrance. If you want to smell yummy without worrying about that toxic trail, The 7 Virtues is one amazing perfume brand that is not only 'clean' but gives back to the community.
This company is a certified B-Corp that makes vegan and & sustainably-sourced perfumes. Choose from their 8 different scents, all with unique ingredients from around the world and each linked to a different cause. A portion of each bottle sold of the Cherry Ambition scent, for instance, goes toward the Days for Girls initiative, which advances menstrual equity around the world.
The Travel Sprays and Rollerballs make perfect gift items for your bridal party. I've personally tried the Blackberry Lily, Cherry Ambition, and Lotus Pear. A few little rolls on my wrists in the morning and I'm good to go for the day. The scent stays on for hours, but it's not overpowering. No matter the scent-personality of your bridesmaids, 7 Virtues will have a matching scent for them!
One great gender-neutral scent that’s also certified toxic-free is this Juniper/Sandalwood number from DedCool. With a light woodsy touch that’s clean and vegan, your wedding party will love this wonderful smelling gift.
3. Turkish cotton towel
Another thing about switching to more sustainable living is that you realize how one single item can serve so many purposes. And on top of being a unique gift idea for your wedding party, a Turkish cotton towel is one of the most multi-purpose items that you can buy. Use a Turkish cotton towel as a beach towel, a picnic blanket, or even a travel towel when you're on-the-go (pro tip: don't use the hotel towels especially if you travel a lot, as it helps them save on laundry), and just for your everyday body and hair drying needs.
Anatolico is a local business that's bringing high-quality Turkish cotton to mindful customers here in the U.S. They work directly with local artisans in Turkey, all who practice the traditional weaving technique for creating Turkish cotton fabrics. You can choose from a bunch of different colors and styles of towels and pick your favorite!
Sustainable and practical gifts for your wedding party
4. Handmade clutch from Guatemala
Give the gift of a colorful clutch bag to your bridal party that's been crafted with quality materials and made with love. In amazing destinations like Antigua and Lake Atitlan (honeymoon idea, perhaps?) these types of items are everywhere. Woven clothing is really part of the fabric of the culture in Guatemala (pun intended, thank ya). Mayan women throughout the country still wear their traditional dress and practice this centuries-old weaving technique to make their own clothes as well as pieces to sell to tourists.
Founded back in 1988, Trama Textiles is a women worker-owned and run cooperative that works in communities throughout Guatemala. The makers are paid fair wages and upcycled materials are used to create the products, so everything about these gorgeous pieces is sustainable! Want to support this cause? Check out their clutches, wallets, and travel bags, which are great gift ideas for all the travel-hungry folk in your wedding party. For more ideas for your groomsmen or anyone who just loves to wear a nice tie, check out these Guatemalan style neckties and bow ties, all made with sustainable materials.
5. Personalized corkscrew bottle opener
Want to say a little Thank You to everyone in your fabulous wedding party? Get them an engraved corkscrew bottle opener with a personalized message inscribed. This is the perfect practical and personal gift that your bridesmaids and groomsmen can keep forever! If you don't like the bottle opener idea, some other handy sustainable gift items that you can order inscribed can be mason jars and reusable straws.
We've been eyeing this one, which is made with stainless steel and faux-leather. It’s available to be personalized, too.
11 unique gifts for your wedding party: personalized wine opener
6. Gift made of repurposed glass for your wedding party
Reusing materials is the name of the game when it comes to sustainability. Why buy something newly-made when you can buy something that's been repurposed? That being said, there's lots of creativity out there that really make for some great bridal and wedding party gift ideas.
Upcycled and absolutely gorgeous, repurposed glass items make for sustainable and unique wedding party gifts. You can find a ton of gift items at Uncommon Goods, including wine glasses, stemless flutes, and other types of colorful glassware that's been created using recycled materials like glass and wood. Need ideas for the Best Man? Check out this customizable whiskey holder, made with reclaimed wood.
7. Greeting cards made with recycled paper
Still love the old-school art of handwriting? Ditch big brands give your bridesmaids and groomsmen the gift of small-batch greeting cards, made with recycled paper and decorated with original designs.
You can either buy a set of cards and use it to write each person in your wedding party a Thank You note, or give them each a set to use for their correspondence needs, analogue style.
We found some great greeting card designs here, and the best thing is that you can choose a style that's perfectly aligned with your wedding theme.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
8. Jewelry made of recycled silver or gold
If you have a higher budget or just want to give something extra special to your Maid of Honor and Best Man, one beautiful sustainable gift for your wedding party is a piece of jewelry made with recycled silver or gold.
Recycled silver is just as high-quality, and buying it in repurposed form allows this precious metal to be kept around and used for years to come. Choose from a personalized bracelet, earrings made with recycled silver, rings, cufflinks, a simple necklace, and lots of other stylish pieces that your wedding party will love!
Don't know where to start? Just plug in 'personalized gifts, recycled silver' into that Etsy search bar and scroll through to find something that catches your eye.
9. Handmade soaps
Don't underestimate a good-quality bar of soap — it's perfect aromatherapy for the shower, and one bar can last for weeks!
Companies like Good Earth have well-made soaps with a ton of different tantalizing scents, like their Spicy Chai and Rosemary Mint. They also have lotion bars and a delicious Patchouli Rose and Lemon Verbana heal-all balms if you want to make your wedding party gifts into a little gift basket.
If you don't want to order your gifts online, spend a Saturday checking out your local artisan market and find your perfect bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts in one afternoon! Honestly, all across this country you can find talented vendors selling handmade and eco-friendly body products. And not only will you be able to find so many items made with clean ingredients, you can rest assured knowing that your investment will go directly to the maker.
11 best wedding party gifts that are eco-friendly
10. Bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Downtown Hammonton's own Tales of the Olive is a little haven for gift ideas. When it comes to your best bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, their Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Olive Oil body products are top-notch.
With so many nutrients and benefits in one little product, a nice bottle of high-quality olive oil is always an amazing gift for anyone in your wedding party. Whether it's used for your skin or as food, high-quality olive oil is so multi-purpose that once you start using it everyday, you'll notice just how many benefits are in one little bottle.
11. Houseplant
We're gonna go ahead and give Public Goods another shout out because they just have so much great stuff! Another amazing and unique gift idea is this Braided Money Tree plant.
This plant fits perfectly in any type of space and for less than $30, you'll be giving the gift of blessings and good fortune to all in your wedding party.
