By the team at Poppy and Thistle
Every year, in the UK alone there are more than 250,000 weddings. Let’s say that on average, for each wedding, 50 wedding invitations are sent out. That’s 12.5 million wedding invitations a year! All thrown in the bin. And that is just in the UK. How much paper is that wasted? How many trees is that cut down? How bad is that for our environment?
Those beautiful wedding invitations that are supposed to be carrying messages of joy and love are created from cutting down trees and damaging our environment. The majority of factory-made wedding invitations are made from virgin paper and use many chemicals. It just doesn’t seem right.
But don’t worry, we have the answer! And we think you’ll love it.
Eco-friendly plantable wedding invitations!
So why is plantable paper so great?
- PLANTABLE SEED PAPER IS BIO-DEGRADABLE
Plantable seed paper is bio-degradable eco paper, made with recycled and sustainably sourced materials which has seeds embedded in it. When the paper is planted and the paper composts away all that will be left behind is flowers. There are many different types of this paper, with the greatest thing being you can put any type of seeds you like in it…as long as they aren’t too big! You could have a mix of wildflower seeds, herb seeds, poppy seeds…the list goes on.
- IT TURNS INTO FLOWERS
When planted and watered, the paper turns into flowers! Not only is there no throwing away of wedding invitations, but they will grow into something beautiful. And you can choose what it is you’d like your guests’ invitations to grow. A wildflower mix of Poppy’s, Daisies, Lavender and Rudbeckia maybe.
- IT’S A GIFT FOR YOUR GUESTS
It’s not only an invitation to your wedding but a gift. It is a wonderful present for your guests and a lovely reminder of your wedding day. When they look at the flowers that have grown, they’ll be reminded of the good times they had at your wedding.
- IT ENCOURAGES WILDLIFE, ESPECIALLY BEES
The flowers that grow from the seeds give food and homes to insects, bees and many other creatures, encouraging them to pollinate. This is especially true of wildflowers.
Our favourite fruits and vegetables such as apples, strawberries, raspberries and more, rely on pollination to produce a good crop. This job is carried out by pollinators, such as bees, that depend on wildflowers. Without them, we would require artificial pollination.
Wildflowers are also very beneficial during the winter when food is scarce. Once the flowers have been pollinated, they produce wildflower seeds which become an important food source for birds and small mammals.
- THE PAPER IS BEAUTIFUL!
Seed paper is beautiful and works really well as a paper for eco-friendly wedding invitations. The seeds give the paper a lovely texture and the paper gives your invites that wow factor. Order a sample and see for yourself.
THERE ARE A LOT OF POSITIVES
For me, there are only positives to having eco-friendly plantable wedding invites. In a time when we should all be trying to be that little bit more eco-conscious, plantable wedding invitations are a must. With all those benefits and the reaction of your guests when they open your invite, there will be no regrets.
If you have fallen in love with this idea, or just want to know a bit more take a look at Poppy and Thistle for some inspiration.
HOW DO YOU GROW THE FLOWERS?
Growing flowers from seed paper is quite simple. It can’t be 100% guaranteed that all seeds will flower but here’s how to get your best chance of a successful bloom…
Submerge the paper in 5mm of water and keep it in natural light. After a few days or weeks, the seeds will start sprouting. Transfer to a pot with compost. Alternatively, you can soak the paper in water for 24-48 hours and transfer it to compost before the seeds sprout. Water regularly – never let it dry, but also be careful not to overwater!
Warm temperatures and sunshine are a huge help in getting the seeds started.
Please bear in mind that, as with everything in nature, many factors will come into play. While success is not guaranteed, your seeds should sprout if looked after properly.
WHERE DO YOU GET PLANTABLE WEDDING INVITES FROM?
We may be a little biased, but at Poppy and Thistle, we have a collection of customisable designs, as well as bespoke designs, using wildflower seed paper at the forefront of our suites. We create a range of wedding stationery from Save the Dates and Wedding Invitations, through to on the day stationery such as menus and place cards.
The seed paper we use is a luxury 200gsm paper, embedded with wildflower seeds including Poppy, Daisy, Lavender and Rudbeckia. It has a beautiful finish and compliments our designs magnificently.
We are a small business and our ethos is to be as eco and friendly as possible. When we aren’t using seed paper, we use 100% recycled paper – even for our envelopes and packaging. For us, being conscious of our environment is extremely important, and we like to have a positive impact on it. We believe that this, along with our friendly approach, only enhances the quality of our wedding stationery and our passion to create something perfect for your wedding day.