Eco-Friendly Wedding Registry Ideas for Conscious Couples

If you’re a non-traditional or eco-conscious couple, you might be wondering how your wedding can produce less waste and involve LESS STUFF. Foregoing a wedding registry might seem like a logical way to accomplish this, but it’s unfortunately not that easy. 

Your friends, family, and coworkers need to be considered in the wedding gifting process. Read on to learn how to handle wedding registries and to discover some great eco-friendly wedding registry ideas that will align with your sustainable values.

Should I Create a Wedding Registry for My Eco-Friendly Wedding?

If you’re having an eco-friendly wedding, you may be thinking that you don’t need to do a wedding registry because you’re fine doing without the gifts or perhaps you live a minimalist lifestyle. And that’s great! However, there are a few things to consider. 

One of the most Googled questions related to wedding registries is, “What to give as a wedding gift if there is no registry?” This means that people are still going to buy you gifts and give you money even if you give them no sense of direction. If you don’t give guests that sense of direction, they’re far more likely to buy you gifts that you don’t want or need, and that will create more waste, between the process of packaging and shipping it (plus returning it).

So hear me out… You don’t have to shout your registry URL from the rooftops, but if this is your first wedding, consider creating a registry, asking for what you need and will use. You can also ask for guests to donate to a charity on your behalf. That way, you’ll have a place to direct those who want to give you something. 

When Should I Create My Wedding Registry?

You can begin creating your registry and website as soon as you get engaged. That way, your registry will be ready for any pre-wedding parties or for those who would like to send something as a token of congratulations. 

How to Inform Guests of Your Registry

Having a wedding website where friends and loved ones can learn about your registry takes the icky feeling out of telling them in person. And it’s definitely more proper than putting it on a wedding invitation. I recommend making sure that your website is created by the time you would send the Save the Dates.

Eco-Friendly Wedding Registry Ideas

Everlastly 

The Everlastly registry is a sustainable wedding registry that allows you to register for eco-friendly items, funds, and charity donations in one place. Each item is rated so that eco-conscious couples can choose the products that are best in terms of quality and sustainability. 

SoKind Registry

Looking for an experience wedding registry or second hand wedding registry? SoKind is an alternative registry that allows you to register for unique things like second hand items and experience gifts (i.e. cooking lessons, honeymoon experiences, wedding dance lessons), plus any other creative ideas you can think of in addition to local or online products. Think handmade gifts, charity donations, mortgage or honeymoon funding, or even help with your wedding!

Made Trade 

The Made Trade Registry is an ethical and sustainable universal registry in which you can add items from multiple stores. Made Trade features home decor and kitchen and bath accessories that are made ethically and sustainably. If you’re looking for a small business wedding registry, this is a great platform to use, as Made Trade supports small businesses associated with fair labor practices.

VivaTerra 

VivaTerra sells a great selection of eco wedding gifts, including sustainably made home decor, furniture, and kitchen and bath accessories. The company gives back to various organizations and offers a universal gift list which allows you to add items from other stores. You can create a VivaTerra registry here through MyRegistry.com.

The Good Beginning 

If you absolutely don’t want any money or gifts, consider doing a charity wedding registry. The Good Beginning is a wedding registry that allows your loved ones to donate to charities of your choosing. No other funding or gift options with this one. It’s purely a charity registry focused on helping various causes around the world.

Honeyfund 

Are you interested in setting up a cash fund wedding registry only or in addition to another registry you’ve started? Honeyfund is a great honeymoon funding wedding registry where you can also register for charity donation and other forms of cash gifts, such as funding to cover wedding costs or down payments.

Etsy 

You’re probably familiar with Etsy, the marketplace for handmade goods produced by small businesses. But did you know that Etsy has a large selection of eco-friendly products and offers a registry program? The challenge with Etsy is that not every item is sustainable, and typing “eco-friendly” into the search results may yield unsustainable items or items that merely claim to be eco-friendly. Therefore, it’s important to do some research when adding Etsy items to your registry.

Tips on Creating an Eco Wedding Registry

Beware that handmade is not always eco-friendly. Just because something is handmade does not mean that it was made with environmentally friendly materials.

Register only for what you need. You might feel like you’ll need a cake stand with a glass cover, but do you even bake cakes? Don’t register for all the things because you think you’re suddenly going to need them in married life. Chances are, if you don’t need it now, it might be a waste.

However, don’t be afraid to ask for what you do need (on your registry and in life). I know that creating a wedding registry can feel like asking for charity, but remember that it’s a way to reduce unnecessary gifts from people who want to celebrate YOU and who are going to give to you anyway.

Need some help going green with your wedding? Contact me to schedule a virtual eco-friendly strategy consultation!