Giving trees as wedding favours.

[Tim Stobart Tree Surgery]

From the other angle, I have given trees as wedding gifts, usually relating to personal things (a walnut for a friend who got hugely excited over finding one while we were at uni, an Atlantic Blue Cedar for a sailor friend, and a bonsai for a crafty friend), it's a lovely touch, and they can plant it in their own garden or do a bit of Guerrilla gardening.

 

The Walnut was my favourite, I took it from Sussex to North Wales, wrapped up on the roof of a VW Passat, planted it in an old oak half barrell round in their back garden on the morning of their wedding, and told them nothing about it, they got a shock the next day finding a 10' tree outside their back door! They new it was me mind, they said something about it being 'my style!'!

[armybloke]

I cut 120 three inch lengths of two inch diameter yew (could be any wood)from branches. Drilled out the middle of each with a one and a quarter inch flat wood bit mounted in a bench drill, but not right through, leave a base.

 

Then cut a slot across the top for the name card. There was enough room for four acorns in the hole.(held in place by the card)

 

Put the mini yew logs on the tables as place markers with instructions to vernalise as well as to send us a Christmas card each year with a photo of their progress!

 

Took a bit of work but left a good impression!

 

Funnily enough I ended up slicing 30 Silver Birch rings for place names at a recent wedding of a friend of mine. Took rings from an Oak, Alder and Cherry for their wedding cake stands. It all looked really smart once the ladies had prettied them up with lace and ribbon.

 

Loads of simple ideas to make it look all natural. My button hole was vegetation taken from a nature reserve I work at (tied up and arranged by a professional mind you) and it was cool as....! The wife's bouquet and hair flower decorations were all from our garden too.

 

You don't have to spend a fortune on a wedding. All in mine cost just over £400! It was the hottest day of the year, me and the wife hired our gear (lets face it a loft is no place to keep clothes for 50 years after a wear only once occasion) and 60 people tipped up. Post wedding drinks and nibbles on the South Downs and back to mine for a BBQ and a few drinks (til 5am naturally)! Invite the neighbours so they don't complain about the noise and the day is a good one! I should start a thread about weddings!

[Spruce Pirate]

We gave bird cherries as wedding favours. Got them as plugs from Alba trees (other nurseries are available) from the cold store (it was the end of June we were married). Some took, some didn't, depending on green-fingered skills of the recipient.

[Goaty]

I wonder how many get planted 6ft from the window so they can keep an eye on them?

 

OP. I would still go with the seed idea. They will be tiny plants but they will be from the same year as the wedding. I think betula utilis comes pretty true from seed with its white stem and seeds are hanging on them now. So plenty pick the best out near the time.

[spandit]

Plant them on your land and give each guest a photograph of their tree...

[MATTMOSS]

I gave oak seedlings to everyone at my wedding, it went down really well. I bought them from alba trees in Scotland. The lady I deal with there is called Margaret, she is very helpful. They even supplied the cell grown trees in small Essien sacks, just the job, from memory I think they only cost a pound each with the bags.

I was surprised how much people appreciated having a little tree to take home, when 80% of my day is spent listening to people who want trees removed.

It's a nice touch and an investment for the future of the industry.

[simsimo]

I am also making a lot of stuff for the wedding including take decorations, cake stands, button holes etc...even our save the date was sliced cherry rings with a custom made stamp on it and a magnet stuck on the back!

So I'm looking into the cell grown idea now and it seems like the easiest way to go but you are right goaty, it would be nice to have planned the seeds myself from the year of the wedding. Apart from the betula utilis, are there any other trees that you can think of that would be easy to collect seeds from that I grow myself (pref native).

Ha, Mattmoss- I was thinking of aging a bit too my speech about the wedding favours providing me with future work!

[MATTMOSS]

I am also making a lot of stuff for the wedding including take decorations, cake stands, button holes etc...even our save the date was sliced cherry rings with a custom made stamp on it and a magnet stuck on the back!

So I'm looking into the cell grown idea now and it seems like the easiest way to go but you are right goaty, it would be nice to have planned the seeds myself from the year of the wedding. Apart from the betula utilis, are there any other trees that you can think of that would be easy to collect seeds from that I grow myself (pref native).

Ha, Mattmoss- I was thinking of aging a bit too my speech about the wedding favours providing me with future work!

 

Yes that's what I did, was very funny, give me a shout if your struggling with your speech, I'll see if I can dig mine out