Wedding gifts for wildlife lovers

Classic wedding gifts never go out of style, and if you're new to the game, there's a few gold standards to aim for. Crockery, cookware and glassware are common gifts, as well as most items that help furnish a house. Pro tip -- unless you're pretty confident, gift vouchers might be your best bet.  

Our Place Cookware

From cookware made without toxic forever chemicals, to female owned factories, to zero-emission suppliers -- Our Place is a great place to start looking for household items. That way, your newlyweds can start their life off together with products made to last a lifetime, that didn't come at the cost of someone else's. Best of all, reduced toxins in the eco systems that could go on to devastate wildlife. Need we say more? 

Beddable

100% 400 thread count cotton, from artisan factories they've personally inspected for working conditions, and materials have been sourced using the Better Cotton Initiative. Does it get better? It surely does -- they're also OEKO-TEX certified, meaning the materials are free of any chemicals damaging to human health, and if it's not bad for you, chances are, it's not leaching harmful chemicals into the wild.   

Emma Bridgewater

We're not going to have to explain the appeal here. Whether you recognise the name or not, you'll recognise their product. It lines the cupboards of your loved ones all across the country. The why is even easier, even when you put great design aside. Emma Bridgewater is one of the many brands getting B-Corp Certification, meaning everything from the employees' welfare, to charitable giving, to supply chain practises and input materials is considered. Help set the standard, and vote with your cash. 

We Are Spruce

Little bit of a disclaimer here, if you're not a parent, go ahead and skip this. If you're buying cleaning goods for a friend, colleague or other form of relative, you're going to go ahead and give them a complex about their cleanliness. If you're a parent, however, help set your kid (and your new kid) up for life, and keep toxic VOCs out of your children's houses, and out of our water supplies. The fish would thank you if they could.

Go off registry for presents, and the only lifetime gift you're buying is resentment towards you. But, if there's an open invite for vouchers, or if you know for a fact your newlyweds are looking to refresh their wardrobe, or even if you just know their vibe -- a voucher towards some new threads might be infinitely preferable to the many mouldering fondue sets that populate most of the attics in the UK.  

Sézane

Famously some of the best dressed in the world, the French -- specifically the Parisians, are leading the charge when it comes to style, but could they do the same for better business standards? Another B Corp, Sézane use eco-friendly materials for two thirds of their collection, and aim to hit 80% by the end of 2022.  

Finisterre

Throw an oat-milk latte in our office, and you'll hit someone wearing Finisterre. Fortunately, it'll slide right off the fluorocarbon (FC) free waterproofing on their jacket. Why are they FC-Free? FCs are 'potent greenhouse gases, and some form toxic compounds that can accumulate in the environment'. But their genius doesn't stop there. They use recycled fabrics, use leave no trace packaging, will reproof and fix your garments -- and you guessed it -- are a B Corp. 

Veja

You might have spotted more 'V's on trainers than ever before recently, and there's good reason why. Historically trainers have raised many a red flag about her supply chains, whether that be the materials they're sourced from, or the working conditions the employees are dealing with. Cue Veja -- recycled materials, organic sourcing, high standard working conditions. Veja is the easiest way to find your feet when buying ethically sourced shoes that aren't taking the same toll on the environment as their peers.  

Patagonia

The average cost of a wedding is continuing to skyrocket, and some couples are opting to keep the ceremony low key, and the honeymoon high key -- favouring the memories they can make whilst travelling. If that sounds like your newlyweds, they're going to need to be kitted out for the road, and there's few places better to outfitted than Patagonia. They've made headlines recently for transferring ownership of the brand from the family that created it, to a trust and a non-profit to channel proceeds towards environmental causes. B Corp and environmental champion -- they'll keep you warm and dry, and the planet cool and... wet?

If you're buying for newlyweds, the average age for marriage these days is about 38 years old -- which means, chances are, you're buying for a millennial. Millennials (26 to 41 years old, roughly) mostly prefer experiences over things -- 78% in fact. And even if they are Gen Z (10-25 years old), 40% of them feel the same too. So, to start this list off right, lets take a look at the best experiences money can buy. 

National trust membership

Looking for something to be enjoyed for a lifetime? Consider a lifetime membership to the National trust. There are more than 500 places in the UK to explore, and this present can be used every year, almost every day -- even better, without having to go far. You'll find National Trust places at every turn. Not sure about the price? Unless you're a parent, the price tag might be a little spicy, so take a look at the various options for membership -- you'll find something that fits the bill. 

Stay Wild Book

Don't judge a book by its cover is frankly, nonsense. That's why books have covers. Ours, for instance, is beautifully crafted, linen-finished and wrapped around a compendium of thought-provoking essays from adventurers, writers, our own team and even a chef. With stunning imagery from cover to cover, Stay Wild's content is interspersed with some of the most awe-inspiring highlights of our stays, and makes for at best a fascinating read, and at worst, the pièce de resistance of your coffee table. 

Wild Cards

This year we launched our Wild Cards, a deck of inspiring words of wisdom from across the ages and around the world. Wild Cards are a tool for self discovery and reconnection with nature, giving you simple daily tips and provocations to help you consider your place in the natural world. Carry them with you and flip one over whenever you need a moment of contemplation, or disrupt poker night with a full house of kings and earthy thoughts. 

Gift cards

Biased though we may be, we'd have to recommend our very own Gift Cards. You can buy one for a fixed amount or set up a Club Together Gift Card that people can add value to. They can be used to book any place on Canopy & Stars, so you're basically getting someone a whole amazing experience of the outdoors.

Some brides and grooms may well feel they don't want anything at all, fearing the onslaught of plastic tat they might well receive from less discerning friends and family than yourself. To skip the painful process of 'umming and ahing' over a present, pick a cause to donate to in their honour, and help the wildlife in one of the most literal and useful ways possible.  

Adopt an Animal (WWF)

Adopt them an animal, and you'll be contributing to the animal's safekeeping in the wild. From orangutans to leopards, penguins, and elephants -- there's something for everyone. And your cash will help keep them around long enough for your newlyweds to pass it on to their newlyweds.  

Wildlife Trust

If you've been to one of our spaces, you've very likely spent time on a wildlife trust site or spotted on of the many creatures they work to protect. Make it so we can all continue to find them in their natural habitats and donate in your newlywed's name.  

Bumblebee Conservation Trust

There's no way to put one animal over another in terms of importance -- we're all part of an interrelated eco system. But if you really, really, wanted to make a point. You could draw attention to the fact that if the bees go -- we all go. The most famous, prolific and efficient pollinators we have, they're responsible for making sure all plants stay alive. Nothing says happy marriage like not living in a scary plant-less dystopia. 

RSPCA

Founded a rather mind-blowing nearly 200 years ago, if you haven't heard of the RSPCA, we're surprised you know how a computer works. There's no need to dress this one up, no need to sing its praises. You know what they do, and why they do it. Save some creatures great and small, and let your newlyweds feel pretty chuffed about it too.