a wedding invitation with green eucalyptus design to the corners. It is printed onto seed paper and is shown with a brown recycled kraft envelope

Plantable seed paper wedding invitations: Everything you ever need to know!

Plantable seed paper wedding invitations and stationery, what’s that? I hear you ask. Along with a whole host of other questions like what are they made from, how do they grow, and what designs can you have? In this blog, I’ll answer all your questions about seed paper wedding invitations and stationery, and tell you why I think it’s the best idea if you’re looking for an eco-friendly option for your wedding stationery.

plantable seed paper wedding invitation with a pretty botanical greenery design
Autumn design save the date on plantable paper

1. What are seed paper wedding invitations and stationery?

Well, the clue is in the name. Seed paper wedding invitations and stationery are made from plantable paper. That is paper embedded with hundreds of seeds that, when planted, will grow into wildflowers or herbs.

2. What is seed paper made from?

The plantable seed paper that I use to create my eco-friendly wedding invitations and stationery is made from waste materials, recycled into pulp to make paper. The paper is made from post-consumer waste it is completely tree-free and consequently, very eco-friendly. Even without the seeds, it would be a great option for sustainable wedding stationery. The addition of seeds in the production process means that, when it’s planted, the paper safely decomposes leaving the seeds to germinate and grow into beautiful flowers or herbs.

wedding invitations printed on plantable seed paper with a watercolour meadow flowers design
Seed paper wedding invitations from my Meadow Flowers collection

3. What are the seeds in seed paper wedding invitations?

My stock of seed paper contains a mix of wildflowers. Typically I use a paper with daisy, poppy, lavender, and Rudbeckia seeds in it, but my stock can vary from time to time depending on what is available.

4. Can we choose our own seeds for the paper?

As a rule, no. However, I can order specific batches of paper with a single variety of seeds. Availability and cost would depend on what you wanted made, how many, and which flowers you wanted. If you’d like to discuss choosing the seeds in your paper, get in touch and we can look at the options.

5. How do you grow seed paper wedding invitations?

To see the flowers grow, place the seed paper wedding invitations into compost, water, and leave it somewhere warm and light to germinate. The seeds should grow into beautiful wildflowers.

Click here to read my blog about how to plant seed paper wedding invitations

6. Will there be instructions on my seed paper wedding invitations?

When I create seed paper wedding invitations or stationery I always print the instructions on how to grow. You can relax knowing that your guests will know exactly what they have to do to grow their plantable seed paper wedding invitations or stationery.

Instructions printed on the back of a plantable paper card
How to grow seed paper wedding invitations and stationery

7. What designs can you print on seed paper wedding invitations?

I can print most of my designs onto plantable seed paper. Floral and greenery designs work well, I think it suits the theme! Because you can see the seeds through the paper, and it has a heavily textured finish, I don’t recommend highly detailed designs.

Some of my wedding stationery design collections that look great on seed paper

8. What style of seed paper wedding invitations can you make?

Flat, folded, and concertina-style wedding invitations can easily made with seed paper. Any of these can be printed on one or two sides. I wouldn’t usually include any extra embellishments such as ribbon, twine or wax seals with seed paper wedding invitations. Why? Because they need to be removed before planting, and that (to me) doesn’t sit well with the ‘zero waste’ nature of these invitations. Pocketfolds don’t work as seed paper wedding invitations, best to stick to recycled and recyclable card options for those.

Some of my wedding invitation styles that can be printed onto seed paper

I have a whole page dedicated to seed paper wedding invitations, you can see it here

9. Do seed paper wedding invitations come with seed paper envelopes?

I usually supply seed paper wedding invitations with recycled brown kraft envelopes. These are a great eco and budget-friendly option. Plantable, seed paper envelopes are available in a limited number of sizes and are more costly than the recycled option. If you would like to investigate this option, just let me know!

10. Does seed paper come in different colours?

Yes, it does. However, I only keep stock of the natural, off-white colour. This is what I usually use to print my seed paper wedding invitations and stationery. If you would like to explore different coloured seed paper for your stationery, let me know and I can give you some options.

11. What pen to use on seed paper wedding invitations?

Most pens work well on seed paper wedding invitations. The paper is quite porous though, so bear in mind that you will get some ‘bleed’ if you use a fountain pen or fibre tip (like a Sharpie) that puts a lot of ink onto the paper. My top recommendation would be a ballpoint biro-type pen. If you want to test out your pen before writing on your invitations, ask me for a little piece of scrap seed paper that you can try it out on.

a wedding invitation with blue flowers and some pink decorative text, printed onto seed paper

12. Can you make other stationery to match seed paper wedding invitations?

Yes, I can. Save the date cards, some order of service cards, place cards, menus, favour tags, and thank you cards all work beautifully when printed onto plantable seed paper.

13. Can you make a seed paper table plan?

I buy seed paper in sheets up to A3 in size, so if you want a small table plan with say up to 6 tables, then yes I can. If you want to create a table plan with small cards for each table, these can be printed onto plantable seed paper. My larger A2 and A1 table plan boards can not be made with seed paper. These are printed onto an FSC-certified board with a corrugated core and are fully recyclable.

14. How long does seed paper last?

My supplier of plantable paper suggests that it has a shelf life of up to about two years. This should be more than enough for your guests to receive their seed paper wedding invitations or stationery, and plant them. It’s very likely the seeds will grow after two years, but the results will be better the earlier they are planted.

a wedding invitation with green eucalyptus leaves printed on the corners. The invitation is printed on seed paper and is shown with a recycled kraft brown envelope

15. Does seed paper actually work?

Yes, it does. I take all of my offcuts and misprints of seed paper wedding invitations into my garden and plant them. If you visit my studio in the summer you’ll see that my borders are full of gorgeous wildflowers! Of course, as with all things natural, I can’t make any guarantees but if you follow the instructions you should have lots of lovely blooms.

16. Why do I love seed paper wedding invitations so much?

Well, what’s not to love? You get to send out beautiful wedding invitations with all the details that your guests need. They are super eco-friendly because the paper is completely tree-free. Seed paper wedding invitations are low waste, other than the envelope, which can be easily recycled. They can be planted and are completely biodegradable. But the best bit of all? Your guests get a lasting reminder of your big day when they see all the beautiful flowers grow. I just love the whole concept of having wedding invitations and stationery that become something after they have done their job, don’t you?

In fact, I love plantable seed paper so much that I use it to make the little info cards I include with every box of wedding stationery that leaves my studio!

a box of wedding stationery with a seed paper advice card included

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little introduction to the hows, whats, and whys of plantable seed paper wedding invitations and stationery. I really do love it. It’s the perfect choice for your invitations and stationery if you are looking to make your wedding a little bit more eco-friendly.

Here are a couple more blogs that you might like to read if you’re planning a sustainable wedding day.

Click here for more plantable seed paper wedding stationery ideas
Click here for my top 7 eco-friendly wedding ideas

Some real wedding inspiration for your seed paper wedding invitations and stationery

Want to talk more about seed paper wedding invitations and stationery for your big day? Head over to my contact page where you can book a quick call. Or, if you are local to me in Cardiff you can make an appointment to visit my studio. Just have a question to ask? Use the form on there to drop me an email.

Ready to find out more, book a studio visit, or arrange a call with me?

If you’re not ready to get in touch just yet, I post lots of ideas, tips and inspo on my Pinterest boards. Why not come on over and have a look. You could also pin the graphic below to your wedding planning boards so you can find it again later.

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