Ah, the bonbonniere question. To go old-school with the almonds or bulk buy red jelly beans. To custom print that shot glass or wrap a tiny cactus in a ribbon. It’s a tough one. Bonbonniere were originally intended to realistically represent the couple’s life together: sweetness (sugar coating) balancing out life’s inevitable bitterness (almond). It’s cute. We get it. But today’s couples are forging new traditions for a new world, and we are right on board.

Alexandra and Stefan, who married on January 4th 2020, chose to do away with bonbonniere in the traditional sense. Instead, as they informed guests on their menus, they did something way better – they planted trees, one per guest.

One hundred and thirty-seven trees, in fact!    A genuine little forest.

Fifteen Trees arranged for Alexandra and Stefan’s trees to be planted in Tasmania, at Denison Ridge (50km west of Hobart). Tasmania is where Alexandra’s family come from. The trees are all indigenous natives and went into revegetation projects along degraded waterways. Tasmania enjoys a reputation as the clean, green state. However, that hasn’t always been the case, and its environment is still very much under threat from commercial interests. Many years of inappropriate farming practices and indiscriminate logging have taken their toll. The tireless efforts of volunteers around the state, as well as thoughtful gestures like that of Alexandra and Stefan, are helping to redress some of the damage.

Trees are a world away from sugared almonds, so we can’t draw any traditional bittersweet analogies here. But if Alexandra and Stefan’s life together is as selfless, considered, connected, and useful as their gift to their guests on their wedding day, well … the world will be a better place in more ways than one.

Congratulations to you both, and our best wishes for the future.

Article by Sarah Hart

Sarah is an artist whose passions include the stories and experiences of women and narrative driven creative work. Her aim is to delight, to reveal glimpses of everyday beauty, and to celebrate flights of the ordinary. Sarah works across a range of media, with an abiding interest in pen and ink, mixed media and the human form.