Wedding Favors and Frills
In medieval times, knots made of ribbon were attached to a bride's dress and torn off by guests in a spirited contest for a trophy.
In Victorian England, ribbons were tied around charms, which were then baked into the wedding cake. Bridesmaids pulled the charms out of the cake, each of which was supposed to tell the bridesmaid's future. For example, the bridesmaid who pulled a flower could expect love to bloom in her life.
Wedding favors add a warm touch to a wedding reception. Many couples like to give a small, heartfelt gift for their guests to take home as a memento of the wedding. Sometimes the favors serve double duty as a decorative touch on a reception table, such as silver frames that double as place-card holders.
Favors for Your Budget
Favors can be as small as a little bag of candy or as big as — well, as big as your budget allows. They can be as inexpensive as a votive candle or as pricey as a sterling Tiffany bud vase engraved with the couple's names and the date of the wedding. It's up to you, in light of your budget, to decide what to do.
Once you decide, stay firm with your choice. It's all too easy to add this and that because you don't feel like you're spending much, until suddenly you've spent three times what you budgeted.
If your budget is strained, it is acceptable to skip the favors altogether. Ultimately, your guests attend your wedding to share your joy, not to collect a matchbook with your name on it.
That being said, favors are a polite way to thank your guests for going out of their way to come to your wedding. There are many inexpensive wedding favors your guests will enjoy.
Essential
You can place your favors in a decorated basket at the reception so that guests may take them as they leave for home. If you're having a sit-down dinner, you can put a favor at each place setting.
Old Favorites
Some favors remain popular year after year. Small candles make a lovely gift that can be as inexpensive or expensive as you wish. Wrap one in a circle of tulle and tie it with ribbon.
You can purchase supplies at craft stores, discount stores, party stores, and on the Internet. Check to see whether you can get a discount for buying candles in bulk from stores or Web sites.
So Many Ideas
Just mention the phrase “wedding favors,” and everyone you meet has a suggestion. The Internet is also full of suggestions and Web sites that offer merchandise at competitive prices. Message boards are another good source of inspiring ideas.
Alert
Don't feel you have to outdo the last wedding you went to with your favors. If you're creative and have the time, make something that only you can do. No time or all thumbs at crafts? You'll find plenty of ideas for favors that come ready-made.
One bride read online about a celebrity wedding in which guests were given little silver bells to ring as the newly wedded couple left the church. She found bells available on a Web site and bought them in bulk at a discounted price. Another bride found a company that sold ribbon streamers to throw at the bridal couple, which turned out to be a hit at her wedding.
The selection of candy favors is endless. There are companies that make chocolate candy wrappers printed with whatever message you wish. Another way of personalizing candies is to order lollipops decorated with a bride and groom or have the bride and groom's names printed on the lollipop wrappers. A bride searching for favors for what she termed her Cinderella wedding found a suggestion for chocolate mice made of Hershey's kisses that looked darling on her reception tables.
Eco-weddings are becoming more popular, and couples can give tiny tree seedlings and know that something from their day will grow in the years to come. Flower seeds are also popular favors. Some companies print the names of the bride and groom and their wedding date on packets of seeds. When the seeds sprout, your guests can enjoy pretty blooms and remember the day you were married. Another unusual offering is butterflies, which guests can take home and release into their gardens.
