Wedding Favors

Wedding favors,  while not a requirement, are a nice gesture for saying thank you to your friends and family who have joined together to celebrate your special day. They don't have to be pricey (after all, you have just spent a fortune on everything from flowers  to your dress ), but they should by no means be cheap. That means chintzy products that are bought JUST to say that you have wedding favors don't really constitute a meaningful wedding favor. By putting some thought into personalizing your gifts, you can be sure that they won't be left on the tables or thrown away as soon as the guests arrive at home. Some of the most popular favors are candles,  chocolates,  and disposable cameras,  but this is a great way to express a little something about you two as a couple.

Here are some basics to keep in mind when considering which type of favors to buy.

• Presentation and Personalization
• You want the favors to be personal, whether it be engraved,  monogrammed,  printed,  or even tied on.  Somewhere on the favor it should at least have the bride and groom's names and the date of the wedding.
• You may choose to have the favors reflect the season in which you are having the wedding. Think tree ornaments  around Christmas time, soap leaves  during fall, flip flop candles  for a summery beach wedding, or a flower motif  for spring.
• If this wedding unites two different cultures, use that as an advantage and get a culturally oriented gift.
• The presentation should be pretty and match the style of your wedding decor. Think of where you plan to place the favors until giving them out.
• Will they be part of a breakaway centerpiece? 
• Can they hang off the backs of the chairs?
• Maybe you want them to hang like ornaments on a tree or simply be piled in a box.
• It might be easiest to simply leave tiny boxes at each place setting.
• Memorable but Functional
• Favors that can be used after the wedding are the best. The trick is to keep them simple and clean looking.
• If you choose an item that serves as part of home decor, make sure that it is subtle so it can match most styles.
• It might not be strictly "functional" but edible favors  are a sure crowd-pleaser. Most people don't need more trinkets, but everyone loves candy! 
• Fun Ideas
• Memorable gifts for you and your guests are pens  and notepads.  It sounds simple, but it is fun. Have each guest use their pen and paper to write a note or wish for the bride and groom and put all the papers into a box  to be saved. The couple can open it again years later to be reminded of the special occasion and the guest can go on using the personalized pens and pads.
• If photos are your thing, rent a photo booth.  Give each guest a coin to activate the machine so that they can all get a personalized photo to take home with them.
• An alternative to buying wedding favors is to use the money that you would have spent on gifts and donate it to a special cause, whether it be for animals, the environment, foundation or charity.
• If you and your guests enjoy wine or champagne you might want to consider personalized wine gifts.  You can pick the type of wine and choose the label on which to put all the details of your special day and even photos. Years down the road you can open a bottle on a special occasion. See Wedding Wine Source for more information.
• Make a customized wedding CD  for your guests that includes all of "your" songs. Design a personalized cover and label for the case and the CD itself. Alternatively, put the CDs into CD tins  or folders. 

Traditional Wedding Favors

Jordan Almonds  Put them in sachets  with a personalized ribbon  or into heart-shaped tins.	Silver Place Card Frame  This gift both decorates the table and serves as a frame  after the wedding.	Truffles  Boxes of one or two truffles  are tasty and classy. Put a personalized ribbon  around it.	Personalized Mint Tins  Tins filled with mints  are a treat and using the tin for storing stuff is practical.	Monogrammed Votive Candles  Votives  are small and discreet but initials  or monograms  make them memorable.

Romantic Ideas

Heart Shaped Tea Infuser  This delicate favor is perfect for a classy wedding and can be used afterwards by guests to relax with a cup of tea.	Heart Shaped Bath Fizz  Heart-shaped bath fizzes  can be used by guests to unwind after the wedding. Silver containers make elegant table decorations.	Plantable Heart Favors  These creative favors are fun and (when planted) turn into beautiful flowers for your guests.	Heart Shaped Bath Salts  Not only are bath salts  appreciated by guests, but they also make colorful table decorations.	Heart Measuring Spoons  Heart-shaped measuring spoons  are charming, yet very practical. They are festive for the wedding, but come in handy afterwards.

Useful and Fun

Personalized Lip Balm  This unique gift can be personalized  with a picture and words of your choice.	Disposable Wedding Cameras  These enable your guests to capture their own memories of your wedding day. Pictures  always make the best souvenir.	Miniature Soaps  These cute soaps  can be wedding themed, while also useful in any bathroom.	Heart Corkscrew Stopper Set  Everyone can use a corkscrew.  This festive, yet functional gift will be very useful to your guests	Cocktail Shaker Favor  This is a fun way to send off your guests. Give them the recipe for your favorite cocktail  or one you were serving at the wedding.