Wedding Favors: To Buy or DIY?
Wedding favors are those special little gifts your guests take home to remind them of the momentous occasion they just witnessed. Whether the bride picks out a store-bought favor or opts for a do-it-yourself (DIY) gift depends on the bridal party’s timeframe, creativity, budget and personal preference.
If you’re purchasing the favors, there are a host of treats to choose from – almost all of which can be personalized with the name of the couple and the wedding date. There are Hershey kisses and miniature chocolate candy bars, flower-adorned candles, coasters, tins of mints and picture frames, just to name a few. They each are designed to be personalized with at least the name of the couple – and depending on space, the date too.
If there’s a special theme to the wedding and reception, there’s probably a ready-made favor to suit the occasion. Getting married on the beach? An appropriate favor might be a seashell gel candle, set in a clear box with a raffia tie and thank-you tag. Or maybe you’d prefer a picture frame in the shape of a colorful flip flop? It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your guests’ faces. Each set of four frames, designed by Kate Aspen, comes with one each blue, pink, yellow and green flip-flop.
If you’re being wed by candlelight, consider a luminous mini-lantern, also designed by Kate Aspen. The 5-inch-high lanterns have a removable lid that allows you to easily insert a tea light. By all means, light the candle and let the lanterns add some ambiance to the table. They’re available in either glossy white or brushed silver.
Going for a laid-back ceremony and reception? Use a “Rustic Elegance” Adirondack chair place card or photo holder to tell your guests it’s time to relax and enjoy this casual affair. Each chair is 3 inches by 2 inches high and they’re sold in packs of four.
Maybe the bride and groom are striving for an ecologically friendly wedding. In that case, present guests with a Blooming Expression embossed heart favor that is designed to be planted after the ceremony. Each lovely white heart is made of recycled cotton fiber and is bursting with flower and perennial wildflower seeds. Let it serve as a decoration during the ceremony and then encourage guests to plant it and let it bloom. Fifty is the minimum order. There are also other shapes, including a cross, bird, petal, butterfly and seashell – all of which are made of cotton and flowering seeds. They all can be enjoyed first and planted for future enjoyment.
If the wedding date is tied to a season, there are snowflake coasters for a winter wedding, placeholders in the style of autumn leaves for a fall affair and blooming water bottle stoppers for a spring fling.
But some brides or their bridal parties have their own unique ideas of how to thank their guests. For these brides, store-bought is replaced by handmade. They want to go the do-it-yourself route and put together their own personal thank-you. Lucky for these brides, there is plenty of help available so the DIY gift can look just as elegant as the ones purchased.
First think about what you want to give your guests. If it’s something like traditional candied almonds, then you’ll want to pick out just the right container to express yourself. Boxes come in all colors, styles and sizes to hold the almonds, mints or whatever you’re giving. There are boxes to meet the seasonal and holiday themes – like pastel buckets for a spring event, boxes stamped with fall foliage and elegant black and white boxes for a New Year’s Eve event. If you want to add some more personality, look for Chinese take-out boxes or white baskets adorned with a simple calla lily. There are aluminum tins and simple clear boxes so your treats stand out.
To finish the look, add a few pieces of wedding-themed confetti and then choose a satin ribbon to wrap around the box or to tie up the tulle. There are as many color choices for the ribbon as there are shades of bridesmaid dresses. And don’t forget to add the personalized tag that can help you build on the theme. Maybe the tag is simply the new couple’s monogram – or perhaps it mimics a concert ticket – featuring the bride and groom as the opening act. (Most of the tags come in sheets of 15 or more.) You can also get a lacy ribbon to wrap around the box that features the name of the happy couple and wedding date.
Basically, if you can imagine it, you can probably find the favor you have in mind for your guests. But be aware that it will take time to put together the favor. If time is short, store-bought may be the easiest route to go.
Barbara Delp is a freelance writer who writes about weddings and wedding favors.
