Wedding Vase

Posts Tagged ‘Favors’

Wedding party favors are small tokens of appreciation that are given to guests who attend a wedding. This very old tradition started out as a gift of sugar cubes presented in a small crystal or porcelain trinket box, which was supposed to symbolise royalty and wealth. These were known as “Bonbonniere” and were exclusive to the rich, due to the fact that sugar was an expensive commodity at the time. Over the years, however, sugar came down in price and by the thirteenth century, “Bonbonnieres” were replaced with almonds coated in sugar and these were known as “confetti.” “Confetti” soon became sugared almonds, and it was customary to place five Jordan almonds in a presentation box or a piece of pretty fabric to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness. Apart from sugared almonds, love knots of ribbon and lace were given as wedding favors during the sixteenth and seventeenth Century.

Today, although sugared almonds are still used as classical wedding party favors, there are now many weird and wonderful themes available to suit weddings of all styles and people of all ages. You can choose from an array of metal designs, such as small mirrors, picture frames, storage tins, place card holders and bottle stoppers. If you prefer something to light up the occasion, you could consider a collection of beautiful candles to give to your guests. Useful and unique wedding favors come in the form of salt and pepper shakers and manicure sets in any design imaginable. As well as an army of confectionary and favor boxes, biodegradable preserved rose petals are also available to add that touch of class to any wedding table. Wedding favors are now big business and the demand for them is growing daily – With so much to choose from, it can be difficult to know which wedding favors will suit your big day the most. Before making any decisions, you need to ask yourself a few important questions:

Has your wedding got a theme?

Where are you holding your wedding?

What time of year are you getting married?

What is the color and style of your wedding dress?

If you are having bridesmaids, what color are their dresses?

What flowers are you having?

What is the age range of your wedding guests?

Once you have established these facts, you will be in a better position to know which favors are right for you.

Wedding favors are now popular all over the world, and follow different traditions. Although some countries also use sugared almonds for their guests, others have different ideas:

Russia – Bud vases, sachets and picture frames are given.

Puerto Rico - A doll is dressed up like the bride and then covered in party favors. The favors are decorated cards displaying the names of the bride and groom, and the date of their marriage. The doll is then placed at the head of the couple’s wedding table for all to see.

Middle East - Five candy-coated almonds are presented in silver tins or cloth mesh bags.

Holland - “Bridal sugar” consists of five pieces of sweet candy that is wrapped up in tulle.

Italy - Chocolate covered almonds or marzipan fruits are given.

Greece - Candy coated almonds are given, which are known as “Bom Bom Yara” or “Koufetta”

Malaysia - Hand painted eggs are used as favors to symbolize fertility.

Planning a wedding these days can be very stressful for all concerned, so plenty of forward planning is essential – right down to the finest detail. Wedding favors make a great addition to any wedding table and are the perfect way to say thank you to your guests for attending your wedding and taking part in the celebrations. As well as saying thank you to family and friends, they also make wonderful keepsakes of your special day!

Scented or not, colored to co-ordinate with your wedding party or classic white or cream, with a candleholder or just by themselves, candles make the perfect gift for a wedding favor!

With cnadles, the many styles, colors, shapes and price points available offer the bride-to-be an array of choices, allowing her maximum flexibility in matching her wedding style and budget. The following are ideas that can be used for a candle wedding favor:

Purchase and place individual candles at each place setting. These can be used to co-ordinate with the colors of the wedding. For an evening wedding, little tealight holders can be placed at each seat and the candles lit for the evening festivities, adding to the romantic atmosphere and then being taken home by guests as favors at the end of the night. Wrap candle wedding favors in tulle, raffia or cello with ribbon (think gift basket-style) and pile them prettily on a little table where guests can retrieve their favor at the end of the evening. You may wish to include a little wedding tag with your names and wedding date engraved. Candles in a candleholder make lovely gifts. Whether you choose a glass vase or hurricane lamp, in classic silver or ceramic, keep it classic and elegant and your guests will be sure to appreciate – and use! – the holder in the future as well. You might even consider holders engraved with hearts for a romantic and sweet reminder of your special day. For a garden wedding, buy hanging glass lanterns and string them all around or on one tree with many branches, and give one to each guest as they leave. Or, buy little wrought-iron tealight holders for each place setting for adorable atmosphere-builders that double as favors. Package it: A poured, scented candle in a box or glass container, or a candle of your choice in a gift bag with tulle or tissue can be a nice and unique favor. Pairs: Wrap with tulle or ribbon and your wedding tag, and possibly include a set of in candlesticks. As always, the more classic the style the more likely your guests will find the favour useful in their own homes. Sets: Try 3 candles of different heights or colors on a little tray. Add river rocks, confetti or colored marbles to personalize your gift. Match the candles to the wedding theme: For a garden wedding, try candles in many shades of green. For a tropical wedding, perhaps candles in many tropical colors will add flair and style.

A trip to your local home décor store will help you with more ideas, and they may even assist you by offering bulk discounts on candles and holders. ASK clearly for what you want (it’s one of the best skills you can take into your new marriage as well, along with listening).

Enjoy your wedding planning, and most of all, enjoy your wedding!

Wedding favors are far more integral part of your wedding day than many realize. They are an important element of your wedding, as they are your way of saying thank you to your guests for joining you on your special day. Now you may be thinking ‘well, why do I have pay out yet more money on wedding favors to say thank you, when I could just say thank you in the speeches’ or maybe your are thinking ‘isn’t that what the thank you cards are for’.

Well yes & no is the answer to both of those. The tradition of wedding favors goes back many centuries & your guests will be expecting them. You can say thank you to your guests in your speeches but this in itself will not stop some guests muttering comments such as ‘cheapskate, couldn’t even be bothered to give us favors’! As for thank you cards, well these are used to thank those guests who gave you gifts, not to thank them for coming to the wedding.

So when it comes to choosing wedding favors consider the following points to help you narrow the choices & find the perfect gift to say thank you.

· Wedding Theme – you should have either a wedding theme or a wedding style. This will help you with your wedding planning & as such your wedding favors should coordinate with this. For example – a beach wedding would call for sea shells, boats or fish; whilst a winter wonderland theme would call for snowflakes, snowmen & things made from crystal.

· Your Style & Tastes – Think about things that you would like to receive. Would you prefer something edible? Practical? Fun or decorative? Choosing something that you yourself would like to have will probably mean at least 90% of your guests will like it too.

· Colors & Packaging – Not every wedding favor needs packaging, some things will already come presented in pretty boxed sets or wrappings. In this case you would just need to add a thank you tag. Those things that aren’t ready wrapped will probably need some form of packaging; it is your choice as whether or not you do. It is important to choose the favors first & not the packaging. Fit packaging to the favor & not the other way around! You will find a wide choice of colors & styles for packaging your wedding favors, but if you get stuck just choose a plain neutral color & add in your wedding colors with ribbons, tags & other decorations.

Types of Wedding Favor

· Edible Favors – These never fail as favors, everyone loves a treat in the form of cookies, mini cakes, candies or chocolates. Traditionally, an edible wedding favor consisted of almonds or sugar cubes, but in modern times just about anything goes!

· Sentimental Favors – these could be photo frames or a mini album with a picture of the two of you inside; a CD with your reception playlist on it or your favorite love songs; a poem recalling how you met & fell in love.

· Practical Favors – there is a wide choice of useful & practical wedding favors out there. These include bookmarks, bottle stoppers, measuring spoons, mini graters, cheese knives, pizza cutters, coffee cups, tape measures, salt & pepper pots, cookie cutters & coasters.

· Decorative Favors – These range from candles in many shapes & sizes, ornaments, paper weights, photo frames, vases & keepsake boxes, to name but a few.

· Themed Favors – the most popular wedding themes have been immortalized with coordinating wedding favors. Look out for Cinderella’s carriage in the form of photo frames or candles for a fairytale wedding; boxed sets of casino dice for a Vegas style wedding or personalized golf balls for a sporting theme.

· Seasonal Favors – For a spring or summer wedding look for plantable cards which are embedded with flower seeds, flower shaped candles, honey pots & even miniature pot plants. For a fall wedding you will find leaf shaped candles, soaps, bookmarks, bottle stoppers & pumpkin shaped photo frames. Winter weddings could have snow globes, snowflake shaped candle holders, snowball candles & bottles of mulled wine.

· Eco-Friendly Favors – there is a growing trend amongst many couples to be greener with their weddings & you will find many favors made from recycled materials, tree seedlings, edible favors made with organic ingredients & fair trade products.

Wedding favors don’t need to be expensive or extravagant in style. They just need to say thank to your guests in a way which coordinates with your wedding & which is uniquely you!

Almost any wedding favor can be personalized. Bud vases, campaign flutes, shot glasses can be etched with the names of the bride and groom and the date of their wedding. You can also add any type of design to the favor. Whether the couple is into a certain sport, hobby or just has a design they feel illustrates their relationship, it can be placed on the wedding favor along with their names and wedding date. These personalized wedding favors are a great gift to friends of the bride and groom and add style to the tables.

Personalized bud vases that hold colorful bouquets are great mementos and decorations. These also come with a choice of designs that reflect the personalities of the bride and groom.

Many unique personalized wedding favors can be cherished heirlooms for years to come. These include a “save the date” custom magnet shadow box cards. These cards are adorned with a silhouette picture of the bride and groom in a unique black and white design. The card is highlighted by a black and white satin ribbon.

Do you want a personalized wedding favor that your guests will enjoy for years to come? Consider a coaster, bottle stopper or spoons. Your guests will be impressed with your creativity and count it as a treasured remembrance of your wedding. The boxes come in 20 different designs/colors to match any wedding decor. Napkin rings in the shape of wedding bands add an elegant touch to the table and with a personalized tag they make a great gift. Soaps in chic boxes with a personalized tag also delight wedding guests.

Candles with personalized gift tags are a great wedding favor. You can chose from shapes such as apples, boats and coffee cups. Are you looking for something more practical? Salt and pepper shakers can be personalized with favor tags and given to guests in honor of your day. Even more practical is a sewing kit with a personalized tag that will fit in most purses and will come in handy if someone pops a button.

A new trend in personalized wedding favors is tea bags. These can be designed to coincide with your wedding theme and will include the date and the couple’s name on the tea bag‘s cover. A standard among personalized wedding favors is a mint that features the name of the bride and groom in its container. Again, these come in a variety of designs and colors to complement the style of your wedding.

If you are having a dinner, place cards and seating cards can be personalized and kept as wedding favors. You can put the couple’s name, the date of the occasion and a personal design. These personalized wedding favors can even display a picture of the happy couple. A space is provided to write in the name of the guest.

With personalized favor tags, you can adorn almost any wedding gift. These tags come in three shapes and a variety of designs and colors. Is the groom into NASCAR? Purchase small die cast cards and attach a personalized favor tag. Does the bride love animals? Find unique animal figurines and attach a personalized tag to them.

Personalized wedding favors are a great way to add a pizzazz and style to your wedding day. You can do this with unique engraved gifts, personalized stationary or attach a personalized favor tag to any gift.

Tying wedding party favors to a theme can make choosing wedding favors easier.

Picking the perfect wedding party favors can be a difficult task, but it doesn’t have to be. You know that the wedding party favors are important because they express your appreciation to your guests for coming to your wedding. These reception favors are just a little gift that lets your guests know they are important to you. To make choosing these important items easier you can implement a theme that will help you narrow down the never-ending list of favor choices. When these guest favors are tied to a theme it is very easy to pick the out.

Wedding party favors that are tied to the overall theme of the wedding are one way to go. You may not have a specific theme, but think about the other aspects of your wedding – Are things elegant? romantic? traditional? When you can identify what angle you are going it is then simple to choose good favors. For an elegant wedding you might choose mini wine glasses coupled with a mini bottle of wine. A romantic favor could be a chocolate rose set in a small vase.

The traditional favor is along the lines of placecard holders or candles. Tying your wedding party favors to your wedding theme will allow you to choose unique wedding favors that fit in with the atmosphere you’ve created.

Some couples may like to express their personalities through their wedding favors. For the golfer you could offer wedding golf tees with chocolate golf balls. The more daring bride and groom may wish to provide temporary tattoos that showcase your names and wedding date. Poker enthusiasts can offer mini decks of cards. Another way to go is to write poems or favorite quotes on colored paper, roll it up and secure with a fake, plastic wedding ring.

Tying your wedding party favors to your personalities makes the favors seem more personal to your guests. Another popular method of choosing wedding party favors is to include them as part of the wedding or bridal shower reception decorations. You can have a breakaway centerpiece, which is a centerpiece made up of smaller pieces that can be easily taken by the guests at the end of the reception. These centerpieces usually are small wrapped gifts, candles or mini vases with flowers.

You can use your own creative flair to put together nice centerpieces. Mini salt and pepper shakers can be provided for each guest to use during the dinner and then take home. If you are looking to preserve table space you can wrap the gifts and hang them with ribbons on the chairs. Using favors as part of the decorations will help you to save time and money. Tying your unique wedding favors into your wedding decor helps to keep things united and make it easier for you.

There are many different items to choose from, so if you have some sort of wedding plan before shopping it will save large amounts of time. Remember that this is your gift to your party guests and it should be nice, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend forever choosing them.