By Georgina Clatworthy

So you’ve got the venue booked, the caterer, the florist, the cake is ordered & your dress is being made.  Time to sort out your wedding favors!

Your wedding favors will form an integral part of your wedding, although you may not think it.  They are personal gifts from you to your guests to thank them for coming to the wedding, so it is a nice idea to make them as personal & unique as possible.

Whilst you could purchase ready made, ready packaged favors, trimmed with ribbon & tied with thank you tags, it is not as nice as making your own.  Packaging up your wedding favors & finishing them with all those little details makes them a unique & personal gift to your guests & one which your guests will appreciate for all the time & effort you have put in.

But if you are having a big wedding with a large number of guests, the thought of putting together all those favors can be a daunting one.  With all the wedding planning, will you have the time to do it all yourself?  Answer is probably no.  It could take you weeks to get them finished!  This is where holding a favor party comes to the rescue.

A wedding favor party is a great excuse to get the girls round & make a night of it, putting together your favors, having a drink, a laugh & a gossip.  Here are some ideas for making your wedding favor party a great night in.

Spa & Beauty
Invitation: Make invitations from Emory boards, written up with a sharpie pen with the date & time.
Food: Has to be healthy! Set up a smoothie & salad bar in one corner so your guests can help themselves.
Music: Play some relaxing tunes to help you all unwind & de-stress.
When the wedding favors are complete: Treat yourselves to manicures, pedicures & facials.

Junk Food & Movies
Invitation: Use candy wrappers as your invites, writing on the date & time etc on the plain inside.
Food: Order take-out such as pizza or Chinese.  Or make some burgers & fries.
Music: Pick some lively tunes to keep you all in the mood.
When the wedding favors are complete: Put on a favorite movie or DVD of a favorite TV series with some popcorn.

“Just Us Girls” Martini Party
Invitation: Use cocktail coasters!
Food: Make up canapés or appetizers & serve up cocktails with light cubes in your glasses.
Music: Play some jazz, soul & R & B.
When the wedding favors are complete: Chill out, listen to the music, sink a few more cocktails & have a good gossip!  

These are just a few great ideas for making your wedding favors a breeze & having a great time as well.  I am sure you will come up with some great party ideas of your own!

By Georgina Clatworthy

If you have decided to invite children to your wedding it is worth taking the time to consider some different wedding favors especially for them.  Whilst most children will love a little box of chocolates or candies, almost all unlikely to appreciate a miniature photo frame or scented candle.

Another consideration with children at weddings is keeping them interested in what is going on or at least  quietly distracted with something else whilst the ‘boring’ stuff is going on!  This is where some creative thinking with wedding favors for children will pay dividends.

Wedding favors for children don’t have to cost the earth & in many cases may be cheaper to put together than those for the adult guests.  Think about including some sort of activity or game that will keep them occupied at least whilst the speeches are happening.  That way parents are not struggling to keep bored children quiet or well behaved & you are not worried about some unnecessary & untimely interruptions.

Of course the simple solution would be to give out wedding favors that are suitable for all ages, but this would mainly confine you to edible favors such as cookies or candies.  Some parents may not be altogether happy about their children filling up on sugar either & giving this kind of favor doesn’t really solve the problem of keeping them occupied. 

So which wedding favors for children could you give?

I recently helped a friend of mine with her wedding preparations.  I made all the invitations & other stationery & put together favors for the adults.  As we both have young children & knowing that there would be several other children present, I suggested that we should come up with some ’special’ wedding favors just for them.  She whole heartedly agreed, knowing that having something to keep them occupied during the reception dinner would certainly help her stress levels!  So we put our heads together & came up with the following:

Firstly we made a list of all the children who would be there & their respective ages.  These ranged from 12 months through to 11 years.  The 11 year old we decided would rather appreciate the chocolate favors we had put together for the adults, which reduced the list to ages between 12 months & 7 years.

We had plenty of the little chocolate hearts left so we divided them up, added in some other jelly type sweets & a lollipop each.  We decided the best thing was to give them all the same things, so we included little coloring books & packets of crayons, a fun water game each & some bubble mixture (the adults all had champagne bubbles).  I wrapped these items up in cellophane wrappers, tied them up with poly ribbon which I curled at the ends & I made some name tags.  These were created from flat plastic balloon weights, in different shapes & colors, onto which I wrote the child’s names in blue or pink ink. 

They looked fantastic & the children were really excited when they opened them to see what was contained inside.  Overall they were fairly inexpensive to make up as the games & coloring books came from a party store which sold in bulk quantities.  Buying in bulk was a good idea as it meant there were some spares handy should they be needed!

Visit party stores both online & on the high street to see what they have to offer.  You can often buy cheaper if you are buying in larger quantities & you will find a great choice of things for all age groups.  When it comes to packaging use cellophane bags, printed party loot bags or nice boxes like gable end food boxes which will hold a nice selection of odd sized objects!

If you have put together favors for different aged children make sure you put name tags on them so they don’t get given to the wrong child.  Children are not as understanding as adults should you try to retrieve it & give them something else!

Another option to keep children occupied is to have a separate table for them all to sit at (check with parents first that this is ok), I would recommend that only children over four years old sit on a separate table & it could be an idea to make the oldest child ‘table supervisor’ who can keep the others in line!  Lay the table with a white paper table cloth & provide them with pens, pencils & crayons so they can draw on it.  You may even find printed table cloths at party stores made for this purpose.  Afterwards you can cut it up so each child can take home their ‘bit’.

Lastly, here are a few tips to consider:

• Don’t go overboard on the candy – you don’t want loads of hyper active children running riot!
• Check the safety credentials of any toys or games & don’t give toys with small moving parts to children under 3 years.
• Check that bubble mixture is child friendly
• Make sure you buy things suited to both girls & boys – boys will not thank you for giving them dolls & likewise girls are unlikely to appreciate racing cars or robots!

Ideas & Tips for a Magical Winter Wedding Theme

By Georgina Clatworthy

Most couples like to marry in the warmer summer months, with many weddings booked for the months may to september.  But have you considered how magical a winter wedding would be?  Take some inspiration from the following ideas & tips on creating your own winter wonderland wedding.

What to Wear

Look to the glamour of old Hollywood, with long silk dresses, faux fur wraps & crystal ‘diamond’ style jewelery.  Many designers will produce dresses & accessories suitable for winter time so look for faux fur shawls or capes & long coats which will co-ordinate with you dress.  Don’t forget you attendants either!

Venues for a Winter Wedding

For a warm & cosy feel look for inn’s or country houses with real fires & intimate surroundings.  If you favor a larger affair look for country houses, mansions or fine public buildings.  Unless you can guarantee snow on your wedding day you may want to avoid rooms with large picture windows.  Check out if the venue will be already decorated with seasonal decorations as this could save you some money.  Also give consideration to heating at you chosen venue, old buildings such as churches can be very drafty!

The Menu

You can choose any of your favorite dishes, but you may want to incorporate some seasonal flavors aswell such as pumpkin soup, spiced wine & roast meats.  In terms of dacorations for cakes choose all white icing, snowflakes & silver embellishments.  If your budget will allow, choose a stunning ice sculpture as a centrepiece.

Winter Wedding Flowers

Choose white blooms such as roses, stephanotis, lillies & hydrangeas, teamed with silvery foliage such as eucalyptus & dusty miller.  If you prefer a more colourful, festive arrangement choose red flowers & berries with green foliage.

Winter Wedding Decor

An all white scheme is simple & inexpensive.  Decorate with arrangements of white flowers, candles & snowflake table confetti.  Christmas fairy lights can be used to light doorways or strung over tables.  Crystals & glitter will also lend a wintery touch to your deocrations & add silver table linens & charger plates.  If you prefer a more festive scheme choose red & green or plaid, with gold accents.

Winter Wedding Favor Ideas

These could range for christmas tree ornaments, bottles of mulled wine or cider punch, snowglobes or festive themed cookies or cutters.

Other ideas

A horse drawn sleigh or carriage is a perfect way for the bride & groom to arrive.  Make sure you add a large fur throw to keep you warm though!  Christmas trees in various sizes would make great decorations both inside & out.  Instead of fresh flowers comission a crystal bouquet instead or ask for a combination of both.  Instead of cocktails serve your guests cups of hot chocolate or warm punch when they arrive at the reception.

By Jason Hennessey

That the global economy is in a tailspin is no secret. Neither is the fact that we have to continue living and partaking in our normal activities. But how do we go about them if we do are not able to swim against the financial tide? The answer lies in being modest but classy at the same time. This is more so relevant if your worry is your upcoming wedding and you have wedding favors to give. Wedding favors are a timeless tradition borrowed from 16th century Europe. The nobility and aristocracy of ancient Christendom had gifts presented to guests attending their reception parties after their wedding ceremonies.

In line with this culturally rich tradition, it has become an integral part of our wedding rituals even though we might not be aware of this tradition. Therefore you have no way of avoiding wedding favors whether there is an economic crunch or not. The most important thing in wedding planning is budgeting. And in your budgeting you have to incorporate all the aspects of the ceremony which includes wedding favors. According to your financial projections, just make sure you apportion enough wedding favor gifts depending on the number of guests you plan on inviting. But do not overstretch your financial muscle. Make do with what you have but make it memorable.

There are a lot of cost-effective wedding gifts that you can choose from to enchant your guests and convey gratitude and appreciation for their attendance. And if you can not make the grand ceremony that you have always envisioned, do not stress about it. Cut on costs and avoid unnecessary luxuries like multiple stretch limos just for that ego-stroking photo. That way you are left with enough to at least have something to get those gift favors for your guests. And again cut on the number of guests that you want to attend your ceremony and/or reception. Invite only the guests that you have to and no more. This will greatly cut on what you will spend to feed them and of course, you guessed it right, give wedding favors to.

Examples of low cost gifts that you can opt to go for include picture frames, place card holders or even wine bottle stoppers. These are cheap but symbolic and meaningful if you take them as a choice. In line with reducing the number of people and consequently expenses, have just an adequate number of bridesmaids and groomsmen. Also find a venue that is not too pricey and if possible hold both the wedding ceremony and the reception at the same venue, to cut on the cost of moving from one place to the other.

Some programs in the ceremony itinerary are not that essential so you can scale down on that as well. The economic downturn has spared no one so don’t worry about what people will think of your modest style. After all even multinational companies are not immune even with millions of dollars at their disposal. And if such big companies have to scale down, what about you? Of utmost important in a wedding ceremony is the genuineness, warmth and passion that you put into it. Wedding favors however modest will be appreciated if you give them with a touch of warmth and from the bottom of your heart.

By Jason Hennessey

It is every couple’s wish that each and every one of their guests get to carry apart of their union home. This is the motivation behind wedding favors. You should thrive to give your guests a wedding favor that they will acknowledge and exhibit at their homes. The only what your wedding favors can have some form of individuality is if you personalize your wedding favors. Make them something that your guests will always associate with you.

Whatever your wedding theme is you should incorporate the theme of your wedding in the wedding favors you give to your guests. However, even though wedding favors serve a purpose in weddings, they are always the first to be deleted off the list incase of a budget cut. This is not because people don’t realize their usefulness but because of the cost. This has prompted ladies to find an alternative by making the wedding favors for themselves. You don’t have to use expensive porcelain as a wedding favor if you know you don’t have the funds. Go for more affordable and personalized wedding favor such as:

Cards
You can create cards which can be placed at the table for each guest to take home. The card should be designed in a way that it contains a heartfelt message of appreciation to the guests. It can also include a quote of the main reason the couple decided to get hitched.

Wedding candles
Candles when used in weddings create an atmosphere of warmth and love. One of the most common items used as wedding favors are wedding candles. A beautifully wrapped candle serves as a great wedding favor which the guest will acknowledge and exhibit at their homes.

Eco friendly options
If you are having a green wedding, it is advisable that you give your guests gifts like flower seedlings wrapped with ribbons. With this form of a gift you ensure that the guests carry a piece of scenery with them at home. Every time they look at their gardens, your wedding comes to mind.

Photo album
This is an exceptional gift especially if you able to get the guest photos in the album before they take them home. This is possible if the photos taken at the church are processed in time and put in the albums before the reception. They are then given to the guests as they go home.

Personalized salt and pepper shakers
By having salt and pepper shakers that have both your names engraved in them, it caters for the longevity of your gift. These two items will always be found on your guests table if they want to use them. if they are stored as souvenirs, they are durable and long lasting.

Edible favors
Ranging from chocolate, candy and cake, the sweet tooth should not be forgotten. These sweet delicacies should be considered for a wedding favor. The guests can go share the sweetness of the ceremony to those who were not in attendance.

With such a large option to choose from, it is now affordable for most couples to incorporate wedding favors in their budget.

By Jason Hennessey

As the modern woman plans to make her wedding day special, much is put into the whole day’s plan. Common with the best laid wedding programs; wedding favors will never miss in the close of the wedding day. Favors are usually souvenirs that are issued to friends from the newly-weds so as to remind them of your special day. These come in various forms and vary depending on the couple’s relationship with the specific friends.

Your friends mean a lot to you and you want them to get a favor they will love you to bits for. Here are a few suggestions that will go a long way in having your friends talking and reminiscing about your wedding for days to come.

Wedding gown candle

The best gift that when lit can help illuminate the reception and make a perfect favor and any guest will want to take these cute gifts home with them.

Mini lanterns

The light from these tiny, pretty-looking candle-boxes have a way of creating an aura of love and affection to any venue and would make a beautiful addition to any favor package.

Salt and pepper shakers

Now that’s one charming bequest that when taken home as a favor would make all your curious friends, relatives and visitors to muse over making you gloat with joy.

Guest photo albums

If you could manage to have these with the wedding photos already inside, make for a light, eye-catching present that many will want a piece of.

Plantable wildflower favors

These beautiful live green flowers will only have their full effect as a great favor to the plant loving friend of yours who may not have this type of flower, and even if they do, its ability to grow, spread and look great will have your friend loving you for it all their lives.

Personalized Measuring Spoons

Another favor that can be used at the reception and when a thank you note is thrown into the package, make for a superb favor. They mostly come in sets of four or six, could be heart-shaped with tags with love messages.

Glass Gel Candles

If you are having your wedding in autumn, this is the best fall takeaway favor yet. When lighted at your wedding, they make a wonderful fall light, with the scent that reflects the season and creates an aura and aroma for love and all things lovely.

Glass Coasters

These beautiful glass pieces can be combined with a wedding themed color ribbon and pieces of the wedding photos of the newly-weds creating a brilliant memento. Calligraphy writings can be used to add a thank you note at the back.

Gift Mint Tins

The most frequent favors in weddings today, the tins can be later reused to hold extra candy and sweet things later on and can be personalized to give the right message or content that will remind your friends of your big day every time they reach into the tins.

Coffee and tea bags

Another great choice that can be personalized to have the names of the couple on it, will have anyone including the reception attendants wowed. This is a perfect memento for a perfect wedding reception.