And Then There Are Wedding Favors

It is a common thing -- though not a requirement, of course -- to find favors on the tables of wedding receptions where a meal is going to be served. The purpose for these favors is, in most cases, to provide a way for the guests to remember the wedding after they have left and returned home. There are many different types of favors to choose from if you have decided to add them to your list of wedding necessities, and they vary in appropriateness based on the size of the guest list and budget, not to mention the personality and hobbies of the bride and groom.

A common wedding favor is a piece of cloth or lacy material tied into a small bag-shape with ribbon that contains candies. The ribbon and candies are often colored to match the wedding colors, and the ribbon usually has a little note card mentioning the name of the couple and the date of their wedding. These can be assembled by someone else, or put together by the bride, groom, or any of her friends and family. Either way, it is a common and cost-effective favor because it takes very little work and everything involved can be bought in bulk.

Some couples decide to go with engraved glass products that people are allowed to bring home after the reception. This tactic works best with a small group or a bigger budget. These items include:

• wine glasses
• votive candle holders
• beer steins
• bud vases
• champagne flutes
• shot glasses

Glass items tend to cost more (upwards of $3 each) and for a modest budget or extensive number of guests, this may not be the best route to take.

Favors can be practical, useful, or goofy. Sometimes the place card holders for seating are able to be taken home, and these place card holders can come in many different shapes, sizes, and ideas. The price varies from item to item, depending on the size and materials used in making it. If you have a theme wedding, this can narrow down the favors significantly to match this theme. Using the place card holder suggestion, there are holders that look like fortune cookies that would work well in an Asian theme, and simple holder stems with flip-flop shaped bases that would go well with a beach theme.

Sometimes favors that match the season you are getting married in can be nice. For a fall wedding, favors with brownish-red and orange leaves would work nicely, just as winter weddings can use favors covered in snowflakes.

The shape the favors come in can also be something meaningful towards the couple themselves, perhaps representing the way they met or a special hobby they share that is very important to them. If they met on a golf course, for example, and continue to play together when the weather is right, personalized golf balls with their name and wedding date would be appropriate.

Whatever the theme of the wedding, or the style of the bride and groom themselves, there are a plethora of ideas for wedding favors out there, some common, some cute, some unique. It's just a matter of finding what you are looking for and making it work in your budget, whatever that may be.