In the build up to your wedding day there are going to be so many things to think about that when it comes to prioritising what to tackle next, you may find that the little details need just as much attention as the big stuff.
One such essential is the humble wedding favour. This central decoration of the wedding reception is your chance to offer guests a keepsake reminder of the day, as well as providing an opportunity to show your nearest and dearest that you really appreciate their support. Not only that, but wedding favours are also a common tradition, as synonymous with weddings as bouquets, first-dances, speeches and embarrassing drunken relatives.
But all too often these tokens end up being thrown away (or worse, left on the table!), so what can you do to guarantee that they’ll get noticed and cherished? Here are a few tips for picking the perfect favours, and what you can do to personalise them for your guests.
General tips
If you opt to get extra crafty and make your own favours, it’s important to remember that it’s going to take a lot of work! So first things, first, be sure that whatever it is you’re making is the right choice. Make a few samples first to help gauge if you’re on the right track, and then why not enlist the help of a few friends?
Whether you choose to give one favour per guest, or per couple, make sure that you have a good number of extra ones ready as backups in case some get lost or damaged before the big day.
Winning favour with your guests
When it comes to favours you can be as creative and as inventive as you like, and just like any gift, you’ll want to put in some extra thought into your selection. An important point to consider before you spend a lot of money on 200 personalised photo key rings, is that you have to ask yourself the question – Is this something that I would enjoy? Ideally, you should always land on something that you’d be happy to receive yourself.
Photo booths have become a popular choice for wedding receptions these days, and sure are a lot of fun as the evening progresses and everybody starts to warm up. If you choose to have one at your wedding, then this is a good opportunity to have some fun with your favours. You could choose to supply your guests with small fancy dress favours such as stick-on moustaches and silly glasses; this will get people talking and make for some interesting (and personalised) photos.
Incredible edibles
You can always go down the route of choosing sweets and snacks as favours, which are a fail-safe option that your guests can enjoy on the day, or to be taken away with them to enjoy later. You could bake some cookies, or flapjacks, you could make chocolate truffles or mini jars of homemade lemonade (with quirky personalised labels). To save money on this you could incorporate part of your hen celebrations by hosting a favour-making party; this way you can have fun at the same time as keeping the costs down.
Something more practical perhaps?
You could also go with something practical such as photo frames or luggage tags, both of which can easily be personalised. As a heartfelt alternative to traditional favours, you could even opt to donate the same money you would have spent on a charity donation instead. Many charities will often send pins, badges or cards for the guests explaining that money has been donated in replacement of a favour.
Get personal
When thinking about personalised wedding favours, it’s a nice idea to think of something that expresses your unique personalities, and really speaks to your guests. Are you both into wine? Mini bottles of your favourite wine with personalised labels are sure to be a big hit. Maybe look to the season for inspiration – for spring, a great idea is to send guests home with potted plants or flowers with growing instructions, or a warming hot chocolate kit for the winter months.
Don’t over do it
Whatever you eventually choose there is one golden rule that can’t be ignored, and that is you should try to avoid putting your initials/names/photos or wedding date on absolutely everything. This is a sure way of turning an otherwise useful trinket into something a touch cringe worthy. For example, a personalised calendar makes for a fine, practical gift, as is a key ring customised with a picture of your first holiday together, but truth be told, not everybody is going to want to look at it every day (except for your mum of course).
Personalised packaging
The one exception to this rule is packaging – it’s absolutely fine to put your personal touch on everything from the boxes and bags, to the ribbons, wrapping and labels. Not only will this make for lovely presentation, it also won’t put your guests off!
At the end of the day, whatever you choose as your wedding favour, be sure to have fun, and remember that the personal touch is bound to make an impression.
