How to Save Money on Your Wedding Favors

When a couple starts planning their reception, one of the many choices to be made has to do with party favors. Originally, these were given to guests as a way to thank them for attending and was only seen in practice with the very wealthy. Over time, the custom of wedding favors is being practiced worldwide in some fashion and varies according to the theme, location, and even the budget of the couple getting married. Since the options range from candies to bottles of wine, keep a few things in mind before making your choice.

1. As with many other parts of the wedding, decide how much of the budget can be allocated to the wedding favors area. You also have to consider how many guests will be in attendance since typically each person takes a favor home with them. Even if this turns out to be one of the lower budget areas, there will still be some wonderful and creative ideas you can use.

2. Start researching gifts that you’d like to hand out to your reception guests. Consider a variety of options from your favorite candies, homemade jars of jams or cookies in a jar, to sunglasses for an outside summer wedding or bottles of wine from the local vineyard. You could easily have a candy or cookie “bar” set up at the reception and allow the guest a chance to fill their own box to take home. You could also send home “seed paper” and instructions for planting for your guests. Anything goes and truly, the possibilities are endless.

3. Research and decide if you want to order pre-made/pre-printed wedding favors from a supplier or if you want to go the DIY route. There are many companies, both online or catalog services, that cater to any and every need when it comes to these favors. Just as with any other vendor, they will handle more of the responsibility and work load but you will also pay for their services on top of the items themselves. Make sure you get several quotes before making your final purchase and work out all details (such as shipping, color or flavor selection, etc) in writing.

4. If you decide to make your own favors, you’ll still probably need to do a little shopping for supplies. Keep an eye for sales or coupons so you can get the best price available. Try to make a few well ahead of time to make sure they come out exactly how you envision and you still have time to make any adjustments. Enlist your friends and family to help stuff candy into bags or tie ribbons around a stack of heart shaped “seed paper” that can be planted in the garden. Make sure your instructions are clear and easy to follow; and be sure to enjoy the laughs and memories you will make together.

5. Once you have your favor(s) planned and ordered or made, be sure they are stored properly before the reception and then set up for the guests, preferably in a spot they won’t be missed. You can even put them at each place setting, depending on their size, to save space! Otherwise, have a reminder announced so they can stop by the display area to pick one up on their way home.

This is another wonderful area to express the couple’s interests or the theme of the wedding. It’s hard to go wrong with any choice you make, as your guests will remember your special day every time they use the thoughtful gift you sent home with them.