Favors are one of my absolute favorite parts of the wedding planning process! In one simple gesture you can add a personalized lasting impression of your big day. So what to choose? The sky is the limit, but to help you out, here are my picks for fabulous favors of 2010.
Who doesn’t like candy?? A candy buffet is a fun way to incorporate your wedding colors and your favorite candies into one interactive station. I’m planning a beach wedding this July and the couple plans on incorporating a variety of their favorite blue and green candies (M and Ms, gummy bears, salt water taffy, etc.) along with red twizzlers because they’re the bride’s favorite (and it is her day after all!). Wondering where to get the best deal on bulk candy? Check out your local BJs or my favorite online candy super store where you can sort the candy by color: Candy Warehouse. Hunt through the Christmas Tree Shops or Pottery Barn in January for glass canisters to showcase the treats. Use cellophane bags or personalized favor bags or boxes for guests to stow their goodies in. Oh, and the candy bar always creates a fun place for professional photographers to get those snazzy and creative ring shots!
Planning a Green wedding? Consider a variety of eco-friendly favors from plantamemory.com. At $1.99 per favor, these eco-pot favors that include a card, a biodegradable pot , a packet of tree seed, and a soil pellet, are a steal!
Or you could go completely DIY and simply buy packets of your favorite seeds and present them in homemade envelopes. Check out some directions on how to do this by a savvy bride here.
Perhaps you’d rather the money spent on favors goes towards a good cause. In this case, consider a charitable favor. You can choose just one favor for the two of you, or each of you could pick a favor close to your heart and give to two different charities. One neat way to present the charitable favor in a total DIY fashion is brought to us courtesy of Style Me Pretty. I would tweak this slightly by replacing the guest name on the front with your monogram or your names and the date of your wedding; this way you don’t have to worry about seating cards at the tables. I love the idea of incorporating the charity pins to the donation card.
Edible favors really hit home with couples, especially since the memories of many first dates are made that much sweeter with a signature treat. My favorite unique favors include whoopie pies, smore kits, sentimental cookies, and maple candies. On the last idea, I admit I’m biased. I grew up in Vermont and my husband was born in Montreal, so they were the favors at our wedding!
Are you a pragmatist at heart? Practical, yet sweet and still innovative, useful favors are always a hit with guests. My favorites for 2010 include personalized ice cream scoops and wine stoppers. One fun way to present the wine stoppers is to purchase 3-4 varieties to add depth to the tablescapes.
Last but not least, I’m getting more and more emails from clients interested in a Photo Booth. This is a fun and interactive way to give your guests something personal to take home and to give yourself the gift of a photo scrap book from your wedding you’ll cherish forever. The way it works is that guests can take pictures in the photo booth, keep a copy for themselves and include the other copy in a photo guestbook along with good wishes for the bride and groom. For the price of the photo booth rental, you cover added entertainment for your guests, favors, and the guest book all in one. It’s a win-win-win situation! (PhotoKisses will soon start offering the Photo Booth service for the 2010 season!)
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