When planning your wedding there are so many details to keep in mind! Think about the weddings you’ve been to what you thought was a really neat idea and what you vowed to never do. like boring wedding favors. 

One of the items that are a constant reminder of a wedding you attended is the favors you brought home. They are meant to serve as a memento for sharing someone’s special day, but sometimes they end up being shoved to the back of the dreaded junk drawer because you can’t bring yourself to throw them away. 

You may have decided you don’t want to send someone home with yet another deck of cards or boxes of matches to end up in the back of their junk drawer. So now it’s time to let your creative juices flow and make your favor something thoughtful, useful, or consumable. Individual jars of a tried and true organic granola tied off with the perfect label can be a perfect favor for your guests. When you couple that with the fact that you can prepare this a couple to few weeks before your big day, you can get them prepared and set aside giving you more time to focus on the more last-minute details.

Origins of Wedding Favors

Wedding favors are commonplace. It’s nearly unheard of to have a wedding without leaving with a token of your gratitude for sharing your day. Did you ever stop to think why or where this tradition came from? The first documented instance of wedding favors dates back to aristocratic weddings in the early 1600s in England. 

The first favors were enclosed in small porcelain boxes and contained sugar cubes. It may sound like an odd gift to send someone home with, but in that period, sugar was expensive. Giving your guests gifts of sugar cubes not only was the host flaunting their wealth but it also symbolized a symbol of hope for the newly formed couple.

Of course, not everyone in that period could afford such extravagance and instead would make favors of lace and ribbons; they were referred to as love knots. Because the bride and groom were sharing, even a small token with them, guests felt blessed that they chose to share their good fortune with them. 

Get Creative

When it comes to your big day, there is no right or wrong way to do something. It all comes down to your personal preference. Remember, you are choosing to share your special event with those who know and love you. Your wedding should be a reflection of your personality and individual taste. So don’t worry about airs and graces or trying to impress anyone; just be you.

Oftentimes budgetary restrictions are a determining factor in doing what you’d adore doing and what you can actually afford to do. Keep your budget in mind when deciding on your favors because, despite only a small amount for each favor, the expense can add up quickly when you figure out how many you have to have. 

Another thing to keep in mind, when planning a wedding, don’t forget to budget for your favors!

One strategy to save on costs is to have your favors dual purpose. Don’t fork out for both favors and seating cards. With a bit of ingenuity, you can personalize your favors so they can also double as a place card. That also makes your favors that much more personalized. 

To find the perfect favor, in addition to your personality, let your venue, wedding theme, and season influence your choices. Individual, handmade soaps or personalized seed packets work well with spring or summer weddings where individual bottles of hot cocoa mix or tea towels would accent a cooler time of year.

It doesn’t matter what you choose, because what your loved ones really care about is you and your new spouse. Everything else is just a bonus.