Displaying Favors for Weddings,
Bridal Showers & More

Wedding Favors can be just as much a part of the table decorations and overall look of the reception as flowers, settings and linen. It is your way of saying thank you to each person attending your wedding, so the presentation as well as the gift itself should reflect your intentions. Some thoughtfulness and creativity can speak volumes.

Use pretty favors packaging . Beautiful wrapping (gift boxes, ribbon , custom labels, etc.), and taking the time to make wedding favors look clean, and tasteful will show the effort no matter how simple the gift is inside.

Personalize it. Giving wedding favors is a gesture of thanks, and mostly it is the thought that counts. Make wedding favors more personal by engraving, using personalized ribbon, or printing your names and wedding date, or a unique message. Hand printing gives it an added personal touch, but if you do not have the best handwriting, many people hire professional calligraphers to pen a message on their wedding favors, or favors packaging.

Let your wedding favors also be functional. Attach a tag with the guests' names, and their table numbers to the wedding favors, and set them out on a table near the entrance to double as escort cards.

Tie a hang tag to the wedding favors with your new monogram, or the date of the wedding. Tags can be any shape, size, or color, and are another great way to get creative. Make them yourself for that personal touch.

A popular idea is to have breakaway centerpieces, where the centerpiece is made up of several elements that come apart, each part able to be taken home by guests as wedding favors. Breakaway centerpieces are often an arrangement of flowers in several smaller vases. You can do this with packaged wedding favors, stacking the boxes in the middle and inviting guests to each take a favor before heading home.

Save space on the table for the food, and instead, hang wedding favors from the chair. This is a creative way to present your wedding favors, and also dress up the reception chairs. Use a bag with handles to package the wedding favors, or find a way to attach ribbon to the wedding favors in order to hang it on a chair.

Have a wedding favors tree. This idea works really well with Christmas weddings. Give ornaments as wedding favors, or something lightweight, like a bookmark, or a charm. If a Christmas tree is out of season, get a potted tree. Make your own wedding favors with glassine bags filled with candy. Punch holes in the bags and string them up with twine around the branches of a tree. Wedding guests can untie the bags at the end of the evening for a sweet memento.

Pile wedding favors in baskets set by the door with a note reminding guests to take one before parting.

Give the kids something helpful to do at the wedding reception. Ask them to walk around with baskets of wedding favors and pass one out to each wedding guest. Make sure they make it to each table and do not leave anyone out.

Candles make classy wedding favors and are a brilliant approach to lighting for the wedding reception. They are romantic, decorative, and cost effective. With the a huge selection of sizes, styles, colors, designs, and scents, you can fit candles in with just about any wedding decoration theme.

Match candles, or candle holders to your wedding reception colors. Create a monochromatic look with different shades of your favorite color. Or choose colors that boldly contrast each other.

If you're having a floral centerpiece, opt for tea lights so they don't compete with the flowers.

You can also use candles instead of flowers for the centerpiece. Try a cluster of chunky candles in varying heights.

Votives and votive holders also make great wedding guest favors. Get them personalized, or just choose a stylish votive holder that your wedding guests would care to bring home and reuse.

By Winnie Ying
www.beau-coup.com