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It is tradition for the bride and groom to give wedding thank you gifts to guests at their wedding. This tradition originated in Europe with the gift of a bonbonniere-a small box made of crystal or porcelain with sugar cubes in it. At the time, sugar was expensive and highly prized. Eventually, the price of sugar dropped and wedding favours become almonds coated in sugar. As time went on, wedding favours became any type of trinket.
Wedding favours can be expensive or lack the personal touch that the couple desire, many brides-to-be are turning to make their own. Wedding favour kits can be bought at many outlets and online. Empty favour boxes and small organza bags from SAKETOS can be bought and filled by hand. Both of these can be filled with either the traditional sugared almonds or substituted with chocolate hearts, love heart sweets or even a trinket that will last a lifetime in celebration of the happy event.
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Edible wedding favours
Edible wedding favours are, once again, very popular right now. It is something every guest will enjoy, are eco-friendly, and have a true use. The summer bride will want to choose what she uses as an edible wedding favour carefully. Smart brides will want to avoid things that cannot hold up to summer heat, like chocolate, or are too heavy.
Candy
If the couple’s sweet tooth cannot be denied, they might want to use candy for their wedding favours. Suckers, either colourful or to match the wedding colours, can be purchased in bulk. The couple should also purchase round label stickers from an office supply store that will fit in the centre of the sucker. Using a home computer, print labels with the couple’s wedding date and names.
Jars of local treats
Small serving size jars of jam, jelly, honey, or even infused olive oils make for a nice gourmet edible wedding favour. Personalised labels with the couple’s name and wedding date should be printed out on a computer and placed on the jar.
Fruit flowers
Chocolate covered strawberries designed to look like cute brides and grooms might not hold up during the summer, but you can make flowers out of fruit to give to your guests. Purchase bamboo skewers and a cookie cutter that has a round floral shape. Slice pineapple about Ω inch slices. Use the cookie cutter to then cut the flower shape out of a pineapple.
Using a melon ball scooper, scoop out softer melons like honeydew for round centres. Slide the pineapple slices down onto the skewer, centred, and the melon ball on top of it. No part of the skewer should poke through the top. Cover in see-through cellophane bags, and tie off with ribbon. Attach a note of thanks from the bride and groom.
Coffee
Can be a sure-fire pick-me-up at the end of the evening or a nice way to wake up the next morning. Purchase either ground or whole bean coffee in bulk. Separate a serving size into small plastic-lined bags. If you cannot find plastic-lined coloured paper bags, place them in small cellophane bags, tie them with coloured ribbon to match the wedding colours and place them into coloured paper bags. Print out labels to attach to the outside of the bag with a message of thanks, the couple’s names and the wedding date.
Tea
Small favours of “tea for one” are the ultimate summer wedding favour reminiscent of garden parties. Purchase small porcelain teapots and large gourmet tea boxes. Place one tea bag along with one teapot into a small linen bag available from SAKETOS. Tie the bag with a large ribbon that matches the wedding colours. Attach a printed card with the bride and groom’s names, wedding date and a message of thanks.
Drink Mixes
If serving a signature cocktail at the wedding, brides might want to send home a packaged favour of the cocktail mix for guests to enjoy at a later date. This is most easily purchased pre-packaged. You may choose to use lemonade instead of a cocktail mix and package it into individual serving sizes. In the latter, just scoop out into small cellophane bags that can be purchased at craft/hobby or cooking stores and tie with a coloured twist tie.
In either case, attach a card with directions for making the drink on one side and a message of thanks with the couple’s names and wedding date on the other side. For added effect, place beverage bags into plastic cocktail glasses for distribution.
Wine/champagne Bottles
For couples who can afford to spend a bit on wedding favours, this makes an ideal wedding favour choice. Purchase mini bottles to match the wine or champagne served at your wedding. Print customised labels with the couples’ names and wedding date, along with a quick thank you and the name of the wine/champagne. Place the labels on the bottles.
DIY Craft Inspired Wedding Favours
Some other interesting fillers for the organza bags or boxes are; dried petals, leaves and tiny roses, scented potpourri is both cheap and goes a long way. Cake decorations such as silver cherubs and doves are perfect on their own or as an accompaniment to dried flowers and petals.
Homemade felt bags
Homemade felt bags are both cheap and personal; the felt can be chosen to match the wedding colour scheme. It is both very soft and strong so is ideal for holding delicate objects. And as it is not a woven cloth, the ability to sew like a seamstress is not necessary, big stitches using wool or embroidery cotton just help to make the bags look quaint.
Also for those not fluent with a needle and thread, felt seams can be glued together. Felt bags can hold trinkets or as a special treat some flower seeds wrapped in tissue paper with the growing instructions alongside. In the event of there not being much time to home make favours, envelopes with seeds and a set of instructions will serve just as well, especially if the envelope is personalised.
Homemade Crackers
Anyone handy with crafts and armed with cardboard to roll into tube inserts, and paper covering of choice, can make the wedding equivalent of Christmas crackers. These can be made to match the table decor and can be filled with any of the contents already mentioned.
Bookmarks
Equally personal and both cheap and easy to make are bookmarks commemorating the happy day. Decorated with glitter, heart-shaped buttons or even feathers and beads, bookmarks are unique as favours and fun to make. Candles, either small tea lights or small thin long candles, with a circle of tulle netting slipped over them secured round with a piece of twine and feathers make incredibly attractive keepsakes for wedding guests. Scrolls make good keepsakes too and are so easy to make. Using plain paper as handwritten thank you notes, the paper can then be loosely rolled and fastened with a ribbon tied into a bow.
Seedlings
Seedlings, in particular seedlings of houseplants or a decorative, long-lasting plant for a garden or patio may be an unusual choice for favours, but, prepared and presented in tiny pots they make a memorable keepsake for any wedding guest. And that is precisely what the happy couple wants, a memorable wedding day.
