One of the simplest ways to let your wedding theme come through is by giving your guests a wedding favor. Your wedding favor can be something sweet to eat on the way home, a small trinket or a charitable donation. To help you decide how to distribute favors at your wedding, here are the three most-asked questions about wedding favors.
Q. Is it mandatory to give favors?
A. There are two schools of thought on the subject. Some believe that, no, favors are not needed. After all, you're already wining and dining your nearest and dearest. Others think you should show your appreciation to guests for taking time out of their lives to celebrate with you. We tend to agree with the latter. This
doesn't mean that you have to sweep guests off their feet with an Oscar-style gift bag, rather, some nicely packaged truffles or sugar cookies is enough to show you care. Plus, it's the little details that take your wedding up a notch: from a ho-hum gathering to a stylish celebration. Or, if you feel there's a better use for your money than personalized pencil sharpeners, make a donation in each guest's name to charity.
Q. I am giving our wedding guests traditional tulle-wrapped candied almonds. We also have a lot of children attending the wedding. Should we give them these favors too?
A. The kids at the wedding aren't likely to appreciate the candied almonds, but they should receive some sort of comparable wedding favor. How about a handful of jellybeans wrapped in clear cellophane and tied with a bow to match your wedding-day colors? Or if you want the kiddie favors to have the same look and feel as the adult favors, consider giving a cluster of colorful foil-wrapped chocolate eggs that resemble the shape and colors of the colored candied almonds. Today, many couples are foregoing children's favors in lieu of gift bags to keep the young ones occupied and entertained during the reception. Include coloring books and crayons, small toys, kid-friendly candies, and travel games.
Q. I would really like to give favors to my guests at the reception. However, we are having a buffet-style dinner with no assigned seating. How do I make sure that everyone gets a favor?
A. Why not set up a table with your favors near the exit at the reception with a note saying something like, "Thank you so much for being here with us. Please take one"? This way, guests won't miss them, and can simply pick up a favor on their way out. There will also be no worry of them misplacing their favors during the reception or forgetting them on the tables before they leave. And because the favors will simply be waiting in the wings, you won't have to worry about misplacing them or figuring out going to give them away.
-- The Knot
Photo: Images by Berit/The Knot
RELATED LINK: See favors from real weddings!