Wedding favours: Yay or nay?
If you're getting stuck into the wedding planning process, you'll undoubtedly have plenty to be dealing with in terms of deciding what to incorporate into your big day. There are numerous traditions, including ones unique to your family or even your religion, that will make the cut, and likely others that will fall by the wayside.
The tradition of giving wedding guest favours is one such debatable area. Once you've picked out your perfect wedding dress and put the deposit down on your venue, do you need to spend that little bit extra on presents for anybody else?
"Favours certainly are an additional expense and if you're on a tight budget, it's perfectly fine to skip them," notes Brides Magazine. "But there are ways to be economical about wedding favours. And when they're done right, they are a thoughtful way to thank your guests for sharing your wedding day with you."
A gift from the past
Like the wedding bouquet, giving wedding favours is a tradition thought to stem from various countries throughout Europe. It takes the form of bomboniere in Italy and bonbonniere in France – small trinket boxes often filled with confectionery.
Now, brides and grooms are known to honour their guests' presence with small, even novelty gifts. However, there are some couples who are known to arrange lavish 'favours' for their invitees.
Keeping things in proportion
One way to incorporate favours without breaking the bank is to give them out exclusively to the bridesmaids and groomsmen. That way you can give close friends and family members a small thank you gift for all their help with wedding planning, as well as a token by which to remember the day.
Focus your energy on finding something unique for the maid of honour and the best man, and then smaller gifts for the wider bride and groom party.
Unique favours
A wedding favour doesn't always have to be bundled up and tied with a bow. Edible party favours are a huge trend for 2015 – customise a sweet treat with a personalised label and voila!
You could always hire a photo booth, where your guests can take home retro style photo strips as a nice memento.
Show off your creativity
Why not give your guests something unique by hand-making your favours? This could be as simple as baked goods, or Jordan almonds in boxes or small sachets.
Other ideas include homemade jam, as well as small plants such as succulents or herbs in customised pots. You can even pick up some old vinyl records from a second-hand store and decorate them with the names of your guests.