If you are a bride looking for inspiration for your wedding favors, then you have probably read a hundred or more articles telling you that your wedding favors should be ‘unique’. However this implies favors that are one-offs, one-of-a-kind and definitely something that your guests will never have received before or are never likely to again.
If this was the case then most favor stores would go out of business very quickly! Implying that favors have to be unique will rule out just about everything in the favor stores, from candles to photo frames, coasters to bottle stoppers. With millions of these items sold each year how can they possibly be unique?
So now you’re totally confused! How do you create unique wedding favors? Well first I should explain that when people refer to favors being unique what they really mean is that they coordinate to your wedding. As every bride will design their wedding differently, from their wedding color combinations to the graphics on their stationery, no two weddings will be the same. So in order to make your favors coordinate and therefore become unique you need to make them in your wedding colors, add decorative touches that match or coordinate with your stationery and make them coordinate with the style and/or theme of your wedding. Whilst the favor itself maybe something that your guests have received ten times over at previous weddings, it is the packaging and presentation that make them unique.
For something totally unique, from the favor itself to the packaging, then you have to look at homemade favors. For those who are creatively minded this is an easy job and one which they probably have well underway already. But if you are not very artistic or creative then you may already be about to turn away from this article in search of something else. But don’t, there are plenty of wedding favors you could make at home that are so easy your five years old niece could do them!
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Printed scrolls – so easy to produce on your home computer. You can print out recipes, poems or short stories. If you have some desk top publishing software (there are some good programs available free on the internet) you can add stylish graphics or photographs. Choose some nice quality paper to print them out on and roll them up like scrolls and secure with ribbon.
CD’s – these have been a popular wedding favor idea for some years now, what makes them unique is the choice of music you put on them. Copyright is something of a grey area so you should do a little further research on this before committing to making them. Many people can produce CD’s on their home computers, but if you are concerned about time and quality of recordings then find a professional to do it for you. You can also get kits which will give you everything you need to produce your own labels and cases.
DVD’s – you could make up video discs perhaps containing a funny message from you both or compilation of short films. Choose something that interests you both and make a short documentary about it.
Plant seedlings – you don’t have to be green fingered to grow plants from seed and these make lovely wedding favors. Choose something which will be present at your wedding, such as a type of flower that will be in your bouquet or alternatively herbs make a great choice and are very easy to grow. Plant your seeds in large trays and when big enough you can pot them into small terracotta pots. Don’t forget to include some details on what the plant is and how to look after it.
Scented sachets – these little smelly bags are the type of thing you might place in your underwear drawer or even just hang on the bed post! Choose some nice fabric such as silk, lace or linen, and then make a template from card. Your bags can be any shape such as square, heart even flower shaped. You will need to cut two pieces for each sachet, then sew them together – you can do this with a machine or by hand. If you want a finish that hides the stitches then sew with a machine with right sides together, if you want to show the stitches or perhaps have a nice border round the edge, then sew by hand with embroidery silk leaving a small border as you sew round. Sew the bag sides together but remember to leave a small opening at the top so you can put your contents in, these could be pot-pourri, lavender seeds or something else which could be scented with essential oils. Before you sew the top up, add a loop of ribbon so your guests can hang them up if they want.
