Our Favorite Favors
By Christine Boulton, owner www.thinklikeabride.com
The really memorable favors I have received fall in to one of two categories: delicious things to eat or things I really have used.
Some wedding favors just get left on the table; some are politely taken home before they are thrown out or stashed in a drawer. How sad. Even if you think the glass coaster with your wedding portrait is the cutest thing ever, chances are that that your guests won’t. Oh, OK, maybe Aunt Sally will agree, but your groom’s frat brothers sure won’t. The same goes for that precious little Adirondack chair place card holder. A flock of 200, one at every place is cute; but seriously what am I going to do with a single miniature deck chair?! I don’t have a lot of five-inch tall guests! So put on your thinking cap and ponder what you might use after someone else’s wedding.
A couple that I found that fit the useful criteria are these stylish luggage tags and a cool little champagne bucket kitchen timer. Both are useful, gender neutral and festive but not sappy romantic. Remember, right now you are most likely feeling more “hearts and flowers” romantic than ever, but your guests maybe not so much.
By far, the single best favor I have ever received was a “Post-Party Recovery” kit. It had a pack of Aleve, Alka Seltzer, bottled water, foot soak, and a pretty little sleep mask. The next morning, I loved that hostess! While it certainly wasn’t something I would put in my china cabinet, it will never be forgotten. Isn’t that really the point?
The other way to go is edible. Everyone loves a treat, and I bet it won’t get left on a table or stashed in a drawer!
First is the ever-popular candy buffet. Part of the reason they are so popular is because they are beautiful. To really do it right, don’t just think of it as a visual display; make it chock-full of childhood favorites. All those guilty little pleasures you and your groom loved as kids will bring back memories for all your guests.
You can never go wrong with chocolate. Think sinful brownies or decadent truffles. Another trend is to have elaborately decorated sugar cookies tucked into cellophane bags and tied with a pretty ribbon. Add a note mentioning how sweet it was to share the day with them.
Cookies and milk. Arrange with your caterer to have platters of warm cookies at the exit. Provide your guests with a tiny bakery bag to fill with cookies and finish the deal with little cartons of milk. Put a note in the bags thanking your guests and wishing them sweet dreams.
Face it, we live in the land of Krispy Kreme. You can arrange with the caterer to deliver warm donuts as your guests are leaving. If the event is ending late enough, you can arrange to have a stack of the early edition of the Sunday paper there as well.
You don’t have to have wedding favors; you are not at risk of the wedding police coming and putting you in chains. But if you choose to give them, here are the keys to remember:
· Make them fun
· Make them memorable
· No one cares as much about your monogram as you do
Christine Boulton has been a professional in the wedding industry for more than 20 years. She is the owner of www.thinklikeabride.com and currently serves as a marketing consultant to some of the industry’s largest vendors. Christine, who is known for her never-ending stream of research and always knowing and understanding what brides want, is published regularly in this and various other magazines and blogs.
