Shots Photography

Cheap Wedding Favors

Planning a wedding of any size or budget can have numerous items that may be quite costly. In addition to planning for the dress and cake, a bride will want to spend thought considering the wedding favors for her guests. These small tokens of appreciation don't have to be expensive. Frequently, the most enjoyable part of planning a wedding, is the selection of the wedding favor. Preparation for right the token at the least possible cost adds to the fun, allowing the bride a chance to tap into creative talents.

The practice of providing gifts to the guests of weddings began with European aristocrats who would endow guests with a fancy box called a bonboniere, named for the bonbons that it would protect. A bonboniere was crafted of crystal, porcelain or gold and could be encrusted with precious stones. Today these gifts for the guests, are known as wedding favors and is a tradition that has continued worldwide since the sixteenth century. A common belief of many cultures worldwide was, that the wedding couple was the focus of benevolent spirits who brought good luck. They believed that the same auspicious luck could be passed on to anything they touched. Betrothed couples would give small items to others in the village to share same good luck, that was expected to last a year.

For more than a thousand years, almonds were a common gift given to the wedding couple, signifying the good wishes on their new life together. Brides would choose to pass on those same good wishes to others by preparing a small gift of the almonds, beautifully wrapped in elegant fabric. The custom in the Middle East is for the bride to make a gift of five almonds to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness. In the thirteenth century the trend of coating almonds in sugar became popular. Today the candy coated nuts are pastel adorned treats, known as Jordan almonds and remain a staple of many wedding celebrations. Jordan almonds provide one of the most common and inexpensive wedding favors when wrapped by delicate fabric to form small bundles tied with ribbon.

Wedding favors are typically presented to guests at the reception table, but can be distributed at the end of an informal gathering of coffee and cake. Brides have learned be very creative when it comes to selecting wedding favors that won't go over budget, and still honor all of her guests. The trends may vary each year, but the favors a bride selects are never out of fashion. Recent favorites have included flower seeds packaged in transparent, frosted envelopes with a small sentimental card attached with a ribbon commemorating the event. Decorative candles tied with a delicate ribbon are another great item to show sentiment and many can be purchased for about one dollar. Custom designed bookmarks with personalized sentiments can be cherished by guests for a lifetime. Today's desktop publishing software and quality papers greatly reduce the cost compared to the costs of using a professional printer.

The art of presenting wedding favors, provides unlimited possibilities for a couple to express gratitude to guests for being present at the event. Wedding favors serve a dual purpose of allowing the bride to express herself emotionally or creatively and can be chosen to provide décor to the reception table. The selection of inexpensive favors doesn't have to compromise quality or elegance. Simple placecards in small decorative frames or placecard holders will make a lasting gift selection. Frames and placecard holders can be made with a variety of materials from ceramic to stainless steel, for about a dollar each. Decorative candles, soaps and cookies are easily found in a variety of shapes from cupids to wedding cakes. Stylish bottle stoppers and bottle openers are available in a variety of shapes and crafted in frosted glass or stainless steel.

If a bride is open minded to a wide range of gift items when shopping, it's possible to find excellent prices on bulk purchases, or closeouts from retailers that specialize in wedding paraphernalia. Avoid having gifts engraved or personalized, as that will greatly drive the prices up. If it is desired to personalize an item, consider custom designed labels for chocolates, coffee or packages of tea assortments. Although prices for private labeled chocolate bars can be about $2.00 each, a bride or her friends can design and print unique labels with a home computer. Candy bars can be picked up at the local grocery for as little as a quarter each or bought in bulk from a club store.

The presentation of wedding favors is a time honored tradition and provides the bridegroom couple with an excellent means to share feelings with those they care about. Wedding favors continue to be one element of the wedding, where presentation and imagination have a greater value than the price of the item.

Wedding Favors Info provides personalized, homemade, cheap, and unique wedding favors, including chocolate and cookie favors, wedding favor boxes, wedding shower favors, and more. Wedding Favors Info is the sister site of Wedding Invitations Web.

MORE ARTICLES:

Videographers Could Learn A Thing From Photography
Wedding photographers and videographers are often the center of a love/hate relationship. Perhaps it's their shooting mentality, ego, or business interests. As a videographer I find this unfortunate because photography is a very powerful medium that can be used for video production. Some of my best work resulted from a combination of photographs and video. In fact, I don't even need to be a great photographer to still come up with a great edit. Let me explain ...

He Pays, She Pays: A General Guide to Wedding Expenses
Organizing your own wedding is never easy Setting a budget is even harder

Winter Wedding Accessories
An increasing number of brides are choosing to avoid summer weather worries and are opting instead for a winter wedding, when a little snow, fog or even rain can only add to the romance and atmosphere of the day. Winter weddings are perfect for indulging your magpie-like tendencies and choosing to really sparkle. You could accentuate the magic of the season by incorporating snowflakes in your theme. These beautiful symbols of winter can add a touch of magic to your day in many ways. Or choose to dazzle with ice queen accessories which will melt his heart.

Michelle's Bridal/ M2 Prom, Illinois' Formal Wear Resource, Announces Opening of New Storefront Offering Homecoming, Prom, Wedding Party Dresses
Michelle's Bridal has announced the completed expansion of its regional bridal and formal wear resource. Sister-store M2, provider of prom and special occasion dress, is situated within the newly completed Michelle's Bridal façade and offers a complement of style options and services. This Midwest retailer, centrally located in Urbana, Illinois, is committed to providing elegant formal attire for weddings, proms, homecomings and all special occasions.

Turn The Wedding Bell Blues Into Ways To Lose
For June brides, planning for that perfect wedding is now fully under way. It's the time for heading to bridal shows, florists, caterers, etc. It's also the time for prospective brides to start thinking about how they want to look on their big day

Consider These Before You Choose a Wedding Planner
It is very true that it is not easy to plan for a wedding In fact, it is a very difficult task

Babylon Productions Expanding their Suite of Services in Toronto - Photography Video Dj Limo for Weddings & Most Memorable Occasions
Babylon Productions excels in capturing and retelling the true story of an event from start to finish. Every special event like a wedding, baptism, or any special occasion always has certain moments that are remembered and cherished forever and make it personal to you.

Wide Variety in Unique Wedding Favors & Bridal Shower Favors
Weddings are a big business these days. Personalized wedding favors and other unique wedding favors, as well as bridal shower favors, can range from very-simple to over-the-top. The costs can be modest or absolutely platinum, depending on the budget. Unique wedding favors and bridal shower favors are a time-honored tradition dating back hundreds of years with choices varying from simple and tasteful to extraordinary. And personalized wedding favors especially are a way of thanking both the wedding guests for attending your wedding and those who have helped you with your wedding plans.

Do-It-Yourself Wedding Invitation Guide
Think creatively and add a personal touch to your special event with do-it-yourself wedding invitations. When your friends inquire about the invitation designer, you can proudly say you did them yourself, just don't tell them it was easy.

How To Set A Wedding Budget
As a professional wedding planner, I?m often tasked with calming stressed brides and helping them work through wedding dilemmas By far, the issue that causes the most stress is money

Your Simple Guide On How To Plan A Wedding
So you are interested in planning your own wedding? Well here is a simple guide on how to plan a wedding.

Landscape Photography - Capture the Beauty That is All Around
There are many different types of photography. You can take pictures of anything and there is someone out there somewhere who would like to see the pictures that you take.

Wedding Favors: Terrific Tabletop Freebies For Your Guests
Our Favorite Favors: Terrific Tabletop Freebies for Your Guests Sugared almonds are no longer such a sweet treat and personalized matchbooks long ago lost their flare Today's couples are opting for more inventive, one-of-a-kind items to place near guests' place cards

Digital Photography: The RAW vs JPG Debate
If you use a digital camera (I use a Canon EOS Digital Rebel/300D myself) and that camera is an SLR, then it most likely can record images in RAW format. In general, you should record your images at the highest resolution possible.