Recently I found myself asking where the idea and tradition of wedding favors came from when I was questioning even having them in a wedding at all. After a quick search, I found that the tradition is an old one that first started with bonbonnieres, which signified wealth or royalty. After the price of sugar decreased, it became more common for gifts to be given to guests from couples with a moderate budget. As time went on, it became tradition for these gifts to be given at weddings, especially in the United States and Canada.
Just because something is considered tradition doesn’t mean it will always fit into your wedding or into your budget. So here I am saying (gasp!) that it’s okay to break tradition. If you’re on a budget, my first recommendation is to cut wedding favors. More often than not do the wedding favors get quickly forgotten by the guests and if they’re not truly practical, they’ll most likely end up as dust collectors or quickly in the trash. Don’t let your money be wasted that way!
However, it is completely understandable if you want to keep wedding favors for your wedding. In that case, to get the most from your budget, look into edible wedding favors! Having your wedding favors be edible eliminates the ability for them to become dust collectors or get thrown out. Moreover, they can also be incorporated into the decor of your wedding — then they’re not only your wedding favors, but also your decorations!
For example, consider doing a candy bar table at your wedding, and personalize the candy to your wedding colors, like the above picture with the pinks and the purples. This would be a great place to have personalized M&Ms. Then leave cellophane bags and scoops for your guests to help themselves to create their own wedding favors at the end of the night.
Other edible wedding favors ideas are:
- Chocolate Dipped Strawberries – Get these strawberries and put them in individual boxes for each guest. On each box, put their table number assignment and they can be enjoyed by the guest once at their assigned table!
- Dot Pops – These cake pops are all the rave! They are decorative and delicious, as they come in many different flavors and colors. Arrange these dot pops as a centerpiece for each of your tables, and then add the table number to the centerpiece as well. This will allow your guests to find their assigned table, as well as enjoy a sweet snack at their leisure during your celebration!
- Chocolate Covered Photo-Krispy Treats – It is common for couples to want to include their picture in their wedding favor, and these chocolate covered rice krispy photo treats can be creative vessel to do so. Choose as many photos as you would like to share to be placed on the treats. If you would like for your guests to be able to choose their photo, then set these up on a separate table surrounded by other pictures in frames. This table is a cute decoration that will personalize the wedding and bring back memories for those people who also might be in the pictures with you. If you are doing assigned seating, these can be used for table assignments. Print and place labels on each individual treat that will tell each guest which table they are at.
Whether you decide to do wedding favors or not, make sure you love what you choose, but don’t be afraid to break tradition or have a little fun! After all, it is your day!
