Wedding Favors & Wedding Planning

Your wedding favors can cost a substantial amount, especially when you add in the cost of packaging and decorations. Times this by a very large guest list and you could be facing a very big bill! But there are ways in which you can save money on your wedding favors as long as you begin looking for your favors early in your wedding planning .

Firstly do some research on the cost of favors and the various favor stores available to you. The majority of wedding favors retailers are online these days which provides you with an easy way of comparing stores. Check out stores which offer discounts, incentives and special offers, all of which can save you a substantial amount on your favors budget.

Making your own favors is often cheaper than buying ready made versions from favor stores. Custom cookies for example are a popular favor at the moment, but they are expensive. Making your own at home will save you money and give you unique favors personal to you. Just make sure you don’t try to do anything too elaborate or above your own capabilities.

If you are having a large wedding with a long guest list then look for wholesalers where you can save money by buying in bulk. The prices on offer at a wholesaler are often much cheaper than those in retail stores, although you will have to adhere to a minimum spend amount or quantity. Don’t worry though if you end up with more than you need, it gives you the chance to make some money back by selling them on.

Supermarkets are a good place to find wedding favors. Things like candles, coffee, tea and chocolates can all be found in store and will cost you less than buying the same product from favor stores. Things like tea and coffee will need to be decanted into small packages, however this is not difficult or time consuming. Other stores to consider for favors are gift stores, stationers, craft stores and department stores, particularly around sale time!

Be innovative with your packaging. In some cases consider whether or not you actually need packaging. Candles for instance look nice with just a piece of ribbon tied around them with your favor tag on. Packaging can contribute heavily to your budget and when you add in the cost of decorations as well, it can instantly double the cost. Reducing the amount of packaging you use also has an environmental impact.

During the second half of your wedding planning you will be mainly concerning yourself with the smaller details and finishing touches of your wedding day. These decorative elements also include your wedding favors, however these little gifts should be one of your first concerns as they can prove a little tricky to perfect.

Finding the right wedding favors can leave many brides frustrated and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choice that is available on the market today. Add to that the endless amount of suggestions for homemade wedding favors and for most brides the task of picking the best can seem a fruitless one! However, if you approach your favors in the right way and early enough in your wedding planning you can achieve beautiful favors with a minimal amount of fuss.

To being with you need to go back to your wedding budget which you should have drawn up at the start of your planning and refresh your memory as to how much money you set aside for your wedding favors. This figure needs to be realistic and calculated on a per head basis rather than assigning a lump sum. It also needs to include packaging, decorations, tags, shipping (if buying mail order) and any applicable taxes.

By the time you come around to buying you favors you should have a much better idea of how guests you will need to buy for, so you can adjust the budget should you need to claw back some money because of an overspend elsewhere, or because your original budget was not enough.

Now you need to find wedding favors which coordinate with your wedding style or theme if you are having one. Discount any that do not match and which you do not like. Next you will need to consider color choices and eliminate those that do not coordinate with your wedding color scheme or which cannot be packaged to fit in.

Finally, you need to discount any that you do not like yourself. Weddings are full of the personality and taste of the couple who are getting married, that is what makes them so unique and personal. This same principle needs to be applied to your favors as well, so if you do not like it or would not appreciate receiving it yourself, take it off the list.

All things being well you should now have a list of potential which is more manageable. Assess your budget once more and consider how you will package and present your favors to your guests. Boxes, bags and tins can add $ to the cost but will help towards making your favors that little bit more unique and personal. In some cases a simple ribbon and tag is sufficient, so think carefully about how you want them to look and what you can afford to spend.

The final choice then is really down to you, it maybe that one particular favor stands out above the rest, or two or three seem to be what you are looking for. Remember, you don’t have to give each guest the same thing, and in the case of couples it can be nice if each of them receives something different. Shop around for deals and check out wholesalers if you need to buy a very large quantity, it can save you far more money than buying in bulk from favor merchants.