Lord Thompson Manor Estate Wedding Blog

Author: Joe Palladino

If you are beginning to get stressed about your upcoming wedding maybe you should get a little help. In this article we will give you some ideas if you decide to ask someone to choose your wedding favors for you.

You may feel you have so many details to attend to including choosing the right caterer, what type of centerpieces are going to be on the table, who’s going to be the ushers, where is the wedding going to be held, where is everybody coming in from out of town going to stay, and so on. There are just so many details that it is almost overwhelming.

You are probably an expert on list making by now. When it comes to choosing wedding favors and maybe asking for some help you can start by jotting down a few these ideas.

1. First of all, if you’re going to ask somebody to help you choose wedding favors you want to pick a very close friend or family that you can trust.

2. Both of you should use Internet as much as possible for research.

3. If it’s really someone you can trust, you might even allow them full rein on choosing the right favor for your wedding. Of course you have final say once all of the preliminary details have been looked at.

4. No matter who you choose you want to make sure everyone knows your budget. You want to have a definite number that you do not want to go over. This could include a minimum and a maximum with maybe a goal of landing somewhere in the middle.

For example let’s say that your budget is $1500, but you would prefer to spend around a $1000. They may come up with wedding favors for your wedding that end up costing you $1250 which is less than your budgeted amount.

6. It could be helpful to both of you that the person you are going to let choose your favors knows little bit about your personal tastes and what you’re looking for. You may want to do a little bit of preliminary research and steer them towards a specific website with some ideas that they can look at before you sit down with them to make a final decision.

7. One final thing to be sure of is that they’re aware of the total number of guests that will be coming to your to your wedding. You obviously don’t want to come up shorthanded and have more guests than wedding favors.

If you’re not sure how many people will be showing up then try and err on the side of caution. By that I mean, if you are unsure on the number of guests that will be attending try and have a few extra on hand if you can still keep the total under your budgeted amount.

Author: Yasmin Shikina

1. Fill boxes with your favorite cookies or candies, M&M’s now has monogrammed candies in your wedding colors. You can anything from a favorite saying to your names or initials on the candies. Adorn the boxes with colorful silk flowers (most likely the flower that is carried throughout the theme of the wedding). You can also carry the color theme in your favors by wrapping your boxes in pretty ribbon to match. You can forget the flowers and ribbons and simply close the box and seal it with a monogrammed sticker. Very elegant.

2. Give each guest or couple a compilation of you and your fiancés favorite music- on a CD with a personalized cover. If you are not sure of what song, how about tunes that where popular when you first met and/or while you where dating or maybe a soundtrack from the first movie you went to see together or the first concert you both attended. If you each have your own band or group you enjoy you can put your favorite group on side A and his on side B. This will give your guest a nice variety. What ever you choose your guest can enjoy the music long after the wedding is over.

3. Bulbs or seeds make a great favor to give guest. The state flower, your favorite perennial or the theme flower in the wedding can be given in a packet of seeds or a bulb attached with a personal note from the bride and groom. You can place the packet of seeds or bulb in a beautifully decorated pot. Small plants such as a bonsai wrapped in pretty colored ribbon are also very special.

4. Your favorite book of poems or writings by a much love author makes a great favor. A book about the city or state the wedding is taking place in can also make an attractive favor. The theme or type of book you decide to give is endless. It can be anything that has personal meaning to either you or the groom. Think outside the box and give from the heart. The inside of the book cover can be inscribed by the bride and groom with thank you or well wishes can create a very personal touch.

5. Donations made to a cause near and dear to the bride and grooms heart exceptionally unique. I once had a friend make a donation in my name for my birthday. I thought it was an amazing idea and very personal. Attached to the note was a small token of remembrance. To this day when I catch a glimpse of the token it warms my heart. Remember to create a note card letting your guest know you have made a donation in their name to a charity or your choice. Let them know a little about the charity or organization you have made the donation to, why that particular charity is so special to you. Finally, remember to thank your guest….. after all they did make a donation to a worthy cause.

Author: Kate Walling

We’ve all left weddings with them: a small picture frame; a chocolate bar with the bride & groom’s married name on the wrapper; even a monogrammed match box. Where do these tokens of thanks end up? Under the car seat, in the junk drawer or, yes, in the garbage (are you supposed to keep the wrapper once you’ve eaten the chocolate?).

Though they have become a standard of a traditional wedding, the wedding favor has really lost its edge over the years. Of course you could drop a few extra bucks per person on something more impressive, but is it worth it?

A wedding favor doesn’t need to be flashy or expensive. In this case, the sentiment “it’s the thought that counts,” really means something. You can say “thanks” to the family and friends who help you celebrate your big day with a small gift that “gives” forever: a recipe.

First, you have to pick the right recipe. Here are some suggestions:

Go with something regional or seasonal: Does your family put its own twist on a favorite regional dish? Is it warm, comforting soup season, or summer grilling season? Think of something your guests will want to make the night after your wedding.

Choose something from your wedding menu: Talk to the caterer about using a recipe from one of your menu items. Or, provide the recipe for a special wedding cocktail served.

Get sentimental: Is there a special dish between you and your husband-to-be?

Celebrate family tradition: Is there a traditional food associated with the wedding celebration in your family?

Family recipes are best, but don’t be afraid to consult a cookbook: If you can’t find a perfect family recipe, visit the library or the Internet and find a recipe for one of your favorite dishes.

You don’t have to stop at one recipe: If you can’t decide between two or three, use them all. Then, guests won’t all get the same thing.

Once you’ve selected the recipe or recipes, it’s time to consider packaging. Here are some ideas:

•Present the recipe on the side of a custom food box; nutrition facts can be fun facts about you and your group.

•Write the recipe on a writable desert plate. Once the goodies are gone, the recipe remains.

•Pack non-perishable items or food into a take-out box, include recipe on box.

•Make your own printed gift bags with your monogram; put your favorite food and the recipe inside (cookies would be my choice!). Fold the bag over; punch two holes and slide a ribbon through.

•Use a double-sided picture frame; recipe on one side, special picture on the other side.

•Design recipe cards that match your wedding décor; print the recipe on one side and use the other for table assignments.

•Attach the recipe to a non-perishable ingredient – like vanilla extract or other spice.

Recipes make fabulous shower favors as well. If you’re planning a shower for a bride-to-be, ask all guests to include their favorite recipes in their gifts. Or, ask them to include them with their RSVP and put together a custom cookbook for the bride.