Wedding Decorations Tips

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How wild and crazy can I go with a wedding bubbles theme?

Wedding Bubbles

You might skimp on flowers, food, an expensive DJ, or the price you pay for wedding favors, but there's no excuse for skimping on wedding bubbles! It's probably one of the easiest, least expensive, and most memorable themes to carry through your wedding day. Where's your wedding ceremony going to take place? If there are no restrictions on wedding ceremony decorations fill the place with round, white, helium filled balloons. Scatter them everywhere in groups to get the feel or sense of being surrounded by bubbles. Don't forget to set individual mini bubble wedding favors out for the guests to use at the reception. Nobody will be able to resist blowing a few bubbles your way.

If you want to push the boundaries of the wedding bubbles theme, put big bubblegum balls in wedding favor containers and challenge your guests to a bubble blowing contest! Fill vases with brightly colored marbles to add to the wedding bubbles theme and use them as wedding table decorations.

For wedding favors ideas, leave your guests bubble bath beads. Ready to take the whole wedding bubbles theme even further? Hand out sheets of bubble wrap to your guests and let them pop the bubbles. It's crazy, but you were warned! Bubbles are hugely fun and make excellent wedding favors and wedding decorations. Don't let anyone burst that bubble of an idea!

   

Make Your Own Wedding Favors

Making your own wedding favors are a frugal way to create charming gift favors for your wedding guests without breaking your budget. Wedding favors do not have to be complex to be attractive and useful. Homemade wedding favors also have a certain charm to them and they can be very unique, because you cannot buy them anywhere.

   
Is wine an appropriate wedding favor?

Wedding Favors For Everyone

The best thing about having smaller weddings is that you probably know the guests a little better. If you're tenth cousin twice removed and all her children are at the wedding, you may not realize that alcohol is strictly off their menu choice. That's why it's a good idea, if you're going to have wine wedding favors, to offer other non-alcoholic choices that are as equally appealing. A personalized bottle of sparkling water is just as elegant as a fine bottle of wine, and it's also thoughtful.

Instead of trying to specifically target the people who prefer not to drink alcoholic beverages, set bottles of wine at every table along with a few bottles of sparkling water. That way, your guests can choose the wedding favors they'd like to have and nobody feels singled out.

To keep with the wine wedding favor theme, fill large glass bowls with fresh grapes and use them as wedding reception decorations.

If wine isn't your thing, there are all kinds of wedding favor ideas and nothing says you have to stick with one type of wedding favor for every guest. Fill a basket with a variety of wedding favors (wedding bubbles, for example, and other inexpensive wedding favors) and bring one to each guest. Have the guest pick his or her own wedding favor. It's a great time to say a few words to the guests, share a laugh, and thank them personally for being at your wedding.

   
What are some good wedding favor ideas?

Wedding Favor Ideas for Your Wedding

Wedding favor ideas are a part of the décor, a part of the theme and they are entities unto themselves. So if you are looking for some wedding favor ideas, let's talk about the options that are out there such as:

  • Bookmarks
  • Silver Pieces
  • Crystal Pieces
  • Picture Frames
  • Jordan Almonds
  • Boxes of Mints
  • Boxes of Chocolates
  • Hershey's Chocolates
  • Champagne Flutes
  • Favor Boxes
  • Gourmet Coffee
  • Specialty Teas
  • Organza Bags
  • Tulle Bags
  • Lace Bags
You can create your own wedding favors. You can look for wedding favor ideas on the Internet. You can get suggestions for wedding favors from your family, your husband to be's family and even your wedding planner. You can design your wedding favor ideas from the time of the year, the holidays closest to the wedding and even where you are getting married.

Destination weddings offer some of the more interesting wedding favor ideas. A wedding in wine country for example might suggest a small wine bottle as a wedding favor. A wedding at Disney World might suggest a Disney themed wedding favor like a glass slipper. A wedding at Christmas time might inspire small Christmas presents containing candies or nuts.

You can discover wedding favor ideas everywhere and in every part of the wedding itself. Discover your wedding favor ideas in the design of your wedding, the time of the year or the season.

   
How can you save money on your wedding?

Make Your Own Wedding Favors

Weddings can be very expensive. Whether you do all the planning yourself, including making the food for the reception, hosting the wedding in your home or yard and setting up the floral arrangements yourself, you are going to be spending money. The more guests you have, the more expensive the wedding will be. One of the ways you can save money at your wedding is to make your own wedding favors.

Homemade wedding favors can include such charming ideas as the votive candle holder. These are very simple and yet look classical in their setting on the guest tables. If you like chocolate, you can wander through the craft stores and find a series of different things that you can place your chocolates in such as glass slippers.

Another popular idea for homemade wedding favors is bottles of decorative sand. While this may not sound like much of a favor, consider the fact that the wedding favor should reflect some aspect of the wedding. If the wedding is as beach ceremony and the reception is hosted with decorations of seashells and ocean themes, a bottle of decorative sand is the ideal. That's the beauty of making your own wedding favors, they can tell the story you want them to tell and accent the theme you want it to accent.

   
How can I get beyond traditional wedding table decorations?

Wedding Table Decorations

Wedding table decorations don't have to be traditional bouquets of flowers, especially if you want something different from the rest. Sure you've got some nifty wedding favors, but do you really want your wedding table decorations to remind people of a funeral home? Of course not! Put some punch into your wedding table decorations by trying out one of these ideas:

1) Completely fill huge glass bowls with every imaginable kind of candy. Keep it colorful! With something to snack on between meal courses and long speeches, your guests will love you forever. If big glass bowls are too much to fill, you can fill long stemmed glassware for the same effect. Bunch them in the middle of the table with streamers curled around them.

2) They sound unattractive, but LED white withered trees look really great as decorations. Unfortunately, they're usually too big (four feet) to be used as wedding table decorations, but you can scatter them around the room and then extend the look to the tabletop by coiling white LED lights around the center of each table.

3) Colored sand is interesting and can be layered into vases, glasses, fish bowls, or any kind of clear container for an intriguing effect.

4) Take large soup-bowl-type mugs and fill them with coffee beans. Put a stick of cinnamon into each and arrange the mugs in a circle at the center of the table.

Wedding table decorations can be used to make a social statement (like stacking non-perishable food goods and asking your guests to bring something to the food bank), the decorations can be subtle, or as wild and wacky as setting up a Lite Bright at every table with your names pegged in white onto the panels.

   
What are some unique ideas for candle wedding favors?

Candle Wedding Favors

Candles make good gifts whether they're for birthdays, anniversaries, or weddings. You can get candles in pretty much any shape or form you want. For example, if you need beach wedding favors, you can buy beach pail candle holders to go with the theme. If you're getting married in the fall, you can buy autumn-inspired candles. There are snowflake candles, gel candles, tea candles, votives, candles that look like three-tiered wedding cakes, mini coffee cup candles, and any other candle you can imagine.

Candles are very traditional, so if you're going for a more alternative approach to your wedding favors, consider doing something really different like bundling sticks of incense together and tying them with ribbon. Then again, if you just can't get candle wedding favors out of your mind, you can still exercise a little creativity and originality by making your own candles. Visit a craft retailer for DIY kits. Keeping with the whole candle theme, you could also place candles into empty wine bottles and light them until the candles begin to melt. The melted wax will form long tendrils down the base of the wine bottle, making elegant candle wedding favors. Instead of using full-sized bottles, try small candles and small bottles for the same effect.

   
Is it possible to come up with cheap wedding favor ideas that aren't tacky?

Chic And Cheap Wedding Favors

Why spend all of your hard-earned money on really extravagant wedding favors when you can buy or make your own wedding favors that are equally nice, but a lot less money? If you're pressed for time, or you're really not into the arts & crafts scene, take a look at different bridal websites and go straight to the “clearance” or “sale” page. There's no sense paying full price if you can get what you want at half the price.

Wedding favors go on sale for all kinds of reasons. Stock might be discontinued, out of season, or not in high demand. When you start searching bridal websites, keep in mind that “clearance” doesn't necessarily mean cheap. To keep the price down (especially if you have to buy in large numbers) look for wedding favors that are in the ninety-nine cent or lower price range. For that price, you might get things like bookmarks, key chains, candles, or mint tins.

Another thing to take into consideration is that a small piece of carefully wrapped wedding cake is just as much a wedding favor as anything else. It's thoughtful, serves as a memento of the day, and it's cheaper than spending extra cash on trinkets.

If you're looking for really unique, cheap wedding favors, try one of these ideas:

-The bride and groom dip their thumbs into ink and press them on a square of tissue paper with a handwritten “thank you” on them.

-Create and personalize letters for each of the guests thanking them for sharing the day with you.

-Take lots of pictures and notes of things that happened at the wedding and post them to your website. Simply leave the guests a link to the website for them to enjoy later.

You see? Cheap wedding favors can also be chic!

   
Can you give me some good ideas for cheap wedding favors?

Cheap Wedding Favors

Cheap wedding favors come in all shapes and sizes and can fit into any wedding theme. Just because a wedding favor doesn't cost a lot of money, doesn't mean it isn't going to be appreciated or well received by the guests. The trick is turning the wedding favor into something wildly creative and fun, something your guests will remember forever.

You'll need to decide if you want the wedding favors to reflect the overall theme of the wedding, or if you want the wedding favors to reflect directly on you as a couple, your personality, your hopes, dreams, and fun sense of humor. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing. These can all be altered to fit your individual style. Take an idea and run with it! Turn it into something uniquely yours.

1) How about a DIY favor kit for the guests? If you're having a relatively large wedding, there's sometimes a period of time when the guests are waiting for the bride and groom to come back from having photos taken, etc. While the guests are waiting at the tables, why not leave them each a little something to keep them occupied? Buy small wedding tins, small white cardboard boxes, beads, a glue stick, ribbon, sparkles, etc. Leave them at each seat with an invitation to create the best wedding favor ever. Whatever they make is theirs to take home as a memento.

2) Instead of buying everyone a wedding favor, buy one or two “door prizes” and ask the guests to enter the names into a draw. Door prizes could be anything from a Dinner-For-Two gift certificate to a bottle of champagne.

3) Homemade treats always make great (and cheap) wedding favors. You don't have to order specialty cookies for the big day, make your own! If you're not sure about piping your initials or wedding date into the frosting, just spread a thin layer of white frosting over the cookies and dip them into fine white coconut, or shiny edible sparkles. Place one or two in a sheer organza favor bag and voila!

The choice is yours! Use your imagination and have fun creating your own cheap wedding favors.

   
I am trying to come up w/ a unique idea to give away my wedding reception centerpieces.

Wedding Centerpiece Give Away

There are many fun things you can do to give away the wedding centerpiece. For instance, many couples like to play a game of hot potato using a spoon from the table. The person left holding the spoon when the music stops, gets to take home the centerpiece.

Other couples like to put numbers in the corner of each place card. At the end of the evening, the disc jockey will pick several numbers at random. Those whose numbers are called get to take home centerpieces.

   
What are some good ideas for unique wedding favors?

Unique Wedding Favors

Unique wedding favors work really well when you have an unusual or off-beat wedding theme to work with. For example, fall wedding favors are easy to come up with when you're using an autumn theme. Unique wedding favors for that kind of wedding could be anything from pressed leaves wrapped in ribbon to a few tulip bulbs placed in a sheer organza bag for your guests to plant.

Unique wedding favors should trump traditional wedding favors. You want to come up with ideas that haven't been done a million times before. If time isn't on your side, you can do an Internet search for ideas at onsite stores like American Bridal, for example, where you'll find tons of ideas and unique wedding favors to choose from. If you're looking for unique, non-traditional wedding favor ideas, consider these unique wedding favors:

1) Astrology charts. This can take any form whether complete horoscopes written out for each astrological sign, or just one astrological sign and its significance based on your wedding date.

2) Take thumb prints of you and your spouse and stick them side-by-side on a beautiful sheet of parchment (on an angle to look like a heart). Turn that into your “signature” and write a thank-you note to your guests for being there.

3) Pretzels. That's right…pretzels. Who doesn't love them? Get some that are dipped in white chocolate and string a few onto some ribbons.

Have fun coming up with your own unique wedding favors and don't be afraid to go out on a limb. It's your wedding, your theme, and your unique wedding favors.

   
How do you create unique wedding favors?

Create Unique Wedding Favors

Creating a unique wedding favor does it require a great deal of skill. It simply means that you think outside of the box. We all have different ideas when you say the word "wedding." One person may imagine a very traditional, old world style ceremony with hundreds of guests while another may imagine a more modern Renaissance style wedding taking place at a Renaissance Faire with all of their guests attending in garb. You create unique wedding favors by creating a unique wedding atmosphere.

Begin creating your wedding favors by :

  • Choosing the Wedding Colors
  • Choosing the Wedding Theme
  • Choosing the Wedding Location
  • Choosing the Wedding Date
  • Choosing the Number of Wedding Guests
When you have decided on these things, you're halfway there to having your wedding plans envisioned. The number of wedding guests will play a large role in how unique your wedding favors are. If you are creating them yourself and you are planning to have 200 guests, you want plenty of time to get those wedding favors ready. Some unique wedding favor ideas that are popular for low and high budget weddings include:

  • Champagne Flowers
  • Slipper Kisses
  • Origami Silk Handkerchiefs
  • Glittery Wands
  • Decorative Vases
  • Scented Candles
  • Braided Ribbons
  • Crowns of Flowers
Talk to your wedding planner, visit a bridal show and bridal shops, you'll discover that there are a wide variety of ideas out there for creating your own unique wedding favors. Look at the different ideas, listen to everyone else's suggestions and find what traditional and unique wedding ideas that work for you best.

   
Do cheap wedding favors mean tacky?

Cheap Wedding Favors Are Another Way of Saying Frugal

Cheap wedding favors means frugal and inexpensive, and not burdensome to your budget wedding favors. With the rising cost of weddings it behooves brides and grooms to look for ways to cut back on their expenses. So just as expensive doesn't mean great class or great taste, cheap doesn't mean classless or tasteless.

Popular options for wedding favors that are also cheap are sachet favors made from lace or tulle. Candy, nuts and mints are great for putting in the center of the lace or tulle and then tying it together with ribbon makes a lovely accented wedding favor. You can find the lace, tulle and ribbon in fabric stores where you can purchase the items by the yard.

You can also create cheap wedding favors by avoiding item purchases that carry the word wedding or marriage on them. For example, buy in bulk from a party or grocery store or even a Sam's Wholesale Club rather than purchasing from a wedding shop. Bulk purchases actually reduce the amount of cost per individual item and when you buy from a standard party store, you can find any number of items that make up a charming wedding favor without excess expense.

The best part of cheap wedding favors is that they don't necessarily look cheap. They don't carry a price tag. They don't advertise your investment. They advertise your love and faith in each other and your guests. Beauty doesn't require a price tag and don't knock cheap as meaning bad, cheap wedding favors offers you more wedding budget wiggle room for things like the menu and the entertainment.

   
Where do wedding favors come from?

Wedding Favors in History

Have you ever wondered where the wedding favor ideas came from in the first place? Those thoughtful gifts that you spend time agonizing over and purchasing or creating for your wedding date back to Roman times. In fact, just centuries ago French and Italian aristocrats would send their wedding guests home with gifts called "bonbonnieres." These bonbonnieres were given out at weddings, birthdays and other grand celebrations.

These bonbonnieres were small boxes made of metal, precious stones, crystal and porcelain. Nestled inside the decorative and charming box would be fine delicacies. It's important to remember that in those days, delicacies were really delicate and that preparing them in such a manner was a real honor for the guests and for the hosts. Wedding favor ideas come directly down the road of history from these bonbonnieres.

When a wedding takes place, it is considered a very lucky occasion and wedding favor ideas are bestowing your luck upon your guests. The boxes represent the gift-wrap while the candied or sweet delicacies on the inside were representative of the actual gifts that the newlyweds are giving to their guests. Their wedding favor ideas are:

  • Fertility
  • Wealth
  • Longevity
  • Health
  • Happiness
So whether you are creating Hershey's kisses in silk wrap or hand painted wooden boxes or silver spoons, remember that the original wedding favor ideas were based on concepts and sharing the bounty of love and happiness that the two of you are finding on your wedding day.

   
Is it okay to do something funny and non-traditional with the wedding favors?

A World Of Wedding Favors

Choosing your wedding favors can be a ton of fun, especially if you're not stuck on one particular theme or idea. There's nothing wrong with mixing it up and giving your guests each something different, or having two or three different and unique wedding favors to choose from. If money is no object, you can hire someone else to be creative for you. Lucky you! You can buy anything you want for your wedding favors. On the other hand, if your budget is a little tighter, you may have to come up with some memorable but cheap wedding favors.

Did you know you can buy wedding favors for as low as 99 cents each? Just do a search for bridal wedding sites to see what's in stock for clearance items, or see if they have DIY wedding favor kits. If you want to stay away from the more traditional wedding favor ideas, you could do something funny like personalize milk cartons with your new husband's photo and a statement that reads, “America's Most Wanted…Now Taken,” or something like that. It's usually the funny or witty things that stick in people's minds, so don't be afraid to try something unique with your wedding favors.

   

Bridal Inspiration - Wedding Guest Favors

So where do you get the inspiration for your wedding guest favors? You start by choosing a theme for your wedding whether it will be traditional, southern, country, Disney, hot air balloons, golfing or whatever it is that appeals to you. Your wedding theme may be based on the time of year or the nearest holiday. For example, Halloween wedding guest favors may actually be little pumpkins with candy and beaded glass bracelets inside.

   
Where do you get the inspiration for your wedding guest favors?

Bridal Inspiration - Wedding Guest Favors

When you were a little girl and dreaming of the wedding you would someday have, you likely dreamed about the white dress, the long walk down the aisle and the fairytale kiss when you were pronounced husband and wife. Chances are that you didn't include dreaming about the wedding guest favors that would decorate the tables of your reception. In fact, when you began your wedding planning – those wedding guest favors were likely not even on the first page of the list of things you were thinking about doing or the questions you needed to answer with regard to the planning.

Wedding guest favors are about showing appreciation for your guests - they are a token of your gratitude for having come to the wedding and sharing the day with you. So they can be as serious and solemn or as fun and carefree as you'd like to make them. You typically match your wedding guest favors to the theme of the wedding so that they will look appropriate on the table settings. For example, one couple who were marrying found out they were pregnant about six months before the ceremony, they elected to have a silver spoon with colored ribbon tied to it for their wedding guest favor.

Wedding guest favors can be simple or elegant. They can be typical or unique. They can be serious or funny. They can be practical or joking. Wedding guest favors reflect your joy, your creativity and your love for not only the person you are marrying, but for the guests who came to share in your special day. That's where you get the inspiration for your wedding guest favors.

   
How can I turn a place card holder into an actual place card holder favor?

Place Card Holder Favors

Say “place card holders” and we all think of the same plastic or metal clip that holds a little card with your name on it at the dining room table of a formal party. You don't typically think of tiny teapots, mini shoes, purses, or seashells. Yet these are all place card holders used in weddings. If tiny teapots holding slips of paper with your friends' names on them isn't your cup of tea (pun intended), why not turn the place card holders into place card holders favors by adding more than just names to them. Slide individually packaged specialty teabags into the place card holders favors for a unique wedding favor idea, especially if you're using teapot place card holders.

Try to match ideas with whatever type of place card holder favors you're using. Using tiny shoes or purses as place card holders? Create a miniature calendar page and tuck it into the place card. Circle your wedding date and invite guests to “walk” over to your place for a visit on your first anniversary date.

Place card holders make great wedding table decorations and can easily be turned into the actual wedding favor itself with a little creativity.

   
What are some off-beat ideas for beach wedding favors?

Beach Wedding Favors

If you're having a beach wedding, chances are your wedding is going to be fairly informal. You'll want your beach wedding favors to reflect the day, but before you start digging up seashells and collecting sand samples to give to your guests, do a little research first. It may actually be illegal to take sand, rocks, shells, etc. from the beach. If you're getting married on a beach outside of the U.S. or Canada, it may be illegal to try and bring back some of the goodies you've found on the beach.

Not to worry though, there are many beach wedding favor ideas that won't land you in jail or paying a hefty fine. If you're looking for something a little off-beat, wild, or wacky, consider some of these beach wedding favors:

1) Give your guests a relaxation CD of the sound of crashing waves, the cries of gulls, rain, etc.

2) Shark fin novelty gifts. With a little sleuthing, you might be able to find something like shark fin book ends, shark fin paperweights, etc.

3) Dulce. What's that, you ask? Dulce is actually edible seaweed. It has a high nutritional value and can be bought at the local grocer. It's got a dry, leaf-like texture, making it easy to put into little containers for your guests. This “vegetable of the sea” is said to be a powerhouse for nutrition and longevity, so include a note explaining what dulce is, what it's used for, and how the promise of longevity ties into your promise of sharing a life together.

For more ideas on beach wedding favors, just sit back and think about the beach. Plastic pails & shovels, beach blankets, suntan lotion, and jellyfish are all part of the beach experience that can be incorporated into neat beach wedding favors.

   
What should I consider if we´re having candles in our ceremony?

Wedding Planning Tips - Pre-Lighting Candles

If you're going to use candles in your wedding ceremony and reception decorations, be sure to light them once before the wedding to break them in. Many a bride and groom have had trouble lighting candles that were brand new.

   
What should I know about wedding flowers?

Simple Flowers for Weddings

Decreasing the number of types of wedding flowers in your bouquet can help decrease the cost. The larger the volume of any given flower reduces the price. The difference between the cost of a dozen roses and that of a "growers dozen" (25 roses) is much less than you would think. Most retailers carry identical quality wholesale selections that can drastically reduce the cost. Wedding quality roses cost an average of $25.00, while the same roses could be as little as $30.00 to $35.00 for a growers dozen. With savings this drastic, make sure you discuss this option with your florist.

   
Do different flowers have different meanings?

Wedding Flowers Meanings

Want to give extra-special meaning to your bouquet? Consider the traditional meanings behind each wedding flower: Red rose - Love Yellow rose - Devotion Daisy - Purity Gardenia - Joy Orchard - Beauty Blue Violet - Constancy Forget-me-not - True Love Red Chrysanthemum - Sharing Lily of the Valley - Happiness

   
What favors can we give at our wedding?

Wedding Favor Craft Ideas

Have the time and energy to make your own creative wedding favors? Try one of these ideas:
-handmade magnets with the wedding date and couple's names
-origami animals (cranes are traditional good luck for weddings)
-beeswax candles
-handmade soap
-homemade candy or cookies

   
What can we give as favors?

Inexpensive Wedding Favor Ideas - Chocolate Kisses

Giving out creative wedding favors that contain Hershey's kisses and Hershey's Hugs kisses? Attach this poem for a sweet addition: "Hugs and kisses from the Mr. and Mrs!"

   
What are some ideas for a Christmas wedding favors?

Christmas Wedding Favor Ideas

The Christmas wedding is probably one of the most romantic settings to host a wedding in and offers some remarkable wedding favor ideas for your Christmas wedding planning. Wedding invitations can be in the form of Christmas Cards while your ceremony and reception areas can be wreathed in Christmas decorations in gold, green, silver or red. Poinsettias are your flowers. Wreaths will look perfect on the ends of every aisle.

At the reception, don't worry about a gift table. Instead incorporate a Christmas tree where guests can leave their wedding presents. Your wedding favor ideas for a Christmas themed wedding can include, but are far from limited to:

  • Ornaments
  • Christmas Presents
  • Christmas Cookies
Consider serving turkey and the trimmings for the reception dinner and maybe even hiring a Santa to visit the festivities or to be the Master of the Ceremonies. This is your wedding and you can decorate it in any theme you choose and make it as Christmas festive or as traditional as you choose. Weddings are fun events and a Christmas wedding and your Christmas wedding favor ideas are numerous. Have fun with it and enjoy the beauty and the serenity of combining the best day of your life with one of the best holidays in the year.

   
What creative candy favor can we give out?

Unique Colored Candies Wedding Favor Ideas

Want colored candies to match your wedding? Then try this as a creative wedding favors ; try shopping for candies such as M&Ms during holidays that match your wedding colors (i.e. red and green at Christmas, pastels at Easter, red and pink at Valentine's Day, brown and orange at Halloween).

   
How should I decorate the reception venue?

Bouquets and Flowers for Weddings

If you'd like to use your bridesmaids' wedding ceremony flowers and bouquets at your reception but don't think they'd look good just lying on the table, have some simple glass vases placed on the table and set the bouquets in them.

   
How can I save money on my wedding flowers?

Wedding Planning Tips for Flowers

If you want to have an arch or other larger floral arrangement, try to make it do double-duty. Wedding ceremony flowers at an arch at the end of the aisle in church can also pose as decoration at the reception.

   
How can I save money on flowers?

Wedding Flowers from the Grocer

If you want to save a lot of money on your wedding flowers, consider having them done by a local grocery's floral department. Often the bouquets and arrangements will be half the cost of a regular florist's.

   
How can I have the bouquet I want on a small budget?

Cutting Flower Costs

If your heart is set on a huge cascade of orchids and gardenias, find other ways to cut the overall bill.

Instead of full flower wreaths, have your flower girls or junior bridesmaids sport a delicate halo of baby's breath. This flower is so economical that just one stem at less than a dollar can be enough to dress two wreaths! A bridal bouquet comprised of nothing but baby's breath and a few sprigs of purple statice would also be beautiful and inexpensive.

But, if you still must have the orchids, downscale on the attendants bouquets, it's YOUR day after all!

   
How can we package our wedding favors?

Wedding Favor Craft Ideas - All Those Little Bags!

Does your wedding favor craft idea involve making dozens of little bags of Jordan almonds or other candies? Try using an empty ice cube tray to help divvy up your candy. You can even try placing the circles of tulle over the compartments and then putting the candy into it to help make tying the bags easier.

   
What can we give as favors?

Coffee Wedding Favors

Are you and your fiance coffee aficiandos? Why not try this unique wedding favor idea:give out coffee-themed favors, such as chocolate-covered spoons (you can easily make your own) or small bags of specially flavored coffee inside mugs.

   
What practical favors can we give?

Creative Wedding Favors

Want something creative that is also useful to give out as favors? Try one of these creative wedding favor ideas: inexpensive books (excellent if the bride and groom are avid readers, work in a library, etc.), seeds for rose bushes or other plants, disposable cameras, small picture frames (maybe include a photo of the couple), cookie cutters, with a recipe attached with a ribbon.

   
How can I save money on my wedding flowers?

Cheap Wedding Flowers

To cut your wedding flower costs, have the arrangements from your church or other ceremony location moved to the reception location. You'll get double the use!

   
What flowers should I use in my bouquet?

Wedding Event Planning and Flowers

If you are asked what kind of flowers you're going to have at your wedding and your response is, "Those big white thingys," you better get to work! Look through as many pictures as you can access and get a feel for the style and composition that you are looking for. Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the wedding ceremony and reception decorations and flowers that are commonly used in wedding preparation. Decide in advance whether your heart is set on large focal flowers or a delicate mixed bouquet and choose your flowers accordingly.

   
What thoughtful favor can we give our guests?

Thoughtful Wedding Favor Craft Ideas

Prepare "scrolls", wrapped in ribbon and decorated with little wedding rings (available at crafts stores) On each of these creative wedding favors print a good luck wish, a funny saying, an Irish blessing. Try to have a variety so not everyone gets the same message. Use pretty papers from office supply stores for the scroll, but only 1/2 a sheet for each. Scrolls can be placed at each place setting or can be arranged in a pretty basket and distributed during the reception.

   
What can we give as favors?

Daisy-Themed Wedding Favors and Decorations

If you love daisies and are having them as unique wedding reception decorations at your wedding, consider giving out daisy-themed favors, too. You can make your own chocolate daisies using white and yellow-tinted chocolate and molds. You can also leave a fresh or silk daisy at each place setting, along with a packet of daisy seeds. One poem many brides attach to flower-themed favors is, "He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me . . . We tied the knot!"

   
How can I save money on my wedding flowers?

Wedding Event Planning

Get your act together as far in advance as possible. More time means more options! The sooner you come up with your "bottom line" price the more time you will have to select a florist that can provide you with your wedding ceremony flowers at the price you are prepared to pay. Florists can vary greatly in their pricing methods and stock availability so getting many quotes and looking at samples of their finished products can help to make sure you get the best possible value.

   
How can I make my own chocolate bar favors?

Inexpensive Wedding Favor Ideas - Chocolate Bars

Love those chocolate bars with the wrappers that are personalized for weddings but can't afford the cost? If want a really unique wedding favor idea and you're computer savvy you can try making your own. Using a Hershey bar wrapper as a guide, design a wrapper with your names, wedding date, bridal party (looks cute if you put their names where the ingredients listing would be), etc. Print it on glossy paper and wrap them around Hershey bars you've taken the wrappers off of (you can buy these in bulk at places like Costco or Sam's Club).

   
What flowers should I use in my bouquet?

Orchids for Wedding Ceremony Flowers

Instead of the extravagance and price of orchids in your bouquet, replace with cheap wedding flowers called alstromeria, the "psuedo orchid." With gorgeous blooms, three per stem, the cost is significantly lower, but the quality is wonderful!

   
What kind of alternative wedding ceremony decorations should I use?

Wedding Ceremony Decorations

Tying in the wedding ceremony decorations with the type of wedding favors you're going to choose really depends on the theme you're going with. If your wedding is going to be on a beach, you'll want beach wedding favors. The beach provides its own natural wedding ceremony decorations. Then again, if you're getting married in a church, a house, or a hall, you'll need to pull together some decorations of your own. You could have traditional flowers and bows, but why have something that makes everyone think, “been there; done that”? Go crazy, funny, and non-traditional with your wedding ceremony decorations by trying out (or modifying) some of these ideas:

1) Go with a “ball and chain” theme with your wedding ceremony decorations by draping chains across the seating area or lining the aisle with them. Just make sure to keep safety in mind so that your guests aren't tripping over everything.

2) Spoof up your wedding by doing a parody of those really over-the-top weddings you see celebrities do. Get a bunch of your friends to act like paparazzi snapping photos.

3) If you're getting married in a very non-traditional place, the variety and creativity of your decorations grow. For example, if you're getting married at your favorite zoo, using animal prints, animal shaped balloons, etc., make perfect sense. On the other hand, if you're getting married at your local fair, park, or picnic spot, think about using decorations that fit into the scenery like “bouquets” of cotton candy, fill picnic baskets with fruit like lemons and limes, etc. If you're going with a non-traditional wedding, don't wimp-out by sticking with the same old tried and true wedding ceremony decorations that have been used a million times before.

   
What are some good ideas for winter wedding favors?

Winter Wedding Favors

If you're getting married in the crisp winter months, start thinking about the kinds of winter wedding favors you're going to give. Do you want to give warmth inducing wedding favors, or something that really reminds you of winter? Real snowballs obviously aren't going to make lasting wedding favors, but what about a personalized glass snowball? Personalized icicles are another idea that could work. On the other hand, if you're thinking of bringing a little warmth (and humor) to your winter celebrations, you might want to consider some of these options:

1) A personalized mug with a sachet of mulling spices

2) Long fresh cinnamon sticks tied up with ribbon

3) Packages of gourmet hot chocolate mixes (dark chocolate, peppermint, etc.)

4) A snowflake-shaped cookie cutter for each guest

5) Give each guest a pair of knitted white mittens with the date of your wedding embroidered or stitched into them

6) Embroidered earmuffs

7) Postcards of hot summer destinations. You could write something like, “We should have gotten married here!” on them.

8) Snow Globes

9) Personalized chap stick

10) Novelty ice cubes

You get the idea...When you have a broad theme (like one of the seasons) to work with, it's easy to come up with ideas for winter wedding favors.

   
Can you give me some good animal-themed wedding favor ideas?

Wild Wedding Favors

If you plan on having a wild wedding, why not extend that thought to the wedding favors? Anything that grows, lives, or comes from the wild is fair game. If you're getting married in the hot Caribbean sun, turn tiny wooden exotic birds into wedding favors. The best part is you can probably buy them right at the local gift shop.

There are lots of ways to incorporate animals into your wedding theme, and just as many ways to take that theme and turn it into wedding favors. You don't have to be getting married at an exotic location either. Feel like Tarzan and Jane? Give jungle gifts as wedding favors! You might consider giving each a guest a pass to the local zoo, wooden animal masks, animal key chains, animal shaped bath soaps, or even small, framed animal prints that you've created yourself. Just use a rubber stamp of an animal and lightly color it in using artist quality color pencils.

Of course, an animal theme wedding favor will end up as just another wedding favor unless it has good memories attached to it. Keep the animal theme woven throughout your wedding. Throw a few animal-themed songs into the dance mix. Hang a few “vines” for when the party really starts to pick up speed, and make sure to wear a leopard skin garter! At the end of the day, your guests will take home their wedding favors with lots of stories to go with them.

   
What can we give as favors?

Inexpensive Food for Wedding Favors

Want to give your guests something they can nibble on? Try one of these inexpensive wedding favor ideas: Jordan almonds, mints, Hershey kisses, mixed nuts, bubble gum, fortune cookies, small jars of jam, chocolate-dipped Oreos or fortune cookies, jelly beans, gummy bears.

   
What creative edible favor can I give?

Fall-Themed Wedding Favors and Decorations

Getting married in September or October? Consider giving candy or caramel apples as creative wedding favors. You can sometimes find them in bulk, or if you're more ambitious you can make them yourself. Set them in waxed muffin paper cups, wrap in cellophane and tie with a ribbon.

   
What should I do before choosing a wedding florist?

Wedding Planning Tips - Before the Florist

Before you go to the florist to choose your wedding flowers, decide on your colors and take a look at some samples online. There are lots of e-florists, and gardening sites that have great listings of different varieties of flowers, even bouquets. You'll walk into the florist's shop with a good understanding of what you want, and lots of confidence that you'll get it!

   
How can I save money on my wedding flowers?

Cheap Wedding Flowers

If you want to save money on your flowers but don't want to cut back on the size of your bouquet, ask your florist to substitute cheap wedding flowers that have the same look. For instance, instead of using white gardenias (which are very expensive) use white roses. Your florist should be able to help you match substitutes for you.

   
What should I keep in mind when using candles at my wedding?

Decorations for Weddings - Candle Smarts

If your unique wedding reception decorations call for having lighted candles on the tables, make sure that they won't be in the way of guests and will be in a safe place where they won't catch napkins, clothing or hair on fire. You might also want to consider using hurricane lamps or some other glass decoration around the candles.

   
How can I save money on my wedding flowers?

Wedding Flowers for the Church

If you're on a budget but still want to decorate the ends of pews or chair rows, try using cheap wedding flowers on every other row or every third row---you'll get the same effect for at least half the cost.

   
Who pays for the bride´s flowers?

Bride's Bouquet: Who Pays?

Traditionally, the bride's parents pay for the bride's flowers at a wedding. Flowers for weddings are seen as a personal part of the bride's accessories and many parents (mothers especially) view buying the flowers as being a sentimental part of the wedding experience. These days wedding costs often fall along non-traditional lines, and if the couple themselves is paying for the wedding they may purchase the flowers themselves, though offering to buy at least the bride's bouquet is a thoughtful gesture from parents.

   
How can I save money on my wedding bouquet?

Silk Wedding Flowers

To save money on wedding flowers, you may want to consider silk flowers. One bride received her custom order within 3 weeks and spent $150 for the whole wedding party including the parents.

   
What creative favors can we give at our wedding?

Wedding Favor Games

Are you and your fiance into playing games? Consider having game-themed wedding favors and decorations at your wedding. Some options are a trivia game (print on cards or on paper place mats) with questions about you and your fiance; a personalized cross-word puzzle (you can get computer programs to do this automatically); or a personalized word-search.

   
What can we give as favors?

Decorations for Weddings - Candle Pots

Does your wedding event planning involve getting married outdoors, or does your theme have a rustic feel? Consider using small votive candles in miniature terra cotta flower pots, tied with a ribbon, as favors.

   
What creative favors can we give at our wedding?

Thoughtful Wedding Favors

If you'd rather not give out favors, consider this inexpensive wedding favor idea : make a one or two-dollar donation to a charity in the name of each guest. On each table leave a small notecard explaining what you've done in lieu of favors.

   
What is a easy and simple favor?

Inexpensive Wedding Favor Ideas

Wedding favors and decorations don't have to be large or expensive....... a simple handwritten note or typed not/poem on colored paper..... then rolled and slipped thru rings from walmart..... would be a simple and creative idea.... It would may cost about $5.00 for 100 rings and about $2.00 for paper.

   
What can we give as favors?

Fun Wedding Favors and Decorations

Want something creative that is also useful to give out as favors? Try one of these creative wedding favor ideas: inexpensive books (excellent if the bride and groom are avid readers, work in a library, etc.), seeds for rose bushes or other plants, disposable cameras, small picture frames (maybe include a photo of the couple), cookie cutters, with a recipe attached with a ribbon

   
How can we package our wedding favors?

Packaging for Creative Wedding Favors

If you'd like to give out edible favors such as mints or Jordan almonds, try one of these inexpensive wedding favor ideas for packaging your goodies: tulle circles tied with ribbon, fabric circles tied with ribbon or rick-rack, small boxes tied with ribbon to look like a present, small glass corked bottles tied with ribbon, tiny hatboxes, Chinese take-out boxes (great for fortune cookies), cellophane bags sealed with a metallic sticker, little tin watering cans.

   
What should I do before choosing a wedding florist?

Coordinating Wedding Flowers

Before consulting with a florist, be sure to choose your reception venue, church and dress. Picking out wedding ceremony flowers and arrangements is difficult, if not impossible, when you don't know where the arrangments will be featured.

   
How can I save money on my wedding flowers?

Bargain Wedding Flowers

When shopping for wedding flowers, if there are several florists competing for your business, don't be afraid to let the higher priced florist know that you are able to get your flowers for a cheaper price elsewhere. Often they'll come down in price.

   
What flowers should I use in my bouquet?

Flowers for Weddings - Know Your Blooms

If you are asked what kind of flowers your going to have at your wedding and your response is something like, "those big white thingys," then you better get to work! Look through as many pictures as you can to get a feel for the style and composition that you are looking for. Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the wedding ceremony and reception decorations and flowers that are commonly used in wedding preparation. Decide in advance whether your heart is set on large focal flowers or a delicate mixed bouquet and then choose your flowers accordingly.

   
What themed favors can we give?

Holiday-Themed Wedding Favors and Decorations

Getting married near Christmas? Want to have wedding favors and decorations that goes along with the holidays? Try giving out Christmas ornaments as favors, or red and green candy (M&Ms are a good example), or mini-stockings filled with candy canes.

   
What can we give as favors?

Wine and Wedding Event Planning

Getting married at a winery, or are you and your fiance wine lovers? Try giving away wine-themed creative wedding favors, such as champagne flutes filled with candy or miniature bottles of wine. Be sure to have a few alternative favors, such as chocolates or candy, for children and/or those guests who do not drink.

   
What can we give as favors?

Unique Environmentally Friendly Fall Wedding Favors

Autumn flowers for weddings for the environmentally correct: crocus or tulip bulbs, wrapped in tulle, pine seedlings wrapped in burlap with raffia ties, or baby white pumpkin jack-o-lanterns.

   
How can we save money on our wedding flowers?

Wedding Flowers from House Vendors

Try to use House Vendors as your florist to provide your wedding ceremony flowers. They have an invested interest in making your wedding day and flowers as beautiful as possible. Most house vendors give a large deposit to the house as collateral. If they do not provide A-1 service to the customer they risk the possibility of losing the account as the house vendor. A money-saving tip would be to ask the house to have the vendor deduct the house commission built into the vendor's price.

   
What floral-themed favors can we give at our wedding?

Floral-Themed Wedding Favors

Want to give your guests something that will last for a long time, or are you and your fiance into gardening? Consider giving rosebush seeds or flower bulbs as a unique wedding favor idea. Seeds can be purchased in regular or personalized packets, and bulbs look great either tied up in tulle or nestled in small boxes with Spanish moss.

   
What are some good ideas for unique wedding favor bags?

One of A Kind Wedding Favor Bags

Anyone who has been to a traditional wedding has seen the tiny little boxes containing a candy or two, or those soft white lace sachet bags filled with mints. But you're looking for something different, aren't you? Tiny boxes are elegant, cute, and fun, but they're not very practical, are likely to get lost in your purse, and usually end up getting ripped, wet, or stomped on during the dance or wedding reception. So why not come up with your own, unique wedding favor ideas? It's not that hard to do, especially if you're willing to push the boundaries (just a little!) beyond traditional wedding favor bags. For example, you could:

-Wrap a single long, tapered candle inside corn husks. Tie it with raffia (you can buy it wherever retailers sell art & craft supplies) to complete the natural look.

-Head out to a used clothing store and buy clothes (jackets, shirts, etc.) with sturdy pockets in them. It doesn't matter what the clothing looks like, because you're just going to cut the pockets out of them. Fill the pockets with wedding favors for really unique wedding favor bags!

-Paper lunch bags. You can go over-the-top by creating bride & groom hand puppets with them, or just keep them simple with a strategically placed bow and a personalized stamp with your wedding date on it. Put a small bottle of liqueur or wine into each bag to finish off the gift.

-Makeup bags come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. It shouldn't be too hard to find makeup bags that match your wedding theme (at least in terms of color). Place a few individually wrapped bath salt cubes, novelty soaps, or personalized bottles of hand cream into each bag.

-Handkerchiefs. Buy boxes of cotton handkerchiefs and make sachets scrunching all four ends together with ribbon. Consider making small slits in the fabric and weaving the ribbon through so that it won't slip off. A tea candle or votive would fit perfectly under the folds of the handkerchief and the guest goes home with two gifts in one.

As you can see, one of a kind wedding favor bags are only as limited as your imagination, the amount of time you have, and the amount of expense you're willing to take on.

   
What can we give as favors?

Functional Wedding Favors and Decorations

Make a favor part of your unique wedding reception decorations and place setting: substitute an imprinted coffee mug, champagne flute or wine glass into your place settings and let your guests know that they are to take them home as remembrances of your special day.

   
How can I have the bouquet I want on a small budget?

Flowers for Weddings Compromise

If your heart is set on a huge cascade of orchids and gardenias, find other ways to cut the overall bill. There are cheap wedding flowers out there. Instead of full flower wreaths, have your flower girls or junior bridesmaids sport a delicate halo of Baby's Breath. This flower is so economical that just one stem (at less than a dollar) can be enough to dress two wreaths! A bouquet comprised of nothing but baby's breath and a few sprigs of purple statice is simple and looks wonderful. But heck, if you still must have the orchids, downscale the attendants' bouquets. It's YOUR day after all!

   
What creative edible favor can I give?

Homemade Wedding Favor Ideas - Kisses and Photos

Take a favorite photo of the couple and scan it onto a computer. Size it down to make either wallet-sized copies or smaller (we had 16 pictures per page). Then go to a craft store and buy magnetic backing (the peel-off sticky kind) and put the picture on it. We put our picture with about 6 pieces of Hershey's kisses in a cellophane wrap that I tied with metallic ribbon. Everyone loved this inexpensive wedding favor idea and the guests appreciated the photo.

   
How can I save money on my wedding flowers?

Wedding Planning Tips - Focus Your Flowers

If you want wedding flowers for your church but are on a tight budget, focus the flowers on the main point of action: the altar or front of the room. Flowers on the ends of pews are pretty, but everyone's going to be looking at the altar for the majority of the ceremony.

   
How do we decide what favors to give?

Choosing Wedding Favors and Decorations

When deciding what wedding favors and decorations to use, there are some questions you can ask to help you choose: Do you want something that will feature your names and wedding date? Do you want something that will be fun to play with at the reception? Do you want to give something that's useful? Do you want something that will last for a long time? Do you want something that will be part of the table decorations? Do you want a favor that will express both of your interests or personalities?

   
What flowers should I use in my bouquet?

Wedding Flowers and Bouquet Size

Today's best selling wedding flower bouquets epitomize simplistic elegance. Eight bunched calla lilies tied with ribbon are not only economical but stunning. The "rose ball" bouquet is very popular and looks best with only a small amount of greens as an accent to the roses. Tulips dressed in the same fashion are a spring delight. With smaller bouquets and much less need for filler flowers, the savings can really add up.

   
What themed favors can we give?

Unique Wedding Favor Ideas - Par-tee Favors

Are you and your fiance both golf fans? Consider this unique wedding favor idea. Give out foil-wrapped chocolate golf balls with tees as favors---you can even have the tees imprinted with your names and/or wedding date if you'd like.

   
How can I save money on my wedding flowers?

Wedding Ceremony Flowers

Instead of ordering separate flowers for wedding arrangments for the bridal table at the reception, have each bridesmaid place her bouquet along the front of the table. The bridesmaids will have a safe place to set their flowers and you won't have to pay for extra arrangments!

   
What creative favors can we give at our wedding?

Practical Wedding Favor Ideas

Want to give something that's useful and also an inexpensive wedding favor idea ? Try one of these (most of them can be inscribed): matches, small notepad, bookmarks, bottle openers, pencils/pens, rulers, key rings.

   
What can we give as favors?

Creative Wedding Favors - Give Them a Couple

If you're looking for unique wedding favor ideas , try to collect brides and groom cake toppers: antique, flea market, kitschy, handmade, plastic, cartoon characters. Present each couple with a set as a favor. In a quirky and charming way, it reminds your guests that every couple is as unique and special as you are, and makess for a great icebreaker at the dinner tables.

   
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Shirley Tan