Archive for the ‘Bride and Groom’ Category

The Best Man’s Wedding Toast

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

So, you’re expected to make a toast at your best friend’s wedding, but you don’t know what to say. Honoring the big day and the new couple without either embarrassing yourself and them or coming across dry and wooden can be pretty tricky. You’ll want to put some thought into what you’re going to say and do. Let’s take a look at a few ideas that can help you get started.

First, think about who you are going to be toasting. There are a few conventions in formal or traditional weddings you should be aware of. For instance, as the best man, you’ll be expected to toast the bride. You may be permitted to toast others as well, depending on how formal the wedding is, so pay attention to the circumstances and feel of the wedding.

Start by letting everyone know who you are and how you know the couple. Remember that some guests just won’t know who you are. It’s best to make this clear from the start to prevent confusion. Next, you’ll want to show gratitude to the hosts of the wedding, whether it’s the happy couple, their parents or someone else. Thank them for welcoming you to the occasion.

Most wedding toasts also have a bit of an anecdote, including how you met various parties or how they met, stories you want to tell their children some day, and important elements in your friendship. Don’t go for clichés if you can avoid it, and remember to think about the audience. It’s important to cater to the highest common denominator, if there is such a thing, and avoid offending anyone, especially the parents of the bride and groom.

Learn about the cultures involved in a wedding when more than one culture is involved, and avoid inside jokes or adult humor. Nudity, inappropriate behavior, and sex are all topics left out of most toasts, and you probably shouldn’t talk about politics or religion unless you’re really sure of the audience. If you’re not sure the story is appropriate, avoid it. It’s better to be safe than sorry if you’re the best man giving a toast. Another good rule of thumb is to go easy on the alcoholic beverages before you give the toast.

Remember to offer a compliment about the bride and anyone else you’re giving a toast to. Don’t go on and on about how wonderful they are, however. That could end up boring your audience, and no one wants that. Instead, use just a few adjectives to tell the audience what you think is best about him or her. In addition, remember to end your toast on a positive note. A traditional toast quote, a blessing, or good wishes are common choices. Remember to use your head and think in advance, and you’ll come up with a great wedding toast that everyone will appreciate.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Bride, Bride and Groom, Groom, best man | No Comments »

Getting the Groom Involved in the Planning

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

Wedding planning isn’t just for the bride; the groom should take some responsibility and have some input in the process too. However, traditionally the arrangements are covered by the bride and her mother. That means that many people don’t know how to get the groom involved. Let’s take a look at a few ways to help him avoid feeling left out of things or run over by your plans.

If you’ve just gotten engaged, you’re going to want to make the announcement. Both of you can create an announcement card to send out by mail or email, or share the responsibility of calling friends and family. Together, make the list of people you’d like to invite to the wedding.

Food is another important portion of your wedding. Your fiancé can help you with the budget, help figure out the catering situation, and maybe come up with a few creative ideas that you haven’t thought of. If one or the other of you is a skilled negotiator, consider delegating that person to work with the vendors to get the best price. Remember, every task is an important one!

You may wish to write your vows together, too. Collaboration can help you come up with the perfect words to say to one another to express your love. Other things you can do together include building decorations for the reception, researching the music and deciding on the DJs, and choosing the videographer or photographer. You’ll want to talk about just what each of you wants out of the wedding.

For many grooms, the wine and other drinks that will be provided at the reception are extremely important. If this is something your guy cares about, or if he loves food, let him handle the food and drink. Resist the urge to micro manage! Each of you has the ability to put together something great without supervision, as long as you’re clear on what needs to be done in advance.

Other things the groom can do to take a little bit of the load off the bride’s shoulders include choosing suits for the wedding, contributing his opinion on colors, theme, and size of the wedding, and choosing the transportation for the big day. He can also handle wedding present registrations and handle mediation with your families if there are problems. He can even talk about the toast with the best man if you’re feeling nervous about it.

It’s a great idea to involve your groom in the wedding planning. Just make sure to include him in the decision making as well as the labor, and relax about his ability to handle things. He can get the job done just as well as you can, and it’ll keep you from feeling quite as stressed and unhappy. If you’ll be married soon, you’re going to be entering a life where you do a lot of things together. Planning your ceremony and reception is a great start.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bride, Bride and Groom, getting married, wedding planning, wedding plans | No Comments »

A New Twist On Traditional Wedding Receptions

Monday, November 16th, 2009

The traditional church weddings and formal receptions are not that attractive to many of today’s brides. Weddings are taking place in hot air balloons, on beaches, in airplanes and in fast food parking lots, to name a few currently popular non-traditional sites.

An emerging trend, highly creative wedding receptions, is a total flight from tradition and will make memories for your wedding guests that they won’t easily forget. You and your new spouse can add touches to your wedding reception that highlight your whimsical side, major interests or elements of your personalities.

Some couples have hosted two receptions, brunch for the family following their ceremony, with some of the traditional aspects their mothers wanted and the relatives were comfortable with.

Later that evening, they host a less formal reception for their friends. This reception could be an old-fashioned ice cream social or a barbecue on the beach, with youthful music and a party atmosphere. The bride’s wedding dress and the groom’s tux are abandoned for casual attire. Friends truly happy for the new couple, a relaxed, unfussy atmosphere, a tub of iced cool ones, chicken on the barbecue and dancing barefoot on the beach in the moonlight, would definitely make memories of your special wedding.

Even if you want a reception with familiar trappings, you can still jazz it up with some creative presentations.

If your reception hall is not huge, inflate balloons, with a small, light favor inside them. This favor could be a small token, like a map to the real favors hidden in the hall or a small snapshot of you and your new spouse. It does not have to be elaborate. The appreciation would be in the presentation.

Tie them off with a ribbon long enough to reach without ladders and have a guest’s name hanging from each ribbon, including the children at the reception. Let them hang from the ceiling around the walls, so as not to interfere with the meal or buffet you will be serving. This decoration would not only be colorful, but it would give your reception an intimate, closer feeling. At some point, have the guests find their name and get their wedding favor.

The way you present your food can add dramatic accents to plain food. Buffet tables are perfect for creative presentations. Tiered plates of strawberries dipped in chocolate are always an attraction at buffet tables. Consider dipping the strawberries in the hot chocolate mixture and letting them set up on a chocolate spoon. The dramatic effect could be enhanced by dipping the berries in white chocolate and then placing them on chocolate spoons. Other fruits can be strung on a bamboo skewer, dipped in chocolate and presented in silver goblets.

Martini glasses with their stems wrapped with pretty ribbons can be used to present almost any vegetable, fruit or candy. Instead of sit-down dinners of chicken or meat, served by caterers, consider bamboo skewers loaded with anything you can combine that doesn’t need to be kept warm in a sauce.

Try ice-cold shrimp, lightly brushed with a shrimp marinade and strung on a skewer. Separate the shrimp with red or black grapes. Creative salads can be put on a skewer and marinated with an elegant dressing before placing on the buffet table. Load salad skewers with cherry or grape tomatoes, chunks of red, green and yellow Bell peppers, whole, pitted olives, cocktail onions or slices of red onions, other veggies of your choice.

If your guest list is smaller, consider a river cruise with dinner, dancing and maybe a turn at the gambling tables, if they have them. Your wedding favors could be small bags of chips for your guests to try their luck at the tables.

You could schedule a hay ride by moonlight, with a surprise barbecue or candle-lit buffet tables arranged around a fire pit at the end of the ride. Be creative.

Instead of an organized wedding reception, you might try having a mystery party, like Clue. Some cities have Victorian houses you can rent for parties and events. Let your guests have some fun discovering “Who Dunnit.” Have a special prize for the one who unravels the mystery and smaller ones (themed favors) for the rest of the participants. In one room have a buffet table and a few bottles of wine.

There’s no reason to follow the old traditions with your reception if you don’t want to. Make it fun and memorable in your own way.

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Bride, Bride and Groom, getting married, reception arranagements, wedding plans, wedding preparation | 1 Comment »

10 Questions to Ask When Looking for a Wedding Photographer

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

When it comes to preparing for your wedding, you are probably up to your elbows in magazines, paperwork, bills, and glitter. But even though there seems to be a never-ending list of things to do in order to be properly prepared for the big day, you have to make sure that you are not skipping certain details.

Here are 10 questions to ask when checking out wedding photographers. This is not just about making sure that you are spending your money wisely but it is also about making sure you are going to end up with photos you will be able to proudly cherish for the rest of your life.

1. Will he or she be the exact person at your wedding taking your photos?

If he or she cannot guarantee that, you will want to look somewhere else. You want to make sure you are interviewing and reviewing the work of the exact person who will be at your wedding taking photos. The last thing you want is to be surprised on the day of your wedding and end up with photos that are not worth a dime.

2. What styles does he or she specialize in?

Photos are not just photos. Every photographer out there has their own special style or way of doing things that you want to be familiar with. Do you like the photographer’s style? Is it your style? In order to be a happy bride, make sure that you are getting a photographer that is capable of taking the shots you want on your wedding day.

3. What kind or type of camera will be used for your photos?

It is important to make sure that some inexpensive 35mm camera available at any Wal-Mart is not being used. There is nothing wrong with an everyday camera for everyday photos, but your wedding is special. You want high quality photos so make sure that your photographer has the right equipment.

4. Is there a backup plan?

What happens if that camera breaks? Make sure the photographer has a back up plan such as having spare cameras on hand and an assistant who is qualified to work in his or her place should an emergency occur.

5. How large is the photo package and what is the price breakdown for each photo?

By understanding all of the pricing and what you get within each package you will be able to make an educated decision on what you should be going with. Ask questions if you don’t understand. It’s better to not be surprised when the bill and the proofs come in.

6. How long before the proofs are ready?

You will want to know how long it will take for the proofs to be finished for your review.

7. Do they automatically give the negatives/cd or is there an extra charge for this?

Some will give you the negatives free of charge while others will not unless you ask for them and then there is an additional charge.

8. Is he or she covered by liability insurance?

In case something goes wrong or there is an accident, the photographer needs to have liability insurance to cover costs.

9. Can you request specific types of photos to be taken?

This will help to ensure that you are getting exactly what you want. If the photographer seems rigid and uptight about your input, you should look elsewhere.

10. Is there an additional cost for staying longer then scheduled?

If there is a delay or the event simply lasts longer than you expected you probably want the photographer to stay. Is he or she available to stay longer, and do they charge extra for doing so?

Your wedding photographer can be like a magician creating beautiful photos of your very special wedding. Don’t hesitate to ask questions when you’re deciding who to hire – it’s that important.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Before The Wedding, Bride and Groom, getting married, wedding photographers, wedding photography, wedding planning, wedding preparation | No Comments »

Congratulations – You’re Getting Married

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Now that you have shared your happy news with family and friends the fun really starts. It’s time to actually start planning your wedding; wedding reception ideas, bridal bouquets, wedding favor ideas and dress ideas will be swimming around in that little loved-up head of yours!

Take a deep breath and relax because the BIG question you’re already asking yourself is… “Where do I start?”

Well, the only way to successfully plan your perfect wedding is to start with your wedding reception ideas. Treat yourself to a few bridal magazines [you've always wanted to buy one and now you can with that rock on your finger!]. Start looking around in haberdashery departments and put together a collection of the materials, styles and colors that appeal to you. These will provide the essential ingredients for your wedding reception ideas board or scrapbook or however you choose to present them.

Your ideas can then spiral off in a multitude of different directions as you start to consider wedding themes, wedding favor ideas, color themes and style themes, etc. It is truly essential to set the tone of your wedding first and then everything else falls in to place. For example, if your bridal gown shop knows you are going for a traditional “ivory and gold” theme, she can then advise you on gowns to suit this theme. In addition, you can then advise your wedding favor supplier that any ideas for wedding favors must fit within this theme.

Wedding favors come in all different styles and design. They range from candle favors, chocolate favors, cd wedding favors, beach themed favors and many more. You can even personalize your favors to make them unique to your guests.

In these early days, there is no need to ask for the groom’s comments – wait until you have narrowed down some ideas before you present them to him. He won’t really respond to “do you like this?” and “what about this?” being thrown at him 50 times a day. It is far better to approach your groom once you have narrowed down groomsmen ideas, color ideas, wedding reception ideas, wedding favor ideas, etc to a minimum. You will also get a more honest answer from him. Don’t forget, even though ideas for wedding favors have completely taken over your life for the moment, he might not share your enthusiasm at this early stage of the preparations.

Throughout your ideas stage, you must not forget your wedding guests. Fundamentally, it is your day, however every girl wants their wedding remembered for its class and elegance. The one way that guests will treasure your wedding memories is by the giving of unique wedding favors. Second to your wedding themes and wedding reception ideas, you must consider wedding favor ideas carefully. Once your beautiful day is over and you’re embarking on married life, you want your guests to look back at their favor boxes and bomboniere and reminisce!

However you plan your wonderful day, and whichever of your original wedding reception ideas and ideas for wedding favors you choose, have a special day and a magical married life thereafter!

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bride, Bride and Groom, getting married, wedding planning, wedding plans, wedding preparation | No Comments »

What To Wear At Your Reception

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

You’ve dreamed of the perfect wedding reception for years. You know exactly what you want and you’ve envisioned all the details from what the cake looks like to what the guests are wearing. But how do you make sure the guests wear the attire you’d like them to wear? Well, you could ask them.

Invitations often have a line added that mentions attire, such as “formal attire” or “casual attire”, and wedding invitations are no exception. What follows is a list of different attire labels and their descriptions.

Casual
This means pretty much anything is acceptable without being trashy or inappropriate for public viewing. This might be your choice if you are having an informal backyard barbeque reception.

Dressy Casual
When you want them to dress nicer than they would dress for “everyday”, dressy casual means slacks, button-down shirt and perhaps a blazer for the men, and dressy pants and a nice blouse for the women.

Semi-formal
This attire is definitely more dressy than casual or dressy casual. The men should wear suits and ties whereas the women should wear short dresses.

Informal
Same as semi-formal.

Casual Evening
Really the same as dressy casual except they might wear darker “night time” colors. A nice shirt and slacks on the guys and dressy pants and a pretty blouse for the gals.

Black Tie
Using this label means you want your guests to come formally attired in tuxes and long gowns or very dressy cocktail dresses with elegant bling.

Formal
Same as black tie attire.

Black Tie Optional
This means tuxes or dark suits with ties for the men, and long dress, cocktail dress, or dressy pantsuit for the women. If they don’t wear tuxes and long dresses, they should still be very dressed up.

Cocktail
Cocktail attire calls for short dresses and heels for the ladies and dark suits for the gentlemen.

Festive
This attire comes in to play at times such as Christmas. Females get to wear extra theme-appropriate bling or sparkly blouses or sweaters, and males might add a Santa tie to their suit.

Redneck
Time for people to pull out their cutoffs, tank tops, and flip flops and slap on a couple temporary tattoos! :)

In case you were wondering, putting the preferred attire on the invitation is not pushy; many people are relieved to know how you would like them to dress. If you decide not to put it on the invitation, people will generally look at the time of day and the wedding reception location for clues.

If it’s an afternoon wedding guys will probably wear sports coats and casual slacks while women wear dresses ranging from informal sun dresses to cocktail dresses.

If it’s an evening wedding expect to see more dark suits on the men and cocktail dresses on the ladies.

Keep in mind that even if you put your desired attire on the invitation it does not guarantee everyone will follow it. Remember that you are merely giving a suggestion and even though there are those who will wear what they want, your wedding and reception will still be the magical event you dreamed of.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bride and Groom, casual, formal or casual, reception arranagements | No Comments »

Bomboniere

Friday, September 11th, 2009

(Sugared Almonds Wedding Favors)

Your wedding reception should be the party of your life and when planning it, every effort should be made in order to ensure that’s what you get. Table decorations, floral arrangements, venue, entertainment and bomboniere are key to a successful wedding reception.

When it comes to the venue, it needs to suit the theme of your wedding. For example, if your bridal gown were princess-like, a castle would be suitable. Alternatively, you may have a simple floor length shift-shape dress and to be in keeping with your look, the venue may be a modern riverside restaurant. Whichever theme you choose, even the smallest detail must be meticulously well planned and this includes your choice of bomboniere.

Originally, brides were supposed to make up favors or bomboniere by hand, but in the busy lives we now lead, this is near on impossible. Bomboniere consist of round shaped colored nets tied together with coordinating ribbons and finished with dried flowers or beads. These pretty nets are filled with a dish of delicious dragees [tear-shaped sugar coated chocolates in various colors] or sumptuous almonds [sugar coated tear-shaped nuts available in a range of colors].

Each dragee or almond is said to represent one of the five common wedding wishes; fertility, health, happiness, longevity and wealth. By giving them to your guests, the bride and groom are said to have a marriage filled with all these things. Nowadays of course, many brides are turning away from traditional almond or dragee bomboniere and are choosing more modern ways to thank their guests. Although there are a huge range of inedible favors such as candle favors, flower seed wedding favors and ornament wedding favors, there is nothing more beautiful than leaving a wedding reception with a hand-tied net pouch filled with almonds or dragees. Despite popular belief, the traditional bomboniere can still be very much a part of a modern wedding. There are so many options when it comes to bomboniere, that the world is quite literally your oyster.

For example, natural color theme weddings are very much en vogue with brides choosing simple, clean cut dresses for themselves and taupe, pale green or ivory 50’s style dresses for their bridesmaids. Floral arrangements reflect the simplicity of the wedding as brides opt for small hand-tied white bouquets or a drape of plain orchids across their arms. Traditional bomboniere can fit beautifully in these more retro occasions as brides can select ivory or white nets, fill them with white almonds and finish them with a pale green bow. Alternatively, ecru colored nets can be complemented with ivory or gold dragees and finished off with coordinating ribbons or flowers.

So, whatever your wedding venue, dress or bouquet, there is a bomboniere to suit all occasions. Your choice of bomboniere should reflect your theme and personality and with such a vast range of nets, almonds, dragees, colors, flowers and ribbons, no two bomboniere need be the same!

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Bride, Bride and Groom, bridal accessories, gift ideas, wedding favors, wedding planning, wedding plans | No Comments »

Five Winter Wedding Ideas

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Unless a couple is eloping in Las Vegas by themselves, a wedding should have some unique planning and twists to it in order to make the wedding memorable. Inventing a winter wedding theme is one such concept, and in order to properly design a winter wedding, a few simple ideas could be put forth.

1. Probably the easiest winter wedding idea is also one of the simplest, which is providing simple twists on common wedding conventions. For example, the wedding cake could be made in the shape of a snowman or a snowflake. While this is not the most elaborate of ideas, providing simple twists on common conventions is sometimes all that is required to present the appearance of a novel idea.

2. The wedding attire of the bride, groom, and bridesmaids can also be designed so as to embody the theme of winter. This is another winter wedding idea that can be easily put in motion so as to create a wonderful winter wedding theme. The use of silver, white, and blue colored formal wear can provide an excellent evocation of winter and is highly suggested for those planning a wedding that is to follow a winter theme.

3. Selecting the food for the wedding should involve selecting food that closely follows a winter theme. This would involve “hot” items such as hot chocolate and “cold” items such as eggnog. There does need to be a bit of careful planning involved, as one should not cross the line into territory where the wedding theme becomes murky and a Christmas or holiday theme becomes too pronounced.

4. The decor of the wedding should also follow themes that are consistent with the winter. This does not mean that the decor should embody specific winter conventions, but should at least emanate a certain color scheme that is more closely associated with winter than anything else. That would mean using colors such as silver, light blue, white, etc. To use other colors not associated with winter would distract away from the theme and undermine the idea of having a winter wedding and turning the entire wedding into a generic theme instead.

5. For the actual wedding itself, sometimes the theme can be proactive as opposed to being passive. One of the biggest myths about weddings is that they are passive and dull events. Well, the reality of the matter is that a wedding can be boring and dull. There have been some enterprising individuals who can put a unique, active spin on the traditional wedding. For example, there have been those fun minded individuals who will have their weddings performed underwater in scuba gear or even falling to earth while skydiving! Now, for winter loving people, a wedding at a skiing or snowboarding resort can provide the same theme of active fun to coincide with the wedding, while remaining much more sane than holding the wedding underwater!

Ultimately, having a winter wedding is simply taking traditional wedding ideas and putting a minor winter spin on them.

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Bride, Bride and Groom, Groom, Themed Weddings, bridesmaids, unique weddings, wedding decorations, wedding dresses, wedding planning, wedding plans, wedding preparation | 1 Comment »

Add Some Flair With Wedding Favors

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Celebrating the unity of two people for eternity is the foremost purpose of a Wedding Ceremony. It has been this way and will continue to be this way for as long as the tradition lives. Wedding Guests are invited to share not only in the joyous occasion but also to bear witness to the union. There is something spiritual about standing before all those who are special to you and make a lifelong commitment to someone for others to hear, which is what really transforms two people into a married couple.

To show an appreciation for their guests, for the time they have taken out of their busy lives to be part of the Wedding, the bride and groom shower their guests with Wedding Favors. These Wedding Gifts or Wedding Favors have been the tradition to thank the wedding guests for their thoughtfulness, their gifts and help in any way given to the couple in making the wedding a special occasion.

Wedding favors traditionally are given to all of the guests that have been invited to the wedding reception, of course, more expensive wedding favors are available and there are many weddings for which these higher-priced wedding favors are appropriate. These are typically inexpensive gifts, averaging in the $1 – $2 price range. Numerous wedding favors are available in just about any category one could imagine, from sterling silver picture frames, to personalized edible chocolates, and even fragrant bath soaps.

Selecting wedding favors is not that difficult at all, nor is it necessary to purchase these well in advance of the wedding date. Most are readily available at online and retail outlets that specialize in these kind of wedding accessories. You don’t want to wait until the last minute however, as that is a particularly hectic time. You will need to allow ample time for personalization, or if you select an item that requires special ordering, for example, an unusually large quantity, or an exclusive item.

To be on the safe side, two to three months prior to the wedding date is a good time to make your wedding favor selections. Once you have them in your possession, the only other thing you need to worry about is getting them to the reception before the guests arrive and presenting them in a unique and beautiful manner appropriate for the occasion

Online shopping has made finding appropriate wedding favors very easy. Type ‘wedding favors’ into your search engine and you’ll get pages of web sites offering every type of wedding favor you could ever want. So where do you begin? It’s definitely a good idea to consult your budget worksheet first so you know the price range to focus on.

From there, think about what makes you and your partner unique. Do you both love golf? Are you wine connoisseurs? What about a theme? If your wedding has one, there’s sure to be a favor to complement that theme. Do you want the favor to be the place holder? If so, select one that allows you to write the person’s name and table number. Creating your own wedding favors is another option and can end up being the most unique wedding favor of all and one that your guests are sure to treasure!

Wedding Favors most suited to the occasion are the ones that reflect your personal style and personality. So select something that you personally enjoy and that your guests will appreciate and remember your wedding and you for a long time to come.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

Tags:
Posted in Bride, Bride and Groom, Gifts, Groom, Internet, checklists, computer, gift ideas, wedding favors, wedding theme | 1 Comment »

Selecting Wedding Favors

Thursday, February 21st, 2008

When selecting favors for your wedding there are a number of factors you should consider before making your final decision. Some couples do not give enough consideration to their wedding favors and this is quite unfortunate because the wedding favor is the one part of the wedding which your guests will take home as a reminder of your wedding.  A well chosen wedding favor can result in your friends and family members remembering your wedding day more fondly than they remember other weddings they have attended simply because they see or use your favor often and it automatically triggers memories of your wedding day. However, couples who do not put much thought or effort into the favors they distribute at the wedding may find their guests discarded their favors soon after the wedding.

This article will discuss some of the factors to be considered when selecting wedding favors. These factors should include price, usefulness of the favor and appropriateness of the favor. Considering each of these elements carefully will help the couple to make a wise choice when selecting wedding favors. Price is one of the most important factors a couple must consider when selecting wedding favors. This is so important because the price will often dictate the quality of the favors. While you can purchase some great favors at a very inexpensive price, there will likely be a great deal of comparison shopping involved to find the best deal on the favor. There will also likely be a great deal of research involved.  

For example you may find that items such as picture frames are out of your budget range but you may find other great items such as candles are well within your budget. You may also be pleasantly surprised to find out that although picture frames available from one distributor are too expensive, another distributor has enough picture frames in their closeout stock for you to purchase favors for your wedding. It is just important to remember to not be too disappointed about the items you cannot afford and to instead focus on finding the best favor you can afford.   Another factor to consider when selecting wedding favors is whether or not the favor will be useful to your guests. This is very important because favors which are useful are often much better received than favors which the guest cannot use. For example many guests will find items such as picture frames and candles to be useful but will be less impressed with favors such as figurines of a bride and groom. These may be very pretty but many of your friends and family member likely have a collection of similar items from other weddings they have been too and may simply not have room to display these favors. As a result the favor may wind up in a box in the attic or may be thrown out shortly after the wedding.  Finally, a couple should carefully consider the appropriateness of a wedding favor when making their final decision. This is very important because you do not want to give your guests a favor which they will think is inappropriate. Fortunately, when it comes to wedding favors just about anything is considered appropriate. From candy to office supplies and from statues to books just about anything is appropriate for the wedding as long as it reflects the theme of the wedding, reflects the underlying theme of love or is even just something which the guests can use and will appreciate. For example you can certainly give out dictionaries as wedding favors. Your guests will not likely be offended by this favor but some of them may think it is a little strange. However, if you give each of your guests a copy of a book filled with love poems no one will think it is a strange idea for a wedding favor at all. Perhaps the best way to determine whether or not a wedding favor is appropriate is to think about what you would feel if you were given that same item as a favor at another wedding. 

Posted in Bride, Bride and Groom, Gifts, Groom, The Wedding Day, wedding favors, wedding party, wedding photographers | 1 Comment »