As you’ve probably already begun to notice, planning a wedding is all about making decisions. Which awesome dress; how many guests; where will you walk down the aisle; what you will eat at the reception … the choices are never-ending.
Your wedding favors, although certainly not your biggest decision, are still important. You want to put enough thought into them, so that they will be a meaningful and lasting reminder to your guests of the day they shared with you. Luckily, saying ‘thank you’ to your guests can be fun!
When choosing your favors, you first need to decide if you are going buy wedding favors or make them yourself. There are many factors to consider when making this decision; such as the amount of time you have to dedicate to your favors, the amount of money you want to spend, the way you want them to look, and what exactly it is you want your wedding favors to say.
Remember that it’s okay to change your mind. It just helps to have an idea before you throw yourself at the mercy of wedding retailers. Write all of your ideas down to help you keep track. Now you’re ready to think about whether you want to buy wedding favors or create your own!
Here are a few pros and cons you should think about.
Pros and Cons of Buying Wedding Favors
If you choose to buy your wedding favors, there are many benefits. There are so many different favors to choose from; pretty much anything you can think of can be ordered from a wedding supplier or online retailer. Buying gives you access to a wide selection, almost limitless options, and hard-to-find or niche favors.
You can also choose favors that you can have been personalized or engraved, for an added special touch.
Buying also eliminates the stress of trying to paint four hundred flower pots by your wedding day, for example, by allowing you to place the order and essentially forget about it until they are delivered.
Open the box and hand out the favors. It doesn’t get any better than that!
As great as buying your favors may seem, there are drawbacks as well.
Buying can be very pricey! You need to pay special attention to the unit price as well as the shipping and handling fees. A $1.05 item can quickly turn your budget upside down when you need to order 500 of them and realize they will be shipped from overseas!
There’s also the fear that they will arrive late, or not be exactly what you were looking for. Ordering them to be delivered with about six weeks lead time before your day will help reduce those risks and allow time to re-order if necessary.
Make sure that you take your time when deciding, considering all factors before you signing or purchasing anything! Check out all of the policies, guarantees and fine print before you fork over the dough.
Pros and Cons of Making Your Own Wedding Favors
Making your own favors is a nice way to say thank you to your guests for being a part of your wedding day. It reflects a more personal gratitude than a pre-made favor.
There are many benefits to making your own favors; you can add your own style and flair to them, making them a unique reflection of you and your important day.
Sometimes making them yourself can also save you some money! It could end up being a great way to spend time with your fiancé and whoever else you can convince to pitch in.
The downside to making your own favors is that it may end up costing you more than you had budgeted for.
It could also end up being more time consuming than you had planned.
Another drawback is that you may work very hard on your favors and have them not turn out as you had hoped, leaving you with a big problem before the big day.
To avoid these dilemmas, allow yourself double the estimated time you think it will take; make a few prototypes before you invest in the materials to make all your favors; and double and triple check your material list, to be sure you’re not forgetting anything that needs to be factored into the cost (think glue and scissors, packaging, etc).
When deciding on your favors and the avenue you want to take, consider all of the factors involved and ask yourself, how much time do I have? What do I want people to think of my favors? How much money do I want to spend?
These questions will help you to decide on what’s best for you! Favors shouldn’t be the most stressful aspect of your wedding planning; in fact, they should be fun because you can get creative in the way you want to show your guests your appreciation!
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