There are way too many party favors. [We feel your pain every day]. Determining good value for the money is difficult, and even some of the better known industry names have wide variances in the quality of their products (we will not mention names). And while some couples choose to go DIY, skill levels vary (!) and not everyone has the time or desire.
If you don’t want to make your wedding favors, we at Taylor Street want you know it is absolutely possible for you to purchase interesting or fun, well made, wedding favors.
Here are 3 tips to help make your favor selection process a success.
Tip #1: Ask yourself the right question
Don’t start your favor search with the question: What gift would my guests be so impressed with / like enough to want to take home?
The mindset behind this question — that you must thrill your guests — is guaranteed to frustrate your efforts because:
1. you will never please everyone, and
2. you are allowing your decision to be dictated by guest preferences you can not influence and can not possibly guess correctly.
Better question: What small gift/memento would I enjoy giving to my guests — a gift to thank them for coming that might remind them of my wedding day or make them laugh, and that I can afford — without stressing me/us out more than we already are?
Or turn it around — what small gift would I enjoy receiving if I were attending my own wedding?
Tip #2: Incorporate your Theme…
Since most guest favors are placed on individual tables or displayed on a reception table, incorporating your theme into the favor can help you narrow your focus. One of the simplest, and often more successful, ways to to do this is with color, and/or texture. Every wedding or celebration has one or a few predominant recurring colors or textures. Use something you’ve already decided on as your inspiration, and you will have streamlined your decision making process.
Tip #3: …But don’t replicate your entire theme.
Take elements from your theme and deconstruct them. Do not recreate your entire event theme in miniature with your favor, but rather, take just one part of it. If your wedding reception theme is the Great Gatsby roaring twenties – repeat a deco print or black and gold color combination with your favor or tag.
…and a warning about Pinterest. It is invaluable, but it can overwhelm — too many ideas will have you second guessing yourself in no time. Your objective is not to make your gift or favor “pin” worthy. When you go to Pinterest – and you know you will – first set a goal and a time limit. Get in, get out.
Your favor lets your guests know how much you appreciate them making time to celebrate with you. It does not have to be a lasting souvenir, and it does not have to be handmade to be appreciated. Keep it sincere, affordable – and have some fun.
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