Wedding Favors That Embrace Nature's Beauty

By Lizzy Mansfield

A wedding planned in the spirit of nature provides the perfect opportunity for selecting wedding favors fashioned after elegant symbols consisting of, but not limited to maple leaves, butterflies, lavender buds, and roses. While there is certainly no shortage of wedding favors available today that are inspired by nature, those that are carefully designed with distinctive style and artistic detail remain popular choices.

As brides aim to locate the perfect wedding favors to reflect their personality and style, many look for favors made with exquisite details and designs inspired by nature such as embroidery or hand painting. Some examples include fabric containers made of silk and organza that are illustrated with floral landscapes or imagery. Besides attractive textures, color is another arena that brides have explored greatly as they sift through the astounding variety of favor bags in the hope of finding one that fits well within their wedding color scheme. The favorite color for nature-inspired weddings ranges from iridescent colors of red and orange to soft pastel colors in yellow and green.

These embroidered and hand-painted details are often found in wedding favor bags made from organza, which remains one of the most elegant and affordable fabrics. However, it is important to keep in mind that while organza bags come in a multitude of shapes, sizes, and prices, be sure to find high quality organza fabric that neither frays nor easily tears as a result of handling. Of course, details such as embellished ribbons with unique pearl accents and beads have become the de rigueur, as brides have become more creative and discerning when searching for the ultimate favor bag.

When all is said and done, what would elegant organza or silk bags with embroidered or painted floral embellishments be without a delicious treat or personal memento tucked inside them. Use fillings that are also inspired by nature that include soothing chamomile tea, delicious maple sugar candy, or delightful iced sugar cookies that are rendered in floral shapes to extend a nature-inspired theme. No matter what filling may be desired, finding the ideal wedding favor for the nature-loving bride comes with exciting options, but only the perfect favor for today’s demanding bride will make her top choice - those made with superior details and reflect the sophisticated taste of the bride and groom.

About the author: Copyright © 2004 Bellenza, Inc. Lizzy Mansfield is a staff writer for Bellenza - specializing in handmade wedding favors, accessories, and bridal party gifts. Visit http://www.bellenza.com/ and discover their unique selection of wedding favors

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lizzy_Mansfield
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Some Tips for Making your Wedding Favor Ideas Come to Life

Author: Linda Ellison

If you’re a bride with a creative side, chances are that you have some wedding favor ideasfor your reception already in mind. Maybe you imagine something chocolate and decadent, maybe you have a practical side that you want to express. In any event, if you haven’t already made a decision or a purchase, then how do you go about making those wedding favor ideas of your own come to life? What are some tips and hints, and what are some things to avoid?





Wedding Favor Ideas Should be Unique





There’s nothing wrong with being inspired by a wedding you saw of your favorite celebrity, or a photo in a bride’s magazine, or even something at a wedding you’ve attended yourself. But the bottom line is that your wedding favor ideas need to tailored to your own personality, to the personality of your groom, and the two of you as a couple.





For example, you may have seen a very decadent gift of chocolate truffles being given away at a celebrity’s wedding. Depending on the brand of chocolates, chances are they paid thousands and thousands of dollars for those gifts. Unless you have that kind of money to spend on favors, you may want to scale yours back a bit.





In a case like that, some good wedding favor ideas might be smaller boxes of more inexpensive chocolates. Brands such as Russell Stover or Fannie Mae are very good but are a bit more affordable. The boxes can be wrapped with wrapping paper you get from a store for a festive look. Tie them with some thick silver or gold ribbon and they are now an elegant take-home gift for your guests.





Additionally, you can still tailor your wedding favor ideas to include customized candy bar wrappers for chocolate bars. This trend in wedding favors is one that has really caught fire in recent years, since some of the larger companies offer so many different designs that you’re sure to find one that expresses your personality. For example, if you search on The Knot or Wed Alert, you can find several different types of wrappers being offered. One of the internet’s leading candy bar wrapper companies, www.FavorsAndWraps.com, has over 150 different designs that feature flowers, beach scenes, autumn scenes, art deco designs, fun and whimsical designs, along with some traditional and very elegant ones as well. Whether your wedding favor ideas include something traditional, something fun, or something that celebrates nature, you’re sure to find something just right for you.





Your wedding favor ideas should also incorporate some of the same elements from your wedding, such as the choice of flowers or the colors you’ve picked. For example, if your bouquet is all roses, then of course you would want to use roses in your wedding favor ideas. It would make no sense to wrap your chocolate boxes or choose custom candy wrappers that have daisies or irises as part of their design. Additionally, if your bridesmaids’ dresses and other colors in your wedding are soft pastels, these colors should be reflected in your wedding favors. If you’re a bride that has opted for stronger, bolder colors, then remember this same point. Don’t use traditional wraps with silver and gold for your favors if your bridesmaids are all wearing black or cherry red.





Making Your Own





You may opt to assemble or create your own favors if you can’t find just what you’re looking for, or have a strong creative side and want to do this type of thing for yourself and your guests. In this case, making your wedding favor ideas come to life will take a bit more planning and consideration. It’s very easy to underestimate the time, effort, and money involved in creating your own favors.





For example, if you have the idea of getting foil-wrapped chocolates and placing them in a tulle bag to wrap with ribbon, this can be a very beautiful item. However, have you figured how many guests you’re expecting, and how much wrapped chocolate you will need for that number? How much ribbon will you need? How much time will this take you, and where will you store the chocolate before the reception?





This isn’t meant to scare you off from going through with your own wedding favor ideas, as this can be a great way to add personality and style to your reception. Additionally, there is no end to your options for making these items uniquely you. In the case of tulle bags filled with chocolate, you can skip the ribbon and use strands of crystal beads to tie them for a more elegant touch. Or if you want to express your fun side, choose an oversized Hershey’s Kiss instead. The possibilities are endless.





What to Avoid With Your Own Wedding Favor Ideas





There are some things that should be avoided when considering your wedding favor ideas. For one thing, it’s tempting to simply get whatever you want without any thought or considering of your own budget. It’s easy to think that you can spend what you want since your wedding is going to happen only once (hopefully) in your life, but starting out your new life deeply in debt can only add tension to your relationship down the road.





Additionally, you want favors that are going to match your overall theme and feel of your wedding. Don’t indulge in wedding favors that are fun and funky if your wedding is traditional and elegant. You can find things that are very affordable and still look beautiful at the same time.





And lastly, make sure that your wedding favor ideas are practical and can be accomplished. You may think up some extravagant gift idea that requires hours and hours of preparation and assembly, and assume that your bridesmaids and friends will be willing to pitch in and help, but remember that they may already be somewhat stressed themselves with all the other responsibilities they have for your wedding.





If you keep all these thoughts in mind, you’re sure to find a creative, fun, and elegant way to bring to life your own wedding favor ideas.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/weddings-articles/some-tips-for-making-your-wedding-favor-ideas-come-to-life-268637.html

About the Author:

Linda Ellison is a freelance writer who specializes in trends and lifestyles. Her previously published fiction works, including the Dana Ford Mystery Series, have been on bookshelves nationwide. Visit www.FavorsAndWraps.com to read more about the latest trends in wedding favors.

Wedding Favors not to Buy for your Wedding

Author: Denise Sanger

Wedding favors have become an important part of the wedding celebration. However, there are some wedding favors your guests will not appreciate receiving at your reception. Lets take a look.





1. Personalized Favors With The Couples Names. Dont get me wrong. Some personalized favors are nice BUT it depends how they are personalized. Wedding favors such as silver photo frames or bells, monogrammed candle favors, and coasters engraved with the happy couples names and dates will never be displayed in your guests home. Why would they? If you are set on personalized wedding favors, choose to personalize the tags or go with a smaller, less expensive personalized favor such as lip balm or note pads. That way you are sure your guests will use and appreciate your wedding favors.





2. Overtly Themed Wedding Favors. For example, did you decide to have an Asian themed wedding or an Irish themed wedding? Thats wonderful and there are many great ways to incorporate your theme into the wedding  but leave the favors out of it. Choosing to provide your guests with a themed favor that they dont understand or does not complement their d?r ensures that the favor will go straight into the garbage can when they get home. Choose a more practical wedding favor such as a neutral candle that matches your color theme, a silver bottle stopper or luggage tag. These types of favors are not only practical but elegant as well.





3. Expensive Wedding Favors. Your dream is to have the wedding of the decade. Thats fantastic, but spend your money where it will matter the most to YOU not your guests. By all means provide your guests with a tasteful, elegant wedding favor but unless youre a celebrity, you dont need to spend $10 per favor to achieve that look. Silver wedding favors also look elegant as do wine bottle stoppers. If you are discriminating in your choice of favors, your goal will be achieved.





4. Cheap Wedding Favors. Spend some time looking for a wedding favor that is inexpensive but not cheap looking. Many brides make the mistake of having friends and family make their wedding favors for them. Often this task is rushed to be completed right before the wedding  and they look it. There are many wedding favors under $1 or $2 that appear to cost more than they really do. A few great examples are heart cookie cutters, heart bath soaps in a gift box, or sachets.





You want your day to be perfect. Dont choose a wedding favor that will derail your whole plan. Take your time and choose a wedding favor that both you and your guests are sure to love.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/relationships-articles/wedding-favors-not-to-buy-for-your-wedding-241655.html

About the Author:

Denise Sanger is the owner of several wedding planning websites including http://buyweddingfavorsonline.com. Buy Wedding Favors Online carries a diverse catalog of elegant, yet affordable wedding favors and bridal shower favors along with wedding accessories.

The Charm of Homemade Wedding Favors

By Kevin Stith

Homemade wedding favors come from a centuries old tradition of brides and grooms providing small gifts to wedding guests. Every culture across time has treated marriage as a wonderful event with the nuptials celebrated throughout the community. In many cultures the bride and groom are associated with good luck. A common thought among these cultures was, that every thing the couple touched would be charmed. By gifting members of the community, the couple would pass blessings to others for the rest of the year.

Initially all wedding favors were homemade, as the concept of mass produced items had yet to be conceived. Many brides would choose to redistribute their good luck by preparing a small gift of almonds beautifully wrapped in elegant fabric. The custom in the Middle East is for the bride to provide five almonds to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness. Today, the candied nut known as Jordan almonds, provides for one of the most common and traditional wedding favors, when they are wrapped in small bundles of delicate fabric.

The gifts a bride might create would be dependent on the culture and materials available. For years European and American women would crochet small bags or stiffen their work to create small boxes that would typically hold fruit, nut or candy treats. Crochet items are still an elegant touch for Victorian or country themed weddings. Today, a bride is only limited to her imagination when it comes to selecting the gifts that will show appreciation from the blessed couple.

The tradition of creating homemade weddings favors has continued as a means for the bride to reduce expenses on the wedding budget. Although today, many quality items can be mass produced for a relatively low cost, brides prefer to create homemade favors as a means of self expression. Homemade favors allow her opportunities for unique gift giving and personalization that can't be found in retail store.

Homemade wedding favors can be labor extensive or have a sense of simple sophistication. Time, talent and imagination are the only limits for the creation of wedding favors. Craft stores offer an extensive variety of materials from which to create a memorable item. Simple glass bud vases and candles can be adorned with paint or glass gems. Ready-to-paint bare wood birdhouses can be adorned to resemble wedding chapels. Something as simple as adding a photo of the couple, to a simple picture frame makes an excellent favor that will outlast the wedding day.

Home computers, desktop publishing software and quality papers make it easy to duplicate products that have only been available from professional printers in the past. Poetry can be added to beautiful backgrounds for unique bookmarks or framed works. Decorative placecards with the guests name in an beautiful script can later serve to replace a boring name placard on their work desk. Software to edit music and video recordings allow for the production of private CD's and DVD's.

Baked goods continue to make excellent wedding favors. Cookie cutters are manufactured in every imaginable shape allowing the bride to present distinctive, frosted and personalized delights. Miniature cakes, petits fours and even chocolates can be recreated in the home kitchen. Plastic molds for forming chocolate and other candies make it easy to produce delicacies that are representative of wedding themes. A fun twist on a common molded candy is to prepare it on a stick to create a lollipop from hard candies or chocolates.

Homemade wedding favors will continue to be a favorite for the bride and her guests. The opportunity to produce an item that genuinely expresses the heartfelt sentiments of the couple, will never go out of style.

Wedding Favors Info provides personalized, homemade, cheap, and unique wedding favors, including chocolate and cookie favors, wedding favor boxes, wedding shower favors, and more. Wedding Favors Info is the sister site of Wedding Invitations Web.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Stith

What Is A Wedding Favor And Its History?

By Jesse Miller

A wedding favor is a small token given by the newly weds to their guests in their wedding ceremony or reception. These are given as gifts of appreciation for sharing the special day with the couple. To recipients, these keepsakes are souvenirs. In the ancient world, these keepsakes were seen as sharing of luck from the newly married couple to their guests. Keepsakes come in many forms, shapes and sizes. Some give away figurines, magnets, bottle openers etc. Depending on the married couple, they can give away simple gifts such as a candle or elaborate ones like a small gold box.

This practice is believed to have started in the ancient world. The couple gave away biscuits, fruits and nuts. Before the wedding ceremony began, the guests were given these gifts so that they could eat them while the ceremony was ongoing. This tradition was practiced by wealthy families and in Italy; the couple gave their guests silks scarves and incense. Italians called it a bomboniere while the French called it bonbonniere. European aristocrats gave their guests a small box, which contains sugar cubes.

These boxes were not ordinary boxes; these were made from porcelain, crystal or were covered with precious stones. Sugar cubes were expensive at during that time, hence, it symbolized wealth and royalty. Weddings were regarded as lucky occasions. When couples give out gifts, it is believed that luck is also given to their guests. Giving of these was not strictly reserved for weddings only. These tokens were also given during birthdays, baptism and other special occasions. Once the prices of sugar cubes dropped, these objects were substituted with almonds. Later on, these almonds were coated with sugar. This symbolizes the bittersweet marriage. Guests were usually given five pieces of almonds. Each of these represented fertility, wealth, health, happiness and longevity. Today, these almonds are called Jordan Almonds.

These days, these gifts are given as a sign of gratitude. These gifts are now an integral part of the wedding. There isn't a couple that wont give something away to their guests during their wedding day. Some couples still adhere to tradition. In Italy, couples give chocolate covered almonds while in Spain, guests are given a vase that contains orange blossoms. The Dutch give candies to their guests. Couples today don't just give away sugarcoated almonds. Some give more personalized tokens that show the couple's personality, bears their names, and their date of marriage. Or these gifts can go by the theme of the wedding like fairy tale wedding or Asian theme. These gifts compliment and complete the wedding's theme. There are many companies today that specialize in these keepsakes.

If you really want to take the work out of looking for that right Theme idea or Wedding Favors go to My Bridal Favor now and find ideas for Wedding Favors and Groomsmen Gifts like Glass photo Coaster Wedding Favors. I think Every Bride deserves that one great wedding don't you if so go now and look.

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