Wedding Favor Shopping Guidelines

So you are online and you are just beginning your search for that perfect wedding favor. But then, you click the "search" button and you are overloaded with thousands of sites selling thousands of wedding favors. Your idea of a stress free wedding favor search just turned into a full time job. Before you start pulling your hair out, I have some good news. I sat down with my staff and together we brainstormed some basic tips that can help make shopping for wedding favors much easier and much more enjoyable.

Set a Budget - (Did she really just say that word?)

Yes, girls (and guys)! I really did say it! Get used to it because it will become a huge part of your vocabulary. I can't stress how important this step is when it comes to making sure you have everything you need and want for your wedding.

Typically, your wedding favor budget should be about 4% of your total wedding budget. For example if you have a $10,000.00 overall wedding budget you should not spend more than $400.00 on your wedding favors. Easy enough? Good. Now let’s move on.

Start Searching Online

Ahh, the Internet! What a remarkable invention! Where else can you go to find fifty different prices for an item you thought you would have to pay retail value for? The answer is: no where else!

Get some ideas. There are many sites out there that offer great wedding favor ideas. You can buy coasters, candles, bottle stoppers, frames and the list goes on. So, please do yourself a "favor" (no pun intended) and take some time to see what’s out there.

Another good reason for shopping online for wedding favors is because there is no store out there that has large quantities of wedding favors to take home with you that day. You would need a stock room the size of Rhode Island to store everything, and that is just impractical. It is so much easier to sit at your desk at home in your pajamas, look at some wedding favors, customize them, click order and sit back and wait for them to arrive at your door.

Designed With You In Mind - (in other words...do it yourself)

If you are on a really tight budget you can consider making your own wedding favors without sacrificing style or quality. The best way to do this is to know what you want before you go to the store. Have a solid idea in your mind of what you think you are going to need and stick to that plan. All too often I see many brides taking the DIY route and they end up going to the store with no ideas and end up leaving with a headache, and no favors because they saw tons of things they liked and they don't know where to start.

How many favors will you need 50 or 500?

Another important factor to consider when choosing your wedding favors is to sit down with your groom and figure out how many guests you are planning to have. Ask your self this question: Do you want each person at your wedding to get a favor or do you just want to give out one per couple or family? When a bride comes to me with this question and they have a tight budget, I suggest they give their guests coaster wedding favor sets. These adorable sets come with two to four coasters in each box and they are perfect for couples or families.