So you’ve had the wedding ceremony of your dream with a unique touching and humorous blend (oh hey, you must have had a Celebrant wedding!), and now all your guests are heading through for the meal. Favours can be a way of extending the personal touch, and create a talking point as your guests settle down to eat. They can also be a massive waste of money, which no one appreciates, so here I discuss the all-important question:
To favour or not to favour?
Based on my personal experience of oooodles of weddings, I’m going to do a Friends low down of the more memorable favours I’ve received.
The one that’s most used
A coaster. The bride collected photos of everyone who was going to attend the wedding, and then made personalised coasters. I still use the coaster to this day (5 years later) on my bed side table. Why do I love it? A) It has a white background, so in the dark with my incredibly poor eyesight I can vaguely see where to replace my glass! B) It’s quite a slim coaster, so if I do miss, it doesn’t knock the glass over! C) It’s a reminder of a wonderful wedding and a trip to Edinburgh (where the photo was taken).
The one that got a laugh (from me anyway)
An ironic key right with a picture of the couple and the caption ‘Happily Ever After’ where the brides look like they’ve had a mug shot taken. I thought it was hilarious!
The one that got me excited (…but I then left ☹)
A beautiful flowerpot, painted by the bride. But sadly that night was one wild party and the flowerpot ended up left on a table, never to be seen again.
The one no one can complain about
A little note saying that the couple have made a donation to charity. I mean, need I say more?
The one that’s sitting there for the right moment
A small bottle of gin. This would normally be a roaring success – I’d open it straight away, or maybe tastefully wait until dessert, but I’d be cheers-ing with everyone on the table soon enough! The reason this did not happen, is that I was 5 months pregnant at the time! As I’m typing, I’m thinking I might drink it tonight… how long does Sloe gin last?!
The one that’s classic French (and therefore obviously dear to my heart)
Some almonds coated in sugar or chocolate. To be fair, more often than not, I think these sweet treats are found months later at the bottom of a handbag. Nevertheless, I am of the view point that surely they can’t go out of date and will gobble them up, grateful for having found something to keep my going!
The one that’s a blooming lovely idea (‘scuse the pun!)
Wild flower seeds for the bees. Genuinely a lovely idea and my heart warms at the thought! But I lived in a flat at the time, so I stowed it away in the cupboard under the sink, and attempted to sew the seeds 7 years later when I moved house, with limited success.
The one that’s practical and yet impractical all at once
A pot of fresh herbs. When a keen horticulturalist and cook tied the knot, all table names were named after herbs. We then all had a pot of herbs to take home. As I attended this wedding sola, alcohol consumption was pretty low. This meant that as I headed for home, I made sure to pick up my pot and it added flavour to my dishes for at least a month. However, were I to follow my usual pattern of alcohol intake, that pot would have remained at the side of the dance floor, or spilling over in the taxi, leaving soil all over the back seat.
The one that no one notices!
Zero favours! That’s right! You don’t actually NEED to provide any favours for your guests! Don’t stress about what you can purchase or make if you’re budget and/or time poor! It is a fact (universally acknowledged by.. well, me) that favours are often lost, left, never used, or found many years later in the bottom of a handbag.
The one that I personally went for
I wasn’t fussed about favours, but I did want COLOUR! So I chose to buy 100 colourful wine glasses! I love charity shops and so for several months before our wedding, I went into every charity shop within a 10 mile radius and purchased an array of colourful wine glasses. In my mind, it ticked a few boxes – it provided colour, I took pleasure in the process, and as they were all purchased in charity shops, if someone broke it, left it unloved, or threw it away, I felt it was money and time well-spent! For guests who like a matching set of crystal wine glasses though, they might not have been so keen on my idea!
So in summary, to favour or not to favour? Only do it if you WANT. Some people love craft projects and it gives them something to do in the lead up to the wedding. Sometimes favours can add a touch of personality to your wedding. Sometimes it’s a way of having a ‘nod’ towards a loved one who perhaps can’t be there. But if you’re doing for the sake of it, honestly, don’t worry about it! Save a few bob (as my Papa would have said) – your guests will treasure the memories of your special day, not the favour you purchased en masse for the sake of having something on the table.
