Whether or not you decide to offer wedding favours to your guests may depend on your wedding budget and the number of guests. Traditionally, wedding favours were given to guests as a ‘thank you’ for celebrating your special day with you: This gift was usually a piece of wedding (fruit) cake! Most, if not all, brides today however have stopped that tradition and opted for something more creative and unique.

If you are thinking about offering your guests wedding favours here are some things to keep in mind;

How much do you want to spend on wedding favours?

These gifts can cost anywhere from $3.00-$12.00 (and up) a person, depending on what you choose. For a wedding with 100 people this could mean between $300 and $1200!

What kind of wedding favour do you want?

Here are some of the most popular suggestions;

• Truffles, chocolates or fudge
• Candied almonds (or other sweets)
• Specialty customized Tea/coffee
• Specialty cookies
• Personalized Jam or honey
• Flower/plant seeds
• Bottle of wine/alcohol
• Wine accessories (cork screen and cork)
• Kitchen accessories (kitchen timer, salt/pepper shaker)
• Wine/champagne/cognac glasses
• Key rings

Please Note: Because of liquor by-laws, some reception venues don’t allow you to give wine or other alcohol as favours. It’s always best to check this before deciding on (and purchasing) a favour.

Wedding Favour Money Saving Tips:

If you are trying to cut down on your wedding costs this is one cost you can cut out altogether. If you don’t want to do that, here are some money saving tips:

• Send one guest home with the centerpiece (you can even make a fun game out of this one)
• Make your own momentum (e.g., a c.d. of your favourite songs, a picture frame, etc.)
• Provide each couple with a gift, rather than each person
• Purchase your own boxes/gifts bags rather than buying favours that come with packaging

Don’t forget to include the price of the boxes, or bags, and any ribbon, stickers, etc. that will be needed for the wedding favours as well.

The wedding venue you choose will really set the tone and style for your wedding, and may very well be the most expensive part of your wedding.

Renting a Venue

Most brides (especially those living in urban cities, like Toronto) will chose to rent a wedding venue whether it’s at a hotel, a museum, ski club, a boat, or another wedding appropriate venue (like Castle Loma, The Royal Botanical Gardens, etc.). The nice thing about renting a venue is that they will often come with a caterer, a D.J. a bar, all your linens and things and a full set of experienced serving staff. Most wedding venues come with pretty much all of your wedding reception needs (except of course your personal decorations and centrepieces/flowers).

Creating your own Venue

Another option for brides-to-be is to create your own wedding venue – to have an outdoor/tent wedding. The nice thing about this type of wedding is that you can really personalize it – you can have your wedding somewhere special (e.g., where you met, you fell in love, or got engaged) and decorate it however you want (some venues might have restrictions on some decorations). While this type of wedding can be really special, we have to warn you that it is also a lot of work (trust me, I did it). You have to rent a tent, the tables, the chairs, the dishes, the flatware, and more as well as hire all of your vendors (caterer and servers, D.J, photographer, videographer, etc.). Another thing to keep in mind is the time of year you plan to get married and the weather you might expect.

The Wedding Cake has been one of the traditional hallmarks of weddings for quite some time. Over the past decade however this tradition has taken a new form with brides opting for alternative wedding deserts, or none at all.

What’s your style?

When thinking about your wedding cake style reflect on your personal style, wedding location, season, favourite color or flower, or your wedding dress as inspiration for your cake style. Also have a look through your bridal magazines and check out the many resources available online to find different styles. I looked to my dress for inspiration and decided that I wanted my cake to reflect my dress. Unfortunately, our confectioner said he couldn’t do it because we were having an outdoor wedding in July and the cake wouldn’t hold up in the heat. So, when picking your style be somewhat flexible as external circumstances may force you to deviate slightly from your style/plans.

Tasting time

Before you commit to a baker, sample some cakes and fillings to make sure your confection will taste as good as it looks. Most bakers will have samples of cake or icing to test when you are shopping around. It’s also really important to discuss your icing options with your baker. Be sure to choose the right icing for your wedding location. For example, you probably shouldn’t go with a butter-cream or whipped cream icings if you're having an outdoor wedding. The heat causes the icing to melt. Rolled fondant however is bullet-proof in the heat (and this is what we ended up with – not as tasty as the butter-cream icing but it still looks beautiful)!

Ordering time

You should plan to order your wedding cake around six months in advance. If you're marrying during peak wedding season (June–October) you may have to order it even sooner, especially if you want a big-name confectioner and you live in a big city. It’s always a good idea to interview the baker in person, if possible, and ask to see samples of his or her work before you sign a contract. If you love a baker's style, but you don't know anyone who's worked with him or her, ask for references.

Money saving tips:

If your budget is tight already, there are a few things to consider when it comes to your wedding cake:

• Do you really want one? If so, then check to see whether your caterer can make a cake. Stick to a simple design, unless the caterer is also an experienced confectioner. If you already have a favourite bakery (for birthday cakes, etc) they may be able to create something special for you without blowing your budget
• If you don’t really want a traditional cake think about cupcakes, or cookies, or other creative alternatives. Some couples opt for having a decadent after dinner desert and skip the cake-cutting ceremony altogether.

Wedding invitations can be a nice preview into your special day. They can communicate your wedding theme (beach, rustic, etc.), your colour scheme, how formal your wedding will be, and can even reflect the bride and groom themselves. Wedding invitations can cost anywhere from $2.00 ~ $10.00 per invitation, depending where you go, the style you choose and the number of guests you invite.

Save the Date Cards? Save your money!

Save the date cards are often considered unnecessary these days. Invitations alone can cost enough after you hire a designer or pick a style, have them printed, purchase your postage (times 2), etc. Unless you have a lot of out-of-town guests coming, or are getting married on a holiday weekend, or having a destination wedding save the date cards aren’t necessary (and are a waste of paper). If you are sending save the date cards however they should be sent six months to one year before your wedding. If you are on a tight budget (as most brides are) then you this is where you can save some money.

Shop around…and around some more

Larger stores offer a wide variety of standard styles that can be less expensive than smaller, specialized shops. Upscale shops have unusual papers and designs and are always more expensive. Keep in mind that invitations, while pretty and meaningful to you, will likely be discarded after your wedding! If you have a particular style in mind (a friend of mine had her and her husband-to-be’s baby pictures on their invitation) you might want to seek out a designer who can put together a custom one-of-a kind invitation for you. Be careful though because this can also be expensive.

Postage

Don't forget to consider postage costs for RSVP cards and inserts as well as the invitation itself when you map out what you can spend on stationary. When picking your invitation (whether making your own or purchasing them) take them to the post office and have them weighed to make sure they are within your postage budget. You do not want invitations to be returned as this is an unnecessary source of stress – and brides just don’t need that!

Time to invite your guest

Invitations should go out six to twelve weeks before your wedding day. Your vendors will likely have deadlines for final numbers, so use this as a guide. If you are getting married in the high season (July and August) the sooner you sent them out, the better.

Stationary Money Saving Tips:

1. Don’t send save-the-date cards unless these are included in your invitation package (you will have to pay for the card, the envelope, and the postage)
2. Instead of using an inner envelope for reply cards use a postcard style reply card
3. Put information on both sides of the inner card (e.g., map and hotel information, etc.)
4. Skip the ceremony program
5. Make your own invitations, table numbers, place cards/name cards. People always appreciate the personal touch…and a wedding is personal so it’s okay to make your own stuff!

Invitation Checklist

Pick and choose the things that suit your style and budget

Standard:

• Invitation
• Include the date, time and location of the ceremony and reception – Search Google for some examples for invitation wording
• Outer envelope for invitation
• Inner (unsealed) envelope (if using) OR postcard reply card
• Reply card
• Map
• Parking-arrangement card (if using)
• Hotel information

Additional Options:

• Save-the-date cards
• Map
• Ceremony program
• Place card
• Escort card
• Table numbers
• Menu cards
• At-home cards