Do You Have to Give Wedding Favors?
Let’s face it – weddings are expensive. And these days, with the economy the way it has been, not everyone is able to afford the most lavish of weddings. Besides, even when you do have a decent budget, the wedding favors are not the most important aspect. So that begs the question: is it even necessary to give out wedding favors?
First of all, it is typically considered proper wedding etiquette to give out wedding favors. While people may not be upset if you miss this element, it may be considered tacky to do away with it, especially in the eyes of older and maybe more traditional types. It is up to the bride and groom to discuss the outlook of their families and friends to determine what the attendees will be hoping for. (The truth is that most people will not notice a lack of wedding favors. If it simply isn’t in the budget, consider skipping it!)
Many times the bride’s mother has a very vested interest (and is historically very controlling) and will want to have a say. Planning a wedding can be very stressful, and it’s important that everyone involved in such planning be flexible.
If you do decide wedding favors are the right thing, you still have the dilemma of deciding what items and choosing a budget. Just because wedding favors may be expected does not mean you have to go overboard. A simple flower will often do the trick, and you can incorporate extra flowers into your existing order for floral decorations and such.
Pricing on wedding favors can be flexible with certain merchants and stores that offer discounts on wholesale quantities or any large orders. Check around. If you know what you’re looking for, look online and use the term “bulk orders” or “wholesale” in your search term. (Obviously, include the item in your search term as well.)
Wedding favors, among many things, are the reason it’s important to get replies back from RSVP requests in wedding invitations. It’s also a reason why it is important to concentrate on the invitations very far in advance (up to a year or so). This gives you time to plan everything. If you know how many guests you have, it will be much simpler determining what items you can afford for that number of people. So consider this as a factor when you set the date by which you would like the RSVP returned.
General advice when planning a wedding is to make a list of everything the bride and groom (and their immediate families) would like to see included at the wedding and, again, which items could be left out with little consequence. Items topping that list obviously include the dress, the décor, reception food, DJ, etc. Non-priority things which could be left out if the budget cannot accommodate them include professional orchestras and wedding favors. While wedding favors are, granted, quite traditional, they are a non-essential.