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The wedding industry has come a long way from when our parents were getting hitched. The common concept of taking 17 items home with you from a wedding is no more. Are favors an essential item to your guests enjoying your wedding? No. We live in a world with enough junk and clutter – we don’t need more of it. We watch shows on decluttering, we read books to motivate us, and we follow bloggers that share with us how to eliminate. But, with that being said, people love stuff. Our best advice is to gift something meaningful or practical – something that is will actually be used after leaving the wedding. Here are a few ideas to get the juices flowing:

• Photobooth printed strips
• Well-made name tags (like the one above)
• Mini champagne bottles (not to be consumed at the venue)
• Sandals at the dance floor (take off your heels and dance!)
• Personalized candy or dessert
• Will your wedding be on a warm summer day? Your guests might appreciate a handheld fan, paper umbrellas, or sunglasses. Want to make it fun? Try mini water squirt guns!
• Earth friendly and sustainable gifts like a reusable water bottle or utensils
• Having an outdoor wedding by a lake? Try sunscreen or bug spray!
• Do you have a cause you’d like to support? How about small gifts that donate a portion of their proceeds to something you care about.

Last essential piece of advice! Unless they are name cards or place setting related, all favors should be near the exit of the event. Any way you dice it, 50% will forget to take home their gift. Sometimes, even more people will forget than that! When preparing the favor, make less! I promise you will still have plenty for years to come and you’ll be kicking yourself that you read this and still didn’t listen. 🙂