The OurWeddingDay Blog

It’s important to put time and thought into thank you gifts for your bridesmaids. After all of the time and effort they’ve put into your wedding, it’s a kind and necessary gesture to give something back.

One popular gift in particular is jewelry. Give your Bridesmaids jewelry that’s unique by going the vintage route. Giving your Bridesmaids jewelry sets is one thing, but giving them vintage jewelry sets is another. Vintage jewelry includes lapel pins, dress clips, brooches, and of course earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.

If you don’t want to go the jewelry route, but you love the idea of giving a vintage keepsake, then explore the idea of giving them plants in vintage holders. Vintage planters are unique, fun, and something your bridesmaids can enjoy on a daily basis for many years to come. The world of vintage planters is vast. Teapots, watering cans, vintage buckets, baskets, and teacups, can all be used planters. You can present this gift with a plant already in it, or you can give them seeds that they can plant themselves. This portion of the gift is entirely up to you, but it’s always nice when to give a plant or flower that’s already blooming.

The vintage world doesn’t end with jewelry or planters, in fact there are countless vintage pieces that would make great bridesmaid gifts, such as vintage vases, picture frames, and jewelry boxes.

Read more:

• 10 Bridal Party Gift Ideas
• Bridesmaids Wedding Party Gifts
• An Easy Guide to Bridesmaids Gifts

Wedding party gifts are one of the best opportunities the bride has to thank her closest friends for being in her wedding. You may not have an unlimited budget, but you can still give a thoughtful gift that will your friends will enjoy and appreciate. Here are some bridal party gifts to consider for every budget:

For low budget: Depending on where you live, you could give an accessory such as a beautiful scarf or pashmina, a unique pair of earrings, or a necklace. You could also frame a photograph of the two of you together (ideally of a special memory you shared). Then, throw in a gift card to her favorite coffee, tea, or ice cream place.

For medium budget: Consider movie tickets and/or a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant. As movie prices continue to go up, it is usually considered a “treat” to go to the theater, not an every weekend ordeal. Also, if you know her favorite restaurant, you can treat her and a guest to a relaxing evening of a movie and dinner.

For a high budget: Every girl loves a day at the spa. Give your girlfriend a gift card to get that skin treatment she has always wanted. Many spas have packages for “spa days,” where you can choose a combination of treatments, such as manicures, anti-aging facials, or Swedish massage.

Read more:

• 4 Points of Wedding Gift Etiquette
• 10 Bridal Party Gift Ideas
• Wedding Favor Gifts 101

Leave your guests with a piece of you by giving them DIY wedding favors. There’s something special about giving a homemade gift that feels more personal than something store bought. If you’re looking to put your time, energy, and creativity into your wedding favors then use the following DIY wedding ideas and you’ll feel like Martha Stuart in no time.

• Homemade candles: Keep the flame of your wedding memory alive by giving your guests homemade candles. The best part is that you get to choose the size, color, and scent if any.
• Homemade Scented or Herbal Soap: Easier to make than you might think, and will give your guests an excuse to indulge in aromatherapy.
• Bath Scrub: A perfect homemade favor to pass out to your lovely bridesmaids, thanking them for their contribution to your big day.

Eco Friendly: Use recycled materials to create personalized wedding favors.

• Mini-notebooks with you and your husband's names and the date of your wedding stamped on the top or bottom..
• Staple recycled paper to create a mini- envelope and place organically cultivated seeds. This will encourage your guests to grow plants, which is great for the soul, the environment, and is a fantastic wedding memento that will live on.
• Edible favors are always a great gift; just make sure to buy delectable delights that are made from organic ingredients.

Read more:

• 4 More DIY Wedding Favor Ideas
• 3 Bridal Shower Favor Ideas
• 5 Simple DIY Wedding Ideas

Leaving your guests with wedding favor gifts is a wonderful way of thanking them for sharing your big day with you. Wedding favors provide your guests with a memento that they can keep forever and think back on the joyous occasion. The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing elegant wedding favors is to not fall in the candy-covered almonds wrapped in twill trap. Venture off and find the gift that reflects who you and your fiancé are.

Unique to You
Make a list of you and your hubby-to-be’s hobbies and passions. If you both love to cook, then consider giving a gift that reflects that. For example you could box up mini bottles of olive oil and vinegar ready for the pouring. Go the extra mile and make them personalized wedding favors and have your names and wedding date painted or printed onto the glass. One of my favorite favors is a bag of flower seeds. This gift has such powerful symbolism behind it—new life and beauty ahead. It is also ideal for those who have a passion for gardening. Stick with the theme of life but add a twist by giving your guests seeds to plant a tree that bares fruit or vegetables.

Weather Appropriate
If you’re having a spring or summer wedding and it’s hot out there, then give your guests personalized fans. Choose a fan that reflects your style and have the wedding date stitched, painted, or printed onto the fans. This is ideal for destination weddings where the weather is on the humid side, like Hawaii or Bali. Another fantastic gift that’s weather appropriate and ideal for destination weddings is a sarong for the ladies, and a hat for the gentlemen. If you’re having a daytime, casual wedding in an exotic location then pass out these favors prior to the wedding so your guests have the option of wearing them to your wedding.

Go Green
Consider giving your guests an eco-friendly gift of stainless steel water bottles. This will give them a reason to forego plastic water bottles and help the environment. Another option is to give them customized and personalized reusable bags. A third option is to give your guests natural bamboo eco-friendly coaster favors.

Theme Appropriate
Find favors that match your wedding theme. If you’re having a winter themed wedding, consider giving your guests white soap in the shape of snowflakes. Soap is a great option for any theme, just make sure the shape is theme appropriate, for example if you’re having a fall wedding you could give pumpkin soap.

For the Romantics
If you’re a true romantic then choose a heart shaped favor. The possibilities are endless! To get you started on your search here are a few ideas: heart shaped personalized key chains, soap, chocolates, a bag of candy hearts, or heart shaped bath salts. You don’t have to choose a heart shaped favor of course, you could still remain true to your romantic core and give the gift of a scented candle, incense, or any other aroma therapy gift.

Read more:

• 5 Simple DIY Wedding Ideas
• Invitation Designs that Fit Your Wedding Theme
• Personalizing Your Programs

We're happy to report that four of our favorite wedding trends are making a strong comeback:

1. Weddings at Personal Homes or Backyards. With the popularity of retro-chic wedding trends, creating an event drawing on the comfort of a personal home is making a comeback. One particular advantage to a backyard wedding is that you will likely have the freedom to decorate the space with fewer restrictions than a professional venue. The possibilities are endless; one idea is to place a brightly painted vintage bicycle with a flower basket at the entrance. A potential drawback is that you need to make sure the home has enough bathrooms and space to facilitate the caterers, depending on the size of your guest list.
2. Sit-down Reception Dinners. So long to the buffet lines and appetizer stations! Modern wedding trends include using long, old-fashioned, English court-like dinner tables, just as you would see in a mid-1850's period piece.
3. Mismatched Bridesmaids Dresses. One of the top wedding trends in the last few years has been that brides have chosen a fabric and designer for their bridesmaids' dresses, allowing their girlfriends to choose a style that works best for their figures. Brides are now choosing just the color (or color range) and letting their bridesmaids choose a dress from off the rack. Caution: Make sure your bridesmaids are aware of the level of formality you are going for. You don't want one bridesmaid wearing cotton and another in satin.
4. Homemade Wedding Favors. Going along with the vintage theme, homemade wedding favors can be more personal and more whimsical. These current wedding trends don't need to involve crafts; one couple recently put their own photograph on the label of a Jones soda bottle, and it was adorable!

Read more:

• Winter Wedding Trend Alert: Crystals!
• Wearing Antique Jewelry at Your Wedding
• Make Sure Your Bridal Hair & Makeup Lasts All Day!

Once you decide on your wedding theme, you’ll need to figure out smart ways to incorporate ideas into your affair. Read on for simple touches that can make your day, not just a fabulous wedding, but a period piece.

Christmas or Chanukah are extremely popular themes, and if you’re having one or the other, start planning in January. “Shop for sales after the holidays,” says Danielle Bobish of Curtain Up Events in New York City. “Stock up on ornaments and anything else related to the season.”  Bobish believes you should “focus on the little details,” when you plan a theme wedding, which means adding touches like “silver and gold ornaments into vases” for Christmas, or “sparkling white tablecloths with blue napkins” for a beach theme.

Beach themes have always been popular, and you can make them stand out by trying something in addition to seashell favors. “If you’re getting married on, say, the Jersey shore, get a local favor like saltwater taffy,” Bobish says. “If your wedding is in New England, you can have fried clams served in cones.”

Food adds a unique touch to any theme. Beach weddings can mean lobster dinner (but always serve a meat dish as well), or, for smaller budgets, lobster roles at the cocktail hour. “Utilize whatever food or drink matches the affair,” says Bobish. “Tapas is great for a Mexican wedding, hot cider works for a Christmas wedding, candy at Halloween.” Bobish stresses that your theme doesn’t need to overwhelm the wedding; just enhance it.

One smart move to achieve that goal is to make sure your reception site works with your theme. “Never fight your space,” says Bobish. “If you want a snow-white wedding don’t pick a hall that has a red floor.” Simple sites often work best, as you can add your own touches. “For a Halloween wedding, you can line the aisle with pumpkins; same with a harvest wedding.”  Masquerade balls are popular, and can be held almost anywhere. “Put masks on the table,” says Bobish. “You don’t want a lot of stuff in the room getting in the way.”

Keeping with the spirit of your theme, add music to play it up. “Mariachi bands work, even if you also hire a DJ,” says Bobish. “For a Christmas wedding, you can play some holiday music, but also consider hiring carolers for the cocktail hour.” Bobish says that Halloween weddings don’t have to be filled with “Monster Mash,” but that you can have the DJ or band play one or two gothic tunes. Beach themes call for some Beach Boys and much of the rest can be whatever you love.

Perhaps most important in creating the theme, says Bobish, is figuring out the invitations. “Themes start with invitations,” she says. “Make sure the guests understand exactly what the theme is, and always let them know how they should be dressed.”

Read more: Planning a Wedding on a Holiday, Planning a Beach Theme Wedding, 5 Ways to Pick Your Wedding Theme

No one likes a quiet table, especially on your wedding day. If you’re worried that some of your guests won’t know how to engage in conversation with each other, here are some tips to get the party started.

Memorable Photos
Since you know who’s sitting where, place old photos of the guests in small frames. Even if the guests don’t know each other, they’ll hoot and holler over pictures of bad hair and worse outfits. You can also place photos of yourselves on the table, which is sure to get a few “oohs” and ahs” from each guest.

Crazy Centerpieces
Want to get the guests gabbing? Try placing tiered candy-cakes on the table. No one can keep mum when they’re forced to argue over M&M plain versus peanut. Fondue-fountain centerpieces work wonders for inciting gab, as do Smore’s and Rice Krispie Treats. If you want to stay away from food, try something funky like Lava Lamps or anything retro.  

Great Favors
Speaking of retro, nothing is going to get the guests talking like mood-ring favors; everyone will be comparing colors. Bubbles are always a smart way to go, as are sparklers (check ahead to make sure the site allows them). When in favor doubt, give each guest something slightly different, and wrapped. People love to compare and contrast, and it immediately gets them talking.

Fun and Games
Depending on the style and formality of your wedding, you can print questions on the table cards. “Where did Aunt Joan and Uncle Lou honeymoon?” is the type of cocktail chatter that’s automatically created with this game. You can even have a little pre-wedding fun with outdoor bonfires, shuffleboard or horseshoes, or a volleyball game. By the time the guests take their seats, they’ll be bosom buddies.

Classic Touches
The best way to get guests talking is to make sure you’ve put together an excellent seating chart. Never put an entire family together, and don’t put together two relatives who’ve not spoken since 1983. Mix and match, so people are forced to introduce themselves and say their relationship to the bride or groom—the quickest way to get them chatting about their backgrounds. Another savvy idea is to spread out the wedding party members, so each one and his/her date is at a separate table. Everyone wants to talk to the wedding “insiders” to get the scoop. Finally, make sure you greet each person at each table, and make sure they’re all communicating. If you sense a lull, point out that your sorority sister Renee volunteers for the Humane Society, just like your groom’s nephew, seated immediately to her right. Polite and informative talk is always the best way to help everyone get to know one another.

Read more: Having an Ice Bar at Your Reception, 5 Delicious Dessert Alternatives and Live Video Feeds at Ceremonies & Receptions

Many couples choose to give a little something back on their big day. While it’s long been a popular idea to ask for donations in lieu of gifts, nowadays couples are also giving donations as wedding favors. An unexpected plus; you won’t spend weeks looking up wedding favor ideas for your affair.

If you decide to give a charitable donation as a wedding favor, you can make it personal or general. A lot of people choose to honor a loved one, and do so by having a placard honor the person’s life, followed by a note of which charity the donation will go to. Whatever you decide, you can do a search online to find out about charitable organizations (some of which will provide wedding placards), and then follow through with a background check to make sure the organization is reputable. You only need to worry about the latter if you’re picking something no one’s ever heard of; the Red Cross is a no-brainer, whereas Joe’s Car Repair and Tree Saving Society might involve researching their status.

Some couples opt for more than one charity, and it’s entirely up to you.  Remember that not all people share your views, so think twice before donating to, say, a political party. It’s also a smart idea not to attach the guests’ names to the charity, but to simply say that a donation has been made in their honor. There’s no need to mention the donation ahead of time; placards are common, and sometimes people put announcements on menus. You may wish to mention something during the toasts. Never list the dollar amount being donated—that’s considered bad etiquette.

There’s always a chance that a guest will be upset that he didn’t get a traditional wedding favor, and you need to be prepared. However, it’s your day, and deciding where to spend your money is completely up you. In the same way that one person might not like the idea of a wedding donation as a favor, you might not like the idea of going that route. Traditional favors are fun and fabulous. Make your choice, and make sure to enjoy. Either way, it’s cause for celebration.

Bring on the Recessionista Brides!

We just posted a new article all about Modern Wedding Budget-Cutting Ideas by expert Deena M. Amato-McCoy.

She spoke to wedding professionals and "real brides" alike to discover how resourceful brides-to-be are getting creative and finding ways to save money and still throw the wedding of their dreams.

Check it out!

If you and your soon-to-be are looking for a way to give back, you may consider making a donation in your guests' names as your wedding favors.

St Judes offers a scroll or bookmark you can give to guests as a phisical representation of the generous gift, letting guests know a donation has been made to help fight childhood cancer in their name.

St Judes also offers a donation page that can be added to your registry.  Guests will be able to enter in the amount they wish to give as a gift.

Visit St Judes and see how you can turn your wedding favors or gift registry into something truly generous, making your wedding all the more full of love!