Your wedding plans are going ahead wonderfully well, thanks to the help of a lot of good friends and relatives. And gifts are already arriving, giving you all sorts of wonderful small appliances and other household items which with to start your life as a married couple in your dream home. You are grateful to everyone involved.
Besides a well-meant personal thank-you, some items for your guests which they can take home and cherish present another opportunity for you to show your appreciation. Often placed at each setting on the reception tables, there is a great variety of favours that you can provide, and it’s extra-sweet if you make them yourself, as well as less expensive than purchased items.
Why not plan an evening or two of craft-making with a few special friends and relatives who are already a big part of the wedding festivities? Some brides appeal to their guests’ palate by making sweet chocolates or truffles, and then wrapping them in attractive wedding-themed plastic wrap or purchasing tiny gift boxes from your Dollar Store.
Candles make great gifts too. You can purchase scented tea lights and assemble them in little packages or tie them into a floral luncheon napkin. You can add to the gift by cutting little strips of paper, writing a personal message on each by hand or on the computer, and lacing the ribbon through a hole-punched end for an extra special message of appreciation. If you have lots of time and patience, you can also make tea lights in your wedding colours.
Another great idea consists of placing home-made cookies in an envelope you fashioned yourself. Directions. Write a meaningful thank-you on the front of each. Then, a few days before your wedding, spend a fun evening making cookies and placing two or three in each envelope to include at each place setting.
Take some stiff cupcake liners and fill with some delicious old-fashioned hard candies. Wrap in patterned cellophane and tie closed with a ribbon.
Stationery stores can provide you with decorative gift bags in a great variety of containers. Ideas for filling the gift bags include a few spoons-full of grounds of a new flavoured coffee, sample-sized cosmetics or shampoos, a tiny bottle of liqueur, or a scattering of potpourri or dried herbs. If the bride or groom is a musician, you can look for knick knacks at your local music store, which has everything from pencils to clothing items decorated with notes, instruments, and lyrics. Dollar Stores are other sources of themed items which may include sports or something pertaining to an occupation, such as children-themed package of goodies if one is a teacher.
Think about unique items showing your appreciation for your guests who, each in their own way, has offered great financial and emotional support. It’s your way of saying thanks for participating in the biggest and most important day of your life!
