At their weddings, most couples offer stylish little gifts called wedding favors to their guests while celebrating their love and unity. A wedding favor is an elegant gesture, expressing the couple's gratitude to their guest for attending their wedding.

As far as creating memories of a wedding is concerned, wedding favors have to be as important as the artistic invitations and thank-you notes. It is a pity that sometimes, rather than the couple's choosing the wedding favors, this significant component is left in someone else's hands. Although wedding favors can be thought of as minute details in a wedding, they are what will be left in the families' and friends' possessions as mementos of the happy day for a long time to come.

From the various weddings I attended, I kept an I.D. button, several key chains, a bunch of silk daisies, candles, a bud vase, a tiny photo frame, a bottle opener, a wooden treasure chest box with its candy eaten, a demitasse spoon after I used the small package of espresso coffee that came with it, small sachets of dried flowers, and glass coasters with the names of bride and groom embossed on them. In addition to these treasures that could remain, the couples gave me a lot of chocolate candy, cookies, and even cupcakes. The truth is, I don't remember what I ate, but when I look at each souvenir, I remember the source.

Giving wedding favors probably started a long time ago when the bride and the groom wanted the people who witnessed their wedding carry an extra proof of it with them also. Wedding favors, to this day, serve the same purpose as proofs of a union as well as being keepsakes.

The favors you want to offer to your guests have to represent you as a couple while promising longevity in some way. For my son and daughter-in-law, since their wedding theme was the beach and the dolphins, their wedding favors reflected their theme. After five years of their marriage, our families and friends still keep their dolphin shaped candles, tiny plates with dolphins on them that once had held chocolate candy, and the small china statuettes of two dolphins leaping.

If you decide to give edible wedding favors, it is a good idea to have the favors in reusable and stylish containers, so the guests can still keep the containers as reminders of your special day. If you want your guests enjoy your wedding favors as long as they can, make sure that at least some part of the favor serves a purpose or is usable in some way. Otherwise, it may be left on a shelf to later make an appearance at a garage sale or in a Goodwill store.

Although there are no set rules for giving wedding favors, the presentation of the favors has to be taken into account. Their packaging style and colors have to complement your dcor of the reception, since they will most likely be set on the tables with the centerpieces. If your budget allows it, personalizing the items is a great idea, since most items like plates, pencils, pens, ornaments, and notepads can be stamped with your initials and your wedding date.

If you can afford it, stylish and expensive favors are as important as the other components of a wedding. If you are on a budget, however, even homemade favors can look pleasing to the eye and become keepsakes for many years to come. What counts, after all, is the thought behind them and the expression of your gratitude to your guests.