Monday, March 9, 2009

Show Them You Care with Bridal / Wedding Shower Favors

By Aaron H.

Bridal shower favors are a way for a bride to "shower" her guests with appreciation by providing them thank-you gifts for their attendance. The ideal wedding shower favors celebrate the coming event while also giving the proper appreciation to those friends and family who have helped make the day truly special. After all, while the wedding is undoubtedly all about the bride and groom (and, let's be honest, especially about the bride), the guests at your shower are more than just party-goers. They are important parts of making the wedding and shower memorable. There is no shower without your loved ones there!

Back even just a couple of decades ago, most brides gave the same standard wedding shower favors to their guests. These ranged from chocolates to flowers. And while these still make good bridal shower favors, there is more variety today -- much more. There was not as much attention given to the fact that guests are important to make a shower and a wedding important--therefore, the importance of wedding shower favors was not seen as forcefully as it is today.

There's a secret to offering the best wedding shower favors: Remember to make sure they serve two purposes. First, they should serve some practical purpose to the guest. Does it accomplish something that will make the guest want to keep it? For instance, a keyring, a bottle opener, a wine glass, even a vase as long as it comes with a nice vase, all fit this description. Secondly, the wedding shower favors should point back to the wedding and the shower. Maybe it's engraved with the couple's initials or has some other indication that it was given in celebration of a wedding. It should do something to cause the guest in years to come to remember how and why she got this particular gift.

The trend today is to offer wedding shower favors that serve a dual purpose. First of all, and most importantly, they help remind the guests of the special day which they attended. Therefore, these bridal shower gifts usually have some aspect that says something about the couple. Perhaps it's a customized message or something about the gift itself that says "marriage". Sometimes the couples will have their initials engraved or monogrammed on the bridal shower favors, or they'll include a special card of thanks with the gift. In some way they attach a special meaning from themselves to the guest with the wedding shower favors.

Or there's the possibility of a satin purse. Clearly this is functional enough that the guest will be sure to keep it for a long time. But it's versatile enough to be embroidered with something that will remind the guests of the marriage and the couple. Even the traditional chocolates and flowers can be dressed up today. Candies can now come in boxes that can be kept. Flowers come in vases that the guests won't want to throw away. Just remember, whatever wedding shower favors you get, make it special if you feel your guests are special. - 15437

About the Author: