 |
Wedding Favors & Extras
 You have a beautiful wedding destination picked out in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, or other exotic locale. But, what makes a wedding truly special are all the little extras. From ceremony programs to guest favors, these special touches transform a wedding from ordinary to extraordinary. This is never more true than for a destination wedding, when you have limitless way to incorporate local flare and destination themes into your wedding.
Article 1: Unique beach- themed wedding favors
Your guests have likely traveled far to celebrate your big day. Why not surprise and delight them with these unique beach wedding favors!
- Beach bags filled with all the essentials: Surprise your guests by having these delivered to their room. Beach bag fillers could include poolside snacks, inflatable beach ball, playing cards, gum, chap stick with SPF, bottles of water, beach towels, disposable underwater camera, or flip flops. Many destination locations have a large discount store nearby. So, if you arrive a couple of days early, grab your bridesmaids and head to the store. Not only will you save a lot of shipping money, but you can also buy local items (hello Maui Chips!).
- Personalized beach towels: While it can be somewhat pricey, beach towels make a wonderful favor. Not only can your guests use them during their stay, but they will remember your wedding each summer when they hit the beach. And since this is a one-size-fits-all type of gift, you don’t have to worry order different styles or colors. Many couples choose to add their first names, the location, and their wedding date.
- Seashell or palm tree-shaped cookies: Who doesn’t love cookies? Many bakeries or specialty stores make tropical-shaped cookies. Or, you can choose to make them yourself. Just remember, that homemade cookies have a shorter shelf-life than store bought cookies since they lack preservatives. So, you might want to buy the cookies and personalize them by wrapping them in cellophane with a custom label adhesive.
- Luggage tags: Nothing says destination like luggage tags. You can even send these in advance as your Save the Dates, or use them as their place cards during the reception. There are a number of fun ideas, such as airplane-shaped or little suitcases. If you want more whimsical, go with the tropical fish ones. Either way, luggage tags make a great gift.
- Beach photo album: Help your guests remember the amazing time they had at your wedding with a beach photo album. You can place these at each place setting at the reception, with a photo of the hotel or of the sunset. If you have a photographer at your rehearsal dinner, ask him/her to take a photo of each guest couple with a Polaroid. Then, simply place this photo in the album and they will have an instant memory from their trip.
- Bottle opener: If you’d rather do a smaller token, a bottle opener key chain is perfect. Some are shaped as dolphins, surfboards, or sailboats. Next time they are on the beach with a cold one, they will appreciate having a bottle opener nearby.
- Sand pail and shovel: This is an especially fun gift if you have a lot of guests with children. Most beach resort locations sell these in their convenience or beach stores. And, they can be easily personalized with permanent marker. Just write your names and the date directly on the sand pail, and use some of your wedding color ribbon to tie the shovel to the pail. Voila, instant personalized favor.
- Personalized can koozies: This idea has been growing in popularity the past several years because it’s so useful and fairly inexpensive. Numerous online websites offer personalized can koozies in a variety of colors for as little as $1 each. Your guests can easily pack these in their bags when they head home, and can use them in the summer, on their boat, or at their lake house. It’s a gift that never goes out of style.
Things to consider:
- Make it easy to bring home: A bottle of sunscreen or locally brewed beer might sound like a good idea until your guests try to pack them in their bags. With the typical three-ounce airport rule, avoid large liquids for favor gifts.
- Make it personal: Do you love the sound of a steel drum band? Give a CD with steel drum music. Did you collect sand dollars when you were little? Use them as place cards for wedding guests. These little touches will make your wedding extra meaningful.
- Ship items ahead of time: You will likely have your hands full boarding the plane for your wedding: dress, beach clothes, honeymoon outfits. If you have a local contact at your destination (e.g., hotel manager, wedding planner), ask them if you can ship your favors ahead of time. This way you won’t have to ask your Aunt Lucy to bring an extra carry-on.
Article 2: Perfect destination wedding Save the Dates
Article 3: Unique placecard holders for a beach wedding
Article 4: Fun Beach Themed Destination Wedding Favors
Article 5: Unique Destination-Themed Thank-You Cards
|
