I don’t see the big fuss over wedding favors. Funding a celebration of any type is expensive. Personally, I feel as if passing out favors at a wedding is like giving birthday presents to the guests at a birthday party. It is hard to justify why you need to spend money that could be budgeted somewhere else. I voiced this opinion to my daughter when she was planning her wedding. Her mom along with my precious little angel had a come apart. I quickly found out several very important factors. The most important point was that I should keep my mouth shut and just fork out the money because my opinion doesn’t matter. I now know that I am the most redneck, unappreciative creature on the planet. Second important note is that it is not gifting the guests but thanking them, and a lot of money doesn’t have to come out of dad’s wallet to do this kind gesture. Third important factor is that no matter how frustrated or concerned I am about the money being lavishly poured out for this extravaganza, I am happy to do it once I see my little girl’s smiling face. Admittedly, I have privately shed a few tears behind closed doors when I think of the wedding. I may have to save a little bit of extra cash for an anger management class if my new son in law doesn’t treat her as if she is the love of his life. After all, she is mine!

Crunch. Oh no! I look down in dismay. Not only have I managed to break my heel, but I seem to have stepped on one of the disposable wedding cameras that had previously been in my hand. I had been trying to get a shot of the bride and groom cutting the cake, but somehow managed to trip, dropping the camera in the process. I’m such a klutz sometimes. My mother always says I come by it genetically. With my dad for a father, I was doomed from the start.
I was forever covered in bruises and fading scars growing up. There was more than one occasion a teacher would come up to me and ask if everything was alright at home. It’s not like I go looking for accidents, it’s just that they always seem to find me; and weird things too. Take my seventh birthday. My uncle had brought me a bow and arrow set (why, we’re still not sure – my mother refuses to talk to him to this day). My brother and his friend, David, happily began playing with it, while I continued to open presents. After cake, I was hanging out by the trees, while Dave was fooling around with the bow. In a fluke shot, he somehow managed to hit me in the middle of my forehead. Luckily there were erasers on each arrow tip, but I still have a bruise to this day.

“Alright class, now turn the piece of paper over. You’re going to take the short edge and fold it up four inches, so that you should have a basic envelope shape in front of you. You’re now going to fold over the extra flap…”
The instructor continues to drone on, but I’ve stopped listening. Why did I let my mother drag me to this workshop? I look over to my left and see her smiling face. Ah, that’s why. They do warn you that your wedding day isn’t about you; it’s about your guests. I wanted to elope, but I guess that wasn’t an option.
I look down at the envelope I’m supposed to be folding. What a mess. The point of this weekend is to learn how to craft your own wedding favors, invitations (and envelopes – who ever needed to make their own wedding envelopes?), centerpieces, and so on. Not really the type of thing that’s up my alley, but my mom and my sister are clearly having a ball. I suppose that’s worth something. Maybe I should recruit them to help me with all these nitty-gritty details. I’ve always been more of a big picture person myself, and it would help to have somebody to take care of the finer points for my wedding. Heck, I would even accept their services in lieu of a wedding gift!

We often hear it is the thought that counts. This applies directly to wedding
favors. Although some couples opt to not give these small token gifts to their
wedding guests it is a good idea to consider them. Realizing many of your guests
travel a long distance to witness your special event it is a thoughtful gesture
to thank them with  favor. There is no need for a couple to spend a lot of money
on favors and in fact there are many budget friendly favor items that work well
for guests to enjoy. You want to choose a favor that has holds meaning or
perhaps something you would want to receive. When you choose your favors try to
think of something that is an original favor. It can go along with your theme or
not. The themed items tend to remind your guests of your wedding which is part
of the point of favors. If you are having trouble thinking of something original
think of the items you have received from weddings you have attended. These can
be a guideline. You can also go online and find a huge selection of items and
get great ideas from those.

One of the best weddings I attended was an outdoor event.  It was set at a
garden chapel that is commonly rented out for wedding ceremonies and parties.
Since the setting was designed for the weddings, everything was like a fairy
tale.  The gardens were elaborately created with blooming trees, bushes and
natural areas everywhere one would look.  The inside chapel was also exquisite
and would have been a perfect place for a ceremony too.  This bride chose the
garden area since the weather was perfect.  It was spring and her colors were
pastels.  They coincided with the garden colors so well that you would have
imagined they planted the flowers to match her theme.  The photographer was
wonderful and remained in the background taking the shots the majority of the
wedding.  When the ceremony was completed, she asked that each family or couple
that was present choose an area of the garden to have a photo done.  Everyone
was more than happy to cooperate.  After the reception we were each given copies
of the photographs as our wedding favors.  I thought that this was one of the
best gifts that I had ever received at a wedding ceremony.  What a thoughtful
and memorable present from the bride and groom.  Thank you once again, Richard
and Susie, for this heartfelt keepsake.  Whenever I look at the photo, I
remember that beautiful day!

One of the best weddings I attended was an outdoor event.  It was set at a
garden chapel that is commonly rented out for wedding ceremonies and parties.
Since the setting was designed for the weddings, everything was like a fairy
tale.  The gardens were elaborately created with blooming trees, bushes and
natural areas everywhere one would look.  The inside chapel was also exquisite
and would have been a perfect place for a ceremony too.  This bride chose the
garden area since the weather was perfect.  It was spring and her colors were
pastels.  They coincided with the garden colors so well that you would have
imagined they planted the flowers to match her theme.  The photographer was
wonderful and remained in the background taking the shots the majority of the
wedding.  When the ceremony was completed, she asked that each family or couple
that was present choose an area of the garden to have a photo done.  Everyone
was more than happy to cooperate.  After the reception we were each given copies
of the photographs as our wedding favors.  I thought that this was one of the
best gifts that I had ever received at a wedding ceremony.  What a thoughtful
and memorable present from the bride and groom.  Thank you once again, Richard
and Susie, for this heartfelt keepsake.  Whenever I look at the photo, I
remember that beautiful day!

It is an absolute necessity to have a wedding planner notebook if you are
trying to plan a wedding ceremony.  There are so many things that have to be
done on a schedule.  Without a planner you risk the possibility of skipping a
very important task that should have been done by a certain date.  It is common
sense.  Even when you plan out your daily schedule you most likely jot down a
list that helps you accomplish your tasks for that day.  Why wouldn’t you create
a planner or purchase one that would help you schedule an event as large as a
wedding?  The schedules are very rigid with some of the chores that have to be
done.  Take for instance the wedding invitations.  Those need to be sent out a
few months (two to three) in advance.  The necessity for this is that your RSVP
has  to be returned in time.  That is where you next schedule comes into place.
The caterers have to be notified and you will need to make your reservations for
the dinners, seating, wedding favors, etc.  As you can see, it works similar to
the pyramid principal.  All the small tasks build to the one great ceremony at
the top of the pinnacle.  Nothing is impossible, but careful planning and an eye
for detail would keep you from becoming overwhelmed or forgetful.  After all,
your wedding should be one of the most enjoyable experiences of your
lifetime!

One of the most beautiful wedding ceremonies I have ever attended was at the
locally funded gardens.  The gardens are known for their hybrid hydrangeas and
consisted of twenty five acres of the most beautiful natural areas around.  When
you walk through them it feels as though you have entered into the Garden of
Eden.  Throughout the walk you wander beside a brook which winds its way gently
through the trees and along the foot paths.  When spring comes there is no
prettier place around.  Even the sounds of the birds and tree frogs seem to lull
you into serenity.  The owners of the property will also host any type of
event.  A friend decided to have her wedding there in the spring.  I was more
excited to see the gardens again than attend the ceremony.  I couldn’t have been
more mistaken.  The unity ceremony was absolutely beautiful.  Everything was
perfect and rather traditional until the unity vows.  When the couple moved into
that part of the ceremony, a cellist began playing in the background.  You could
have heard a pin drop.  It was awesome to have been outdoors surrounded by such
beauty.  I was truly fortunate to have  taken  part in such a moving ceremony
with that beautiful music.  The rich tones of the cello mixed with the peaceful
view of the lake and the flowers in bloom everywhere was amazing. This wedding
became top on my list of wonderful experiences.

We have seen many weddings that were held on
people’s property but we have seen only one that was held inside of their barn.
The barn was huge and red as a typical barn would be. It was well cared for and
had several stalls on the inside but the middle of the barn was really wide
open. Because of their love of their horses the couple truly wanted to get
married with them in view. It was a very special ceremony that just a few of us
were there to witness. That is just how they wanted it. Small and private with
only those that were very close to them to attend. Their oldest horse actually
stood beside them throughout the ceremony. It was as if he knew what was
happening. He walked over on his own and simply stood there just listening. It
was a truly special moment and it meant the world to them. In all of the
pictures the horse is right there with them. They gave key chains that had
horses and tiny horseshoes on them for wedding favors. I am so glad they did
because it reminds me of that beautiful moment every time I see the key chain on
my keys. Horses are special and build such a connection with their owners so it
only made sense he would want to be a part of something he knew was a happy and
special event.

There are things that surround us that we notice but really have no idea of the history of the items. For instance, when we make our daily trips to the mailbox and find we have received wedding invitations we may not know the history of the invitation as far as when, how and why the first invite was sent or designed for that matter. Before the printing press was invented back in 1447 the job of wedding announcements was done by the town crier as he made his journey announcing the upcoming marriage event to all that would hear it. Once the invites became put to paper we move onto the illiteracy problem that faced many areas. Because of this problem the written word was not a top priority. The results were invites would not have been needed for the general public causing invites to remain mostly within the more Nobel families. The invites at that time were done by hand using the skills of talented calligraphers. The higher quality invites were actually started in 1642 when the engraving plates were put into use. Still there was much of the design which had to be done by hand. The mass available invitations actually began in 1798 with the availability of a sharp ink design and the invention of lithography. Once the way was being paved for a better way of printing the invitations the problem became just how to get all of these important pieces of paper out. At this time the only mode of delivery was by horseback which did not suit a larger mail out as you would imagine. As you can also imagine when the mail was delivered by hand and horseback there would often be damage to the mail being delivered. Just by the exposure of the elements some mail could be damaged. To further assure that these handcrafted pieces of mail were not harmed the decision was made to place each invite in double envelopes. This would give more security and increase the ability to have the invites protected. This tradition we still continue today even though our mail system has certainly much improved with the delivery of our postal items. It is a rare occasion for mail to be damaged but still it has become tradition to double envelope invites. When so much work was done by hand can you imagine the expense of the invitations being delivered? Even as time progressed and there were advances there was still much craftsmanship done to each invite by hand. Today invites are affordable for any budget because of the ability we have to do mass mail outs and the printing presses ability to get mass printings done quickly and precisely.