According to recent statistics, the average total cost for a wedding this day and age is around $28,000. This accounts for everything from the dress and accessories to entertainment at the reception, photography, and invitations. Another major cost associated with weddings is the cost for favors - this averages $250 or more. If you want to save some money on your special day, consider making the wedding favors yourself!

Ideas for Homemade Wedding Favors

You could spend hundreds of dollars on cute little gift bags that will be discarded as soon as your guests get home, or you could save money by spending a little time making the wedding favors yourself. A homemade wedding favor will lend a personal touch while also saving you a lot of money. Here are some simple ideas for homemade wedding favors:
  • Candy Bar Favors - The best way to make sure that your guests get a favor they will enjoy is to let them pick it out themselves! A cute and trendy way to send your guests home with a favor they'll love is to offer a candy bar with an assortment of different candies (ideally in your wedding colors!) that they can use to fill a little box or bag to take home.
  • Homemade Candle Favors - Everyone loves candles and they are easier (and cheaper) to make than you might imagine. All you have to do is purchase small glass votive holders (or collect some small glass jars) then melt down your chosen color of candle wax, add a nice fragrance, and fill the containers! You can then decorate the candles with a nice ribbon and a little "thank you" tag.
  • Take-Home Coffee Bags - You can never have too much coffee, so why not send your guests home with a sample bag of your favorite brew? Buy or make some mini burlap sacks and fill them with your favorite coffee and decorate the bags with your wedding date and a pretty ribbon.
  • Homemade Jam or Jelly - If you love to cook, why not make your own homemade wedding favors in your favorite flavor! Making a big batch of homemade jam or jelly is surprisingly easy and it makes for a tasty favor with a homemade feel! Fill small jars with your jam and decorate them with colorful ribbon in your wedding colors.
  • Seed Packets - For a wedding favor that will keep on giving, send your guests home with a packet of wildflower seeds. Your guests can plant the seeds wherever they like and each time they stop to smell the flowers they will be reminded of your special day!
  • Homemade Coasters - Did your wedding have a special theme? Why not turn that theme into a set of homemade coasters to send home with your guests! Turn square tiles into homemade coasters with some decorative paper and a little Modge Podge - it is easy to do and it will be a practical favor your guests will surely love.
Many people are of the mind that expensive is always better. While in some cases a higher price tag is an indication of quality, sometimes the most meaningful things are the ones that don't cost a dime. If you want to send your guests home with a memento of your special day, you don't necessarily have to spend a small fortune - try one of the homemade wedding favor ideas provided above!

Frugal Village