When it comes to planning and paying for a wedding, it seems as though the expenses will never end. However, when you are planning, it seems as though these crazy never-ending expenses are all necessary! Who can make their wedding day the perfect fairy-tale day without the perfect photographer, cake, dress, flowers, decorations, wedding party attire, food, venue, hotel accommodations, and last but not least – the honeymoon! The thing that really frightens the pocket book is the fact that this list is not even close to all-inclusive.

Naturally, the bride is less worried about the cost of her wedding than the father of the bride! Though the bride’s father will see nothing but dollar signs throughout the lengthy process of planning a wedding, the biggest thing weighing on the bride’s mind is all the little details. These little details will make her wedding day one that will not soon be forgotten; for the bride and grooms themselves, as well as the families and wedding guests.

One strong tradition that has carried forth for hundreds of years is that of handing out wedding favors at the end of your celebration, in order to thank your guests and show appreciation to them for sharing your special day with you. This practice was first made popular in the European upper class, and the very first wedding favor to be handed out is believed to have been a small box made of precious stone filled with sugar cubes or almonds. These fillers were chosen very deliberately, and in the days of old were said to represent fertility, royalty, and the bitter sweet nature of marriage. To sum it up with a popular wedding speech phrase, ‘health, wealth, happiness’.

This tradition of disbursing favors at weddings has long since become a staple of modern weddings as well. Although the ritual of intricate precious stone boxes has since become less popular, the idea of handing out a simple treat or snack has become widely popular. Many brides have continued with the almond treat to signify the bittersweet nature of life, but have added a sugar coating to give hop that the newlyweds’ life will not be bitter, but rather sweet. Along with these special Jordan almonds, chocolates, mints, and candies have made their way into the wedding favor scene.

To answer the article’s question: No! Wedding favors are anything but a waste of money. This timeless tradition allows for you to express appreciation to your guests, but even more important gives them a special way to remember the wedding day they shared with the bride and groom. It is also a great way for the bride and groom to give a heart-felt personal message to each guest, while incorporating the theme of their wedding.

Sunflower Favors is an online based company that specializes in personalized favors for weddings of every theme. Whether your special day incorporates Asian cherry blossoms, flip flops on a beach, or a seasonal favorite, the selection at Sunflower Favors offers them all. The bride and groom can choose to have their wedding favors carry significant meaning as in days of old, or display a more modern, casual gift of gratitude – Sunflower Favors has a huge selection of wedding favors to satisfy every wedding theme, and offer the perfect compliment for your special day.

If your urge to put on an inexpensive wedding is too much to ignore, you can always go the cheaper route and provide homemade wedding favors. This way you can still provide a memorable favor, all the while saving money. Great wedding favor ideas can be found at Sunflower Favors.

I currently teach a preparation for marriage class at a local community college and part of my course is focused on planning the perfect wedding. It is very interesting to me to see how much thought and detail women have gone through in regards to their wedding, even years before the big day. I love teaching young adults and love to see them have the perfect wedding, followed by a perfect marriage.