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The favors for the wedding party that usually includes the bridesmaids, groomsmen and other people very close to the couple should stand apart from the rest of the party favors. Weddings are elaborate affairs in most instances and members of the wedding party are very involved in the entire celebration helping in everything from dress selection to venue choices and food sampling. The bridesmaids are the shoulders the bride can count on to cry on when she feels too overwhelmed by all the decision and the groomsmen are notorious for throwing awesome bachelor parties.
Hence, the tokens of appreciation you give them should reflect how much you appreciate them sharing this special time in your life and how they have taken out time from their busy schedules to make you a priority. Depending on your budget you can choose the simplest to the most elaborate favors for your wedding party but just keep a few etiquette pointers in mind.
No Favoritism
Even if you are close to two out of the three bridesmaids, do give identical favors. If you are going to play favorites, it is better to not include less-liked people in the wedding party from the beginning rather than making someone feel left out or less important once you’ve asked them to share your special day. You could give the maid or matron of honor a different gift especially if she is your mother or sister, but all the bridesmaids should receive identical wedding party favors.
To differentiate them a little, if you must, you could choose the same item in a different color, but don’t go beyond that as what may seem like justice on your part can be misinterpreted as playing favorites when you look at it from someone else’s point of view.
Pretty but Practical
You would like your wedding party favors to look good; however don’t make them so sentimental or mushy that no one has any practical use for them. There is only a small proportion of people that keep things commemorative of other people special days; they have enough memorabilia from their lives to store. If your wedding party favor can be practical, they might just use it and think of you along the way.
Many people like to give monogrammed favors to the wedding party so that they don’t seem run off the mill standardized products. However, it is preferable to have their initials on the bag, jewelry box or frame you choose to gift rather than yours. It may sound cute now, but Jessica wouldn’t really keep an A monogrammed frame on her mantle forever.
Help with Costs
Expensive wedding party favors can also be replaced for costs of the wedding. For instance, the bride can pay part or all of the cost of the bridesmaid’s dresses instead of them having to shell out big bucks. Or the bridal couple could foot their hotel bill for the bridal party if it is a destination wedding. That way you are thanking your close friends and family to be part of the wedding, and are really making it easier for them not to have to cough up money for a dress that most likely you have chosen.
Donation
If members of your bridal party are very well to do and you feel they have everything under the sun, then perhaps you could give them a small trinket plus make a donation to a good cause in their name. You could give them a certificate from the March of Dimes or Red Cross or any other good cause thanking them for their generous contribution. This way not only are they not stuck with yet another photo frame or purse, but they can feel good about contributing to a worthy cause.
The wedding party is undoubtedly the closest group of people you’ll have during the course of the wedding preparations and the big day. Therefore, take some time to show that you really appreciate them by choosing some great wedding party favors with these suggestions in mind.