Shopping for Wedding Favors with Your Fiance'

For many couples shopping for wedding favors can be a difficult task especially when they are doing this together. This may sound strange but shopping for wedding favors is actually one activity which may cause a great deal of disagreements during the wedding planning process. It may sound like such a trivial detail but in reality shopping for wedding favors can actually be quite stressful and involved. There are a number of reasons for this. One of the main reasons is the large number of options available. There is such a wide range of wedding favors available that selecting just one can be an incredibly daunting task. Furthermore having two people agree on the same favor out of the many options available can be even more difficult. This article will provide some information on how couples can reduce the stress involved with shopping for wedding favors together.

One of the easiest ways to avoid the stress and arguments which are likely to ensue while shopping for wedding favors with your fiancé is to simply avoid the situation altogether. You and your fiancé can discuss the situation beforehand and if he is not very interested in helping to select the wedding favors he may be more than willing to give you free reign to select the wedding favors. If you have similar tastes he will likely be confident that you will select something great and will be more than happy to allow you to do so. This makes the shopping process incredibly easier because you simply have to choose something you like and will be confident your fiancé will be happy with the favor as well. However, if you want your fiancé to feel included in the shopping process you can do the shopping beforehand and then have him take a look at the favors before you make your purchase just to be sure you both love the favors you have selected.

Another way to eliminate a great deal of stress related to shopping with wedding favors with your fiancé is to discuss the budget carefully before you begin shopping. You should have a good idea of how many guests you are expecting as well as how much you can afford to spend on each favor how much you can afford to spend on wedding favors overall. This is very important because it will help to ensure you and your fiancé are both looking at wedding favors which are priced appropriately for your budget. Having this discussion beforehand will be very helpful because if you start looking at wedding favors first you will likely be drawn to more expensive items. However, once you realize these are out of your price range you may be disappointed. This can make selecting a wedding favor more difficult because you will likely compare the other favors to the ones you cannot afford to purchase.

Finally, if you and your fiancé are having a difficult time shopping for wedding favors because you cannot reach an agreement on which favor to select it might be a good idea to seek an outside opinion. One way to do this is to have each of you select a wedding favor and to ask another person to choose between the two final choices. You can either have a sales associate choose between the two or you can bring along a trusted family member or friend who can be objective to help you make the decision. You and your fiancé should agree ahead of time that you are going to accept the decision of the other person.

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Fun Ideas For Unity Candles

If you are planning a wedding and plan to have a unity candle as part of the ceremony, you might want to think outside the box.

Traditionally, the unity candle involves three candles. The bride has one, the groom the other, and their two lighted candles light the third candle. This is done to represent the coming together of the two people to make one unit. In some alternate methods, family members are invited to participate in the unity candle lighting, often the mothers of the bride and groom, or other close members of the family. Each family then lights a candle, and together they light the unity candle to symbolize of the coming together of the families.

Now, there are a few twists you can add to this fairly conventional aspect of a wedding ceremony. You can provide each guest with an unlit candle when they arrive at the ceremony. After the couple lights the unity candle, they can ask the guests to move to the front of the church (or wherever the ceremony is being held) and light their candles with the lighted unity candle. This can take a bit of time and might be best with a smaller guest list. But it is a meaningful way to not only get your guests involved in the ceremony itself, but also symbolize the union of family and friends with the marriage.

If there is a large guest list and it would be a prohibitive waste of time to do a candle lighting involving everyone at the ceremony, some brides and grooms like to bring the unity candle to the reception. Light the candle again and provide each guest with a small votive candle (the candle holder will be on the tables at individual table settings). As guests come into the reception area or hall, they can light their votive and take it to their table to place into the votive holder. This small votive candle can double as a wedding favor, particularly if you decorate or enhance a plain votive candleholder in some way to coordinate with your wedding.

Of course, you can forget having a unity candle at the ceremony altogether. Many brides these days are trying to reduce the length of the ceremony and spend more time planning the reception. In that light, some choose to do away with a unity candle altogether. You can certainly do this, or you can cut it out of the ceremony and make it part of the reception.

To do this, you can use the votive candle option suggested above, or you can simply incorporate the unity candle lighting into the reception activities themselves. For example, you might choose a quiet moment in the reception to have a lighting of the unity candle. It might be during a short prayer prior to the serving of the meal, or right before the cake is cut. In this case, the unity candle can then be used as decoration on the cake table. As the bride and groom cut the cake and pieces are served to guests, the candle can also serve as a reminder of the couple's new bond and that the bond is shared with all the guests as well.

Although having a unity candle at the wedding or reception isn't necessary, it is certainly an option that many brides and grooms opt to include. But it's important to remember that as with so much surrounding wedding planning there are ways to make it unique and interesting and special to the couple getting married.

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Unique Wedding Favors for Each Table

Although it is not very common, some couples may opt to provide unique wedding favors for each table at their wedding. The more standard practice is to give each guest the same favor but if the centerpieces will vary from table to table the couple may want to vary the favors as well. This is a great idea for a couple who cannot settle on one overall theme for the wedding. They may choose to have a different theme for each table and as a result may also prefer to have a different wedding favor for each table. This article will take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of offering unique wedding favors for each table at your reception.

One of the most obvious advantages to offering unique favors at each table is it prevents the couple from having to select just one wedding favor. There is a wide variety of wedding favors available and many couples have a great deal of trouble selecting just one favor. This may be because they are not agreeing on which favor would be the most appropriate or because they each have several different favors which they really like and are having difficulty narrowing down their options. For either of these cases, the idea of giving different wedding favors at each table is a great idea.

Another advantage to giving unique wedding favors for each table is that the couple can branch out and either choose several different themes or one overall theme which they vary slightly from table to table. This can make the process of shopping for wedding favors a lot more fun for couples who enjoy doing this. However, couples who feel stressed out by the process of selecting wedding favors would be wise to simply stick to one wedding favor because the process of selecting several different favors can make the planning exponentially more stressful.

One of the major disadvantages of offering unique favors at each table is the couple will not likely be eligible for bulk order discounts. Many wedding favor manufacturers are often willing to offer discounts to couple who are ordering a large number of the same favor to distribute to all of their guests. However, couples who are ordering different favors for each table will likely not qualify for these discounts. Most weddings have approximately 8-12 people at each table. This means the couple will not be ordering many of each favor and will most likely have to pay full price for each one.

Another disadvantage to providing unique wedding favors for each table is it can make setting the tables more complicated. If each table will also have a unique centerpiece and the wedding favors are designed to match the centerpiece, special care must be taken to ensure the correct favors are placed at the correct table. This may be obvious if the favors are unwrapped but if they are wrapped it can be incredibly difficult. Someone familiar with the favors and how they were wrapped should oversee the process of setting the tables to ensure the correct favors are placed at each table.

Another disadvantage to giving unique wedding favors to each table is it may create discontent among the guests. For example some guests may feel as though the favors given to one table are nicer than the ones given to the table at which they are seated. This is not a major concern as most guests will not make these types of comparisons but if the couple is concerned about this possibility they may wish to keep the wedding favors the same for each table.

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Wrapping Wedding Favors

For many couples one of the most tedious aspects of planning a wedding is wrapping the wedding favors. This is especially true if you are planning to have a large wedding reception with many guests in attendance. Wrapping wedding favors for hundreds of guests can be very time consuming. Therefore couples should plan on purchasing their wedding favors well in advance to avoid having to wrap the favors at the last minute. In general you would ideally want your favors to arrive 2-3 weeks before your wedding date to give you plenty of time to get them wrapped without feeling stressed. Orders involving personalization should be ordered even early because these will take significantly longer to arrive. This article will offer a wide range of advice on wrapping wedding favors including advice on how to wrap favors and tips for making wrapping wedding favors a lot more fun.

Our first tip for wrapping wedding favors is to make sure you factor the cost of wrapping the gifts into your overall budget for wedding favors. This is important because it can add a significant amount to the cost of the favors. Most wedding favor distributors can ship the favors to you already wrapped but there is likely to be a costly fee for this service. It is far less expensive for the couple to wrap the gifts themselves. The most common theme for wrapping wedding favors includes wrapping the gifts in white and using ribbons the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses to adorn the wrapped packages. However, some couples opt for white ribbons for a more monochromatic appearance. Whichever way you decide to wrap your favors you should try to estimate of wrapping supplies such as paper, tape and ribbons before you purchase the favors to ensure these costs will not put you over budget. This may influence the wedding favors you select because you may be more inclined to select favors which are smaller because they will require fewer additional resources to wrap.

Another tip for wrapping wedding favors is to not avoid this project until the night before the wedding. In the opening paragraph we stressed the importance of ordering your wedding favors early to avoid having to wrap them at the last minute. This is incredibly important because wrapping wedding favors can be very time consuming. If you leave it until the last minute you may find yourself staying up all night to try to get all of the favors wrapped and unfortunately may run out of time and not be able to wrap them all. We cannot urge you enough to purchase your favors ahead of time and wrap them as soon as they arrive. This way you can simply set them aside and will not have to worry about them again until it is time to get them to the reception location so they can be placed at each place setting.

Wrapping wedding favors is definitely not a fun project. It can be very time consuming and can also be incredibly tedious. One way to make the project easier is to enlist the help of friends or family members to help you. If you get together a group of 3-4 of your friends you will find the task of wrapping the wedding favors is accomplished in much less time than it would take you to wrap them yourself. You will also have a great deal more fun because you will be spending time with your friends as you wrap the wedding favors.

Our last tip for wrapping wedding favors is to keep the wrapping very simple. You may have ideas about complex wrapping techniques and elaborate ribbons but this can make the task of wrapping the wedding favors take considerably longer than it has to take. Plus it can make storing the wedding favors very difficult. If you spend a great deal of time tying elaborate ribbons it would not make sense to stack the wrapped favors in a box where the ribbons will become crushed. You would have to find a space big enough to lay each favor out flat. This can be very difficult and even if you are able to do it, it will likely cause some inconvenience. Therefore we recommend simpler methods of wrapping and decorating your wedding favors.

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Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Games

Wedding rehearsal dinners are a time to relax, calm down and enjoy a quiet evening before the big event the next day. But adding some fun and games into the rehearsal dinner isn't such a bad idea. It's a great way to help everyone let off some steam, calm down and enjoy each other.

If you're planning a sit-down formal dinner, fun games and activities can still be on the menu. In fact, if a formal dinner is part of the plans, having some interesting activities on the agenda is not only a good idea, but also an excellent one. There's been a lot of planning, and a lot of stress and the wedding party and close friends and family will welcome the opportunity to have a little fun.

The success or failure of any games or activities largely depends not just on the planning but your venue. If you're having a sit-down dinner in a restaurant, try to get a private room. Then a myriad of fun activities can be planned, such as "pin the veil on the bride", in which blindfolded guests spin around a few times, then try to pin the veil on a picture of the bride. Silly, yes, but also fun.

One fun activity sure to help everyone blow off some steam is charades. Whoever is up will act out a scene from the bride or groom's life, so it might be when graduating from college, or getting a huge promotion at work. The "it" person might choose to act out when the bride tripped and fell at another person's wedding or when the groom saved a dog from getting hit by a car. This is a little twist on charades that helps people get to know the bride and groom better, and adds intimacy to what is already an intimate event.

If the wedding rehearsal dinner is a bit less formal and held in someone's home, there are many more activities that can take place. For example, how about a night of playing board games? Who needs formal food? You can have that the next day at the formal wedding. At this rehearsal dinner party, the games are center stage.

Bring in some sandwiches and tell everyone to wear their comfortable clothes and settle in for a night of board games. You can set up games on different tables, divide people into groups of 4 or 5 and have everyone rotate tables at designated times. You can even instruct game players that when they move to another table, the game stays out the way it is. So, for example, dad might begin playing Monopoly where the bride was and he's stuck with only a little money in the bank and no houses on Boardwalk.

So, let's say the bride and groom are big into sports. If the wedding is to be held in the summer and the days are long, how about a game of touch football or baseball? You can play bride's family against groom's family, men against women, or for a twist, the bride plays with the groom's family and the groom with the bride's family. Any combination works. The idea here is to have some fun, relax and enjoy each other's company.

Other outdoor activities can include anything that is physical and might help people blow off steam. Has the bride been more a "bridezilla" than anything? How about a game of tag where she's it? Or you can create two bridesmaid's dress-up trunks. Go to a thrift store, fill the trunks with old prom dresses and large-size shoes, and costume jewelry. Divide the guests into two different teams and have someone sit with a timer. The team who dresses one of the men (ideally, the groom and best man or perhaps the two dads) first wins. Be sure to have a camera at the rehearsal dinner/event, because this is one activity you'll want to have pictures of!

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Pre Wedding Activities

Planning pre-wedding activities is a little something extra that's not required, but certainly fun and entertaining for the guests. If the bride and groom keep in mind the distance some guests have traveled and keep activities relevant to that level of fatigue, they're sure to hit on some winning activities.

As you go about planning activities for the wedding, keep in mind other factors as well. Do many people have children with them? Will you provide childcare or will the children be participants in the activities? If you have several guests who are older, perhaps activities can be tailored in a ay they can participate as well.

Some of the more popular pre-wedding activities include things like a group manicure. All the women in the wedding party or ho are close to the bride (and certainly this could include men if they like manicures and want to hang out with the ladies) head to a nail salon and get their nails done. This can be relaxing for many women and provide a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the wedding weekend. The men might choose to golf or play a game of tennis while this is going on.

Many brides and grooms choose to provide structured activities for their guests prior to the wedding. If the wedding is on a Saturday night, for example, they might choose to provide a Friday activity, especially if most guests are local to the wedding. You might have a wedding luau. Many times pre-wedding activities center around bachelor and bachelorette parties, but what about a stag party that includes all the members of the brides and grooms families? You could plan some fun (and appropriate) games and head out to a restaurant for a night of fun and games. Be sure to limit the drinking and carousing as this might not sit well with some family members.

Here is a fun activity that can be done right before the wedding. Have someone begin a gift basket. The theme of the basket is "advice for the couple" and could be started by the best man or maid of honor. They take the basket to someone else's house, perhaps an aunt or cousin and leave it on the doorstep. That person adds an item (a book on how to end spousal arguments? Or a CD of romantic music?) and brings the basket to someone else's house. This activity can begin a week or two before the wedding and everyone should know it is coming around.

The basket can also be circulated the weekend of the wedding, but this ill only work if everyone is local and if they know the basket is coming. In this case, it also might be helpful to have someone bring the basket to a house, collect the item and the take the basket to the next location, reducing the need to have each person take the basket to its next location. Once it's full, someone can be in charge of putting the basket items together, wrapping it all up to make it look nice and bringing it to the bride and groom. It can be delivered right to the wedding as a gift in and of itself.

Whatever activities you choose, be sure to keep in mind the needs of your guests and the limitations of those guests. If you want to plan an activity that includes everyone, and you choose golf, but grandpa is in a wheelchair or uses a walker, that might not be the best activity to plan.

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Unique Wedding Favor Ideas

Planning a wedding can be a very stressful event but there are some aspects of planning a wedding which can be a great deal of fun. Selecting wedding favors can be one of the aspects which can be fun. Many brides and grooms may spend a great deal of time, energy and money planning on the location and the food for their wedding but they may not realize the wedding favors they give out can be a very important part of the wedding planning. This is because the wedding favor is the one item the guests take home and will therefore be the one item which the guests remember for the rest of their lives. For as long as they have your wedding favor, it will serve as a reminder of your wedding day. Keeping this in mind you will want to select a wedding favor which is truly unique.

Books can make a really unique wedding favor. Most people do not think of giving books as wedding favors but they can make great wedding favors. This is especially true if you select a book which either suits the theme of the wedding or a book which is a good representation of the love you and your new spouse share for each other. For example a book of love poems which you and your partner find particularly inspiring can make a great wedding favor.

Charitable donations made in the name of your guests are another unique idea for a wedding favor. Traditional wedding favors include knick knacks or other items which are not very useful. These types of wedding favors often become clutter in the homes of your friends or family members or may be discarded after a short period of time but a gift such as a donation to a favorite charity is likely to be more special to your guests.

Items such as t-shirts with the name of the bride and groom and the date of the wedding also make unique wedding gifts. These are not common but they are certainly a gift which will serve as a reminder of your wedding day. Your guests will not likely where their favors while they are out running errands but they may where them around the house. You can make these gifts more personalized by choosing colors specifically for each gift or giving different styles of t-shirts to different guests. You can even use permanent marker to write a brief message to each guest on the shirt to make the gift more special.

Another unique wedding favor idea is a gift of spices. This can work well with your theme if it focuses on cooking or may be appropriate even if your wedding does not have a particular theme. Try attaching a ribbon to each spice with a short note about how love is the spice of life. This play on words can help to make the favor appropriate for a wedding. However, it is also a gift your guests are likely to appreciate because it is really something they can use. Unlike many other types of favors which may not be very useful, a favor of spices is a great idea which is both unique and useful.

A final idea for a unique wedding favor is a bottle of you and your new spouse’s favorite beer. Many brides and grooms give their guests small bottle of wine or champagne as a wedding favor. However, if you are not a big fan of wine or champagne and much prefer a nice cold beer, you can use beer as your favor instead. This will be considerably more affordable and will likely be a more accurate representation of your personal style. If you plan ahead you may even be able to have the labels customized to include your names and the date of our wedding so your guests will think of your fondly when they enjoy their beer.

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Practical Wedding Favors

A considerate bride and groom may want to think about giving out wedding favors which are practical instead of simply easy, inexpensive or suitable for the theme of the wedding. This is important because favors which are given for other reasons may not be valued by your guests. In fact they may be quickly discarded soon after your wedding and will not serve as a reminder of your wedding. However, if you make the decision to give out favors which are more practical in nature your guests are more likely to appreciate and cherish the favors which you give out on your wedding day. These favors may not be the most romantic but they are much more likely to be appreciated by your guests than more whimsical items such as figurines and potpourri. This article will offer a few tips for practical wedding favors you can give to your guests on your wedding day.

Coasters are one idea for wedding favors which can be romantic or suit the theme of your wedding but can also be very practical. You can purchase coasters in a variety of shapes including hearts to provide for your guests as wedding favors. Heart shaped coasters will be ideal because they are romantic and convey the sentiment of love but they are also something your guests can really use. Another option for using coasters as wedding favors is to give out coasters which match the theme of the wedding. For example you can purchase coasters with pictures of sand or the beach to go with a beach themed wedding. You can also give out coasters with room for the guest to insert a picture. You can include a picture of the bride and the groom in one of the coasters and leave the rest of the coasters in the set blank so your guests can use their own photos if they wish.

Key chains are another example of wedding favors which can be both romantic and practical. Hearth shaped key chains or key chains in the shape of wedding bells or other items related to love or wedding are a good idea for favors. You can select an elegant key chain which is sturdy so your guests will want to use but that is also very romantic and will remind your guests of your wedding for years to come.

Another very practical wedding favor idea is a gift of candles. Whether you choose to give tea light candles, taper candles or candles of another style it is very likely that your guests will be able to use these favors. Most people already have at least a few candles in their house but they can always use a few more. Candles are very versatile. They can be used to set a romantic mood but can also serve other purposes as well. For example in the event of power outages, candles can be used to provide lighting. With so many uses for candles it is no surprise that if you give your wedding guests candles as a favor, they are likely to use the candles in the future as opposed to setting them aside and forgetting about them which might happen with other less practical favors.

Wine charms in a shape such as hearts or another romantic theme are also very practical favor ideas for a wedding. Wine charms by themselves are somewhat romantic but when they are designed in shapes such as hearts, wedding bells or other romantic shapes they are very appropriate for a wedding. They are also a very practical favor idea because many people will not have this type of item but can really use a set of wine charms. Wine charms are simply small charms which can be placed on the wine glass to distinguish one glass from another. This is useful in a party situation where guests may be mingling and may set there glass down for a minute or two while chatting and then become confused about which glass is theirs. Charms which distinguish the glasses help to eliminate this problem.

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Overnight Wedding Reception Ideas

Some brides these days are turning wedding receptions on their head and creating super long receptions that run through the night and into the morning. If this is you, planning some activities for those long nighttime hours is essential.

Generally, if an all-night reception is planned, it goes something like this: the wedding is held in the early evening and reception follows. By about midnight, many of the guests will have left and the group that is remaining (generally the younger guests, but not always) will continue to dance and party and revel into the early morning hours. At some point, breakfast will be provided and everyone will go home to crash.

Why do you need activities for such a reception? The answer is simple. You want to keep people entertained through the nighttime hours, you want to keep them at the reception and not let them give in to driving home to crash and sleep and you want to provide them with a real party. Let's face it: if they are willing to hang in with you for the duration, they deserve something for their effort.

First, you need to be fairly organized about the activities you plan. Consult with your DJ about these activities and leave it to him or her to keep things on a schedule. Do not plan to cut cake in the middle of the night. That activity should take place during the more traditional evening hours, so those not intending to stay all night can leave. However, if you're determined to keep your guests all night, you could hold one activity back with the hope it will keep guests in the house longer.

Depending on your guest list, you might hold off on the father-daughter dance until after midnight, or you could save a few toasts for the late night hours. In any event, having some other fun events is a great idea.

As guests begin to fade, bring in a piñata, which you can find shaped like a wedding ring, a bridal dress or a champagne flute. Fill it with a variety of goodies. Candy is always popular, but you could also fill it with silly toys found in the carnival section of the party store. Have the DJ play a spirited song and let everyone have a chance at the piñata. Do this on the dance floor and really let people have a swing at it. There should be plenty of room. Once the piñata breaks, everyone can enjoy a taste of sweet candy or can enjoy some silly little carnival game or toy.

People who stay for the duration of the wedding are going to need a rest. Plan a photo presentation or video viewing for this purpose. You could have someone who's familiar with PowerPoint create a photo presentation or have someone put together a video of photos. Do this around 2 or 3 am and have it last a good half hour to 45 minutes. This gives everyone a chance to sit down and relax and also gives the DJ a chance to sit, have a rest and rejuvenate for the next round.

In that same vein of allowing the guests a little relaxation, one activity that some brides employ is a non-activity. If the weddig is outside, you can provide inflatable mattresses and have some torches lit. If guests ant to sit down and relax, they can do so on the mattresses and still be part of the activity while resting. If it's been a long day and someone needs to rest, those reception room chairs don't seem the most comfortable. If the reception is indoors, think about providing large pillows for guests to sit on or create a corner with inflatable mattresses and lots of fabric. This can be a chatting area where people can go to rest but still be part of the fun. They can chat and catch up with other guests and then head back for more partying when they're rejuvenated.

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Buffet Table Activities

Most wedding receptions include a buffet-style meal where everyone stands in an enormous line waiting while those at the food table decide if they want Italian or Ranch dressing on their salad.

There has to be a more unusual way to get people to their food, and a faster one at that, right? There are several fun options you can employ to feed your guests quickly and with a minimum of groans of hunger.

Here are some fun options.

One of the most popular is the number system. Each table is assigned a number and the MC or DJ calls numbers at various intervals. The people at that numbered table then find the buffet and begin their feast. You can place the numbers in a variety of locations. For the most utilitarian version, just place the number in the flower arrangement on the table.

Some brides don't like this look of numbered table as if at a convention. In that case, you can put the numbers under the flower arrangements, or under the chairs. If you have place cards at the tables, you can write a small number somewhere on the card so people know which table they're sitting at. For a fun variation, you can have the florist play around with the table floral arrangements. If the arrangements are going to have a dozen flowers, you could have the florist add one extra flower to table "one", two extra flowers for table "two" and so on and make the guests figure out which number table they are based on how many extra flowers they have in their arrangement.

The flower method could be cost-prohibitive, of course, if you have a large guest list and many tables.

Now, if the number system doesn't thrill you or make you think "unique", there are other options. Each table can have a color and the DJ simply calls out the color name. Depending, again, on how many tables you have at your reception, you could coordinate the tablecloths with the color of the table. So you might have white, pink, lavender, beige, and yellow tablecloths, and the guests sitting at that table simply move to the buffet table when the color of their tablecloth is called.

Another popular option for moving people easily to the buffet table involves having a little fun with your guests. You provide each table with a buzzer, either a bell like you might find at a store, or a small silver bell. Just something they can buzz or ring. The DJ or MC asks a trivia question, or a question about the bride and groom. The tables buzz in with their answers. The guests at the table with the first correct buzzed answer move to the buffet table. You repeat the process until everyone is finally on their way to getting some grub.

The trivia method is an especially fun way to help guests to get to know one another, as they might have to work together to come up with an answer. If your guests are hungry, you're sure to hear muffled groans and sighs of exasperation. But even with the small complaints, this is always a crowd pleaser because it's fun and gets everyone involved.

Now, this next option is fun but can engender a bit of jealousy sometimes. When people get their place card, whether it's placed on the table, or they pick it up when they look at the seating chart, you can put a number on it. But not everyone at the same table will have the same number. If you have 100 guests, for example, you might choose to have 10 people at the buffet table at a time. So each person would be assigned a number 1 through 10.

In the same scenario as above, the DJ or MC will call a number and those numbers will head for the buffet table. There are sure to be more than one person from each table heading for the buffet table, but the guests at each table won't get their food at the same time.

This staggered feeding can be fun or a nuisance, depending. It solves the problem of half the room being finished with their meal while waiting for the "later" table to finish theirs before the festivities start, but it can also mean that one or two guests might be long done with their food (or wanting to head back for seconds) when others at the table haven't even eaten yet.

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Wedding Favors for Winter Weddings

Couples who are planning a wedding in the wintertime may wish to incorporate the idea of winter into the overall theme of the wedding. They may also wish to give their guests wedding favors which are related to the winter season. These wedding favors can be items related to winter or the holiday season depending on the preferences of the couple. This article will provide a few ideas for wedding favors which would be appropriate for winter weddings.

Couples who are getting married around Christmastime may be planning to incorporate Christmas into the theme of the wedding. If this is the case they will have a great deal of options available to them in terms of wedding favors. One very popular idea is to give each guest an ornament with the names of the bride and the groom and the wedding date. This is an excellent idea for the wedding favor because it is not only something the guests can use but it is also a personalized wedding favor which will help to ensure the favor will be associated with the wedding and will help the guests to remember the wedding fondly.

Tiny, artificial Christmas trees are another great idea for a festive wedding favor idea. These tiny trees can be adorned with wedding bell ornaments or kept plain to allow the guests to decide how to display the favor themselves. Alternatively the couple may wish to give each of the guests a few packets of seeds for Christmas trees. This will allow each of the guests to plan their own trees if they desire to do so.

Snow globes are another example of a favor which would be very appropriate for a winter wedding. The snow globes can feature a bride and a groom amidst the snow or can simply be a winter scene which the couple finds appealing such as ice skaters or a mountain scene. This type of wedding favor is likely to be appreciated by your guests because it is not a very common wedding favor so most of your guests will not likely already have a large collection of similar items.

Another idea for a wedding favor for a wedding during the winter season is a miniature sled with the name of the bride and the groom and the date of the wedding painted on the sled. This is a rather cute decoration which can be displayed as a knick knack or used as an ornament on a Christmas tree.

Even items such as coasters can be used as wedding favors for a winter wedding. Coasters come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and designs. You can find coasters shaped like snowflakes or featuring winter scenes. By selecting these winter themed design a very practical wedding favor instantly becomes one which is also very appropriate for the theme or the season of the wedding.

Hot chocolate, coffees and teas are also great wedding favor ideas for winter weddings. These edible favor ideas are great for the winter season because they are all warm drinks. You can even find wedding favor distributors who will personalize the packaging of these favors for you so that you can make these wedding favors even more festive and appropriate for distribution as a wedding favor.

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Shopping for Wedding Favors

Many couples have a great deal of trouble when shopping for wedding favors because they try to get the favors purchased in only one day or they wait for the last minute to start shopping for wedding favors and realize it is too late to order some of the items they are considering or wind up spending too much per favor because they are in a hurry and do not have time to comparison shop. This can be extremely frustrating but unfortunately it happens to a lot of couples who are trying to plan their wedding. However, if couples make shopping for wedding favors a priority during the wedding planning they may find the whole experience is a lot more enjoyable. This article will offer a few tips on the subject of shopping for wedding favors to help couples make the most of their wedding favor budget.

One of the most important things to remember when shopping for wedding favors is that you should plan on setting a budget for wedding favors while you are setting the budgets for the other aspects of your wedding such as location, food, entertainment and transportation. This is very important because many couples who neglect to do this are often surprised by the cost of wedding favors. They mistakenly assume they can lump wedding favors into an incidental budget but soon realize the cost of wedding favors can really add up. This is because you typically purchase a wedding favor for each guest at your wedding. Each favor may only cost a few dollars but you have to multiply this amount by the number of guests at your wedding reception. As an example consider wedding favors which cost $2 per favor. If you plan on having 300 guests at your wedding the cost of the favors will be $600. As you can see this is certainly not an incidental amount.

Another thing to remember when shopping for wedding favors is that it is a good idea to purchase your wedding favors at least a few weeks before your wedding day. This is especially important if you want to have the favors or ribbons used to wrap the favors personalized with your names and the date of your wedding. This personalization often requires a couple of weeks lead time because your order has to be made especially for you instead of simply being shipped from a warehouse. Most companies will rush your order upon your request but there will typically be substantial fees involved with this service.

Another reason to shop for your wedding favors at least a few weeks before your wedding date is you will most likely have to wrap the favors once they arrive. You may be able to have the distributor wrap the gift but again this will most likely involve an additional. The fee for wrapping the favors may be charged per favor and can add up pretty quickly especially if you are having the order rushed. If you will be wrapping the favors yourself you will want to allow yourself enough time to do so without feeling rushed. It is important to remember that you will have a lot of last minute details to attend to so you most likely do not want to have to worry about wrapping wedding favors at the last minute.

One final thing to remember when shopping for wedding favors is that you should calculate all of the costs associated with the favor before deciding whether or not it will fit into your budget. There may be a base price for the item but there may be additional charges for personalization and costs associated with wrapping the favors. Even if you are wrapping the favors yourself you will still have the cost of wrapping paper, tape, ribbons and any other accessories you use to adorn the favors. It is a good idea to have the distributor supply you with a total cost for the favors including personalization and shipping before making your purchase. This will help to avoid misunderstandings about how much the favors will cost.

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Engagement Party Games

The engagement party is a time when the families of the couple will get to know one another. In some cases, this might be the first meeting between the two families or groups of friends and any icebreaker activity will be a welcome event.

In that light, whoever plans the engagement party (likely the bride's family, but it can be the engaged couple or anyone else who wants to plan the party) should plan a few games and activities designed to help everyone get to know everyone else.

First up is a trivia game. Create a "Trivial Pursuit" type game with questions about the bride and groom's lives. You might contain the questions to just facts and events relating to both the bride and groom (such as how long did it take her to say "yes" when he asked, where did he propose, where did they meet, etc), or you can include questions pertaining to their lives outside of each other and before they met each other. Not only can this be fun, but also it's an entertaining way for people to get to know each other and the engaged couple better.

One popular icebreaker that's used at corporate functions and company parties can also work really well at engagement parties. Tape a card to each person's back and encourage him or her to work the room, mingle with everyone and particularly try to get to know someone they have never met before. Before moving on to someone else, be sure to make a comment about the person on the card on his or her back. Partiers write an impression of that person, such as "she seems sweet" or "he knows a lot about the weather".

This icebreaker ends when the mingling session is over. The cards are then read one by one and people not only get to know each other better, but enjoy hearing all the comments people made about them. Try to ensure that comments are complimentary or somehow presented in a positive light. Hurtful comments, obviously, are not appropriate.

If this is truly the first time many of the guests have met, then another fun game involving the wearing of cards might be in order. In this game, each guest wears a card on their front that has their name on the front and a number on the back. They don't share with anyone what their number is. Guests mingle and chat and get to know each other over the course of the evening.

Toward the end of the evening, the cards are flipped over and the number side is shown. Everyone gets a piece of paper and writes the numbers on the paper, then tries to correspond the name of someone with their number. This fun game can be hard for people who are bad with names, but it's fun nonetheless.

For an activity that doesn't put people on the spot quite so much, consider letting the already marrieds help out the to-be marrieds. Place two pieces of posterboard on the wall and mark them "advice from women" and "advice from men". Now is the time to offer advice about wedding planning, not about being married. That advice can come later. Encourage guests to offer their own wedding planning advice. The advice from older people at the party could be decidedly different from the younger couples in the group, making for an enlightening group of comments.

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Wedding Favors Etiquette

Believe it or not there are actually certain rules of etiquette which apply to the act of giving wedding favors at your wedding reception. Although many of these rules are not as rigid as other types of etiquette it is important to realize there are some generally accepted principles which are associated with the distribution of wedding favors. These rules of etiquette include questions such as whether or not favors are necessary, whether or not favors should be given to children, how favors should be distributed and how much should be spent on wedding favors. This article will take a look at some of these rules of etiquette and will hopefully help the reader to understand a little more about the etiquette involved in giving wedding favors.

The question of whether or not wedding favors are necessary is certainly one question many couples have as they are planning their wedding day. The answer to this question is that wedding favors are not absolutely required but they are certainly expected. This means you do not have to give wedding favors but many of your guests will be expecting to receive one. Therefore not distributing favors is not recommended. This is because wedding favors are a way of thanking your guests for coming to your wedding and offering them a memento of the occasion. While you can certainly visit with each guest individually to express your thanks for their attendance this may not be possible if you are having a very large wedding. You may make an effort to visit with each guest but may simply run out of time. However, if you provide wedding favors your guests will know their attendance at the wedding was appreciated.

If you are including children in your wedding ceremony and reception you should definitely give some thought to giving wedding favors to the children. Traditionally, children at a wedding would receive the same favor as the adults. However, some couples may opt to give the children a favor which is more age appropriate. This can be difficult to do because in most cases favors are merely left on the table. If you only have one or two children in attendance you can simply place favors at each place setting and during the reception take some time to visit with the children and offer them the more age appropriate favor in addition to the one found at their place setting. However, if you plan on having a large number of children in attendance this technique can create a significant additional expense because each of the children will be receiving two favors. In this case you can place the favors with the place cards. This will help to ensure the children are all receiving the appropriate wedding favor.

Another concern couples often have regarding wedding favor etiquette is how the favors should be distributed. The easiest and most common way to distribute wedding favors is to place the favors at each place setting before the reception begins. In most catering halls the staff will be happy to put the favors out while they are setting the tables. However, if they are unable to do so, you can ask a friend or family member to visit the catering hall before the reception to take care of this detail. For guests who do not attend your wedding but send a gift in advance you might want to consider mailing a favor to them along with a thank you note to express your gratitude for their kindness.

Many couples are concerned with the cost of wedding favors. In fact one of the primary reasons many couples consider not giving wedding favors is they think it will be too costly. It is important to note that wedding favors do not have to be extravagant or expensive. A favor of a simple flower can be quite inexpensive and still shows your appreciation for your guests. Deciding how much to spend on wedding favors is mostly a matter of your personal budget. You should set a budget for wedding favors first and then begin shopping for favors which you think will be appropriate. This will allow you to seek out great deals and offer your guests the most appropriate wedding favor you can afford to give.

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Pre Wedding Reception Activities

There are so many little details to worry about when planning a wedding some might get forgotten. One tiny detail that often gets overlooked is how to keep guests entertained before the wedding reception "officially" begins.

There is no requirement that brides entertain their guests at all. After all, they have already attended your wedding ceremony (which was surely engaging and entertaining, right?) and they will soon get music, food and drink. What more could they want? It turns out, a lot. While the bride and groom are off having pictures taken, the guests are left to their own devices, chatting with other guests and wondering when the buffet will open.

In that light, it's worth at least considering some pre-reception options for keeping wedding guests entertained until the reception begins. Here are a few options, some tradition, some not so, but still fun.

First, you can do the traditional thing and provide guests with drinks and perhaps some light snacks. If the wedding is in the summertime, how about providing lemonade and iced tea? Or if it's the winter, coffee and hot tea or even hot cocoa depending on the style of your wedding. Providing a light snack isn't a bad idea, either, and that can be some appetizer-type food or just nuts, especially if the meal will be heavy.

Now, if you want to stray from tradition, there are many options. Some brides opt for entertaining the guests in the truest sense of the word. Clowns, anyone? How about live music?

If you want to venture into the fun and funky, consult the party planning pages of a local children's or parent's magazine. Here, you can find people who will entertain your children at their birthday parties, but many of them will happily take on wedding jobs. You can hire a clown to make balloon animals for the kids (and adults) in attendance, or to juggle a few things. Some clowns are true entertainers and will happily get the crowd involved by fetching items out of women's purses and juggling them.

Other non-traditional options for entertaining your guests include hiring a band to play music beforehand. If you plan to have classical music at your wedding, you can have a band come and play covers of current pop songs, or you can simply have your hired band arrive a bit early to entertain guests waiting for the full reception to begin.

If there are many children at the wedding, it's not too expensive to hire a children's band to sing and entertain the children for a bit. Then if the kids are a bit bored at the reception, they'll still have the memory of the earlier entertainment with them. In addition, while the children are being entertained, the adults can have a chance to chat and they will surely thank the bride for thinking of them in that way.

Some other options for entertaining your restless crowd before the festivities begin are to include them in the reception before it begins. This is a great time to ask people to sign the guest book and write something meaningful, since they will have more time than they would usually have as they file into the reception hall.

If the reception and the wedding ceremony take place in the same location, but the bride and groom are off having pictures taken, it may not seem as if there's this dilemma of how to keep the guests entertained, but there in fact, is.

In this case, you can have servers circulate with appetizer trays or you can do something more elaborate, such as some of the suggestions above. One popular option doesn't involve entertaining the guests at all. Say the wedding is being held at a historic house or mansion. During the lull before the reception, guests can be given a tour of the property. If the wedding and reception are both being held at the couple's new home, a tour of the property might be in order (assuming the guest list is fairly small).

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Bridal Shower Games

If you're hosting a bridal shower, there are literally hundreds of games to choose from. Some are silly, some are serious, but all are about having some fun with the bride before she's married. Here's a sampling.

One fun game really puts the bride on the spot with regard to her knowledge of her husband-to-be's life. Prior to the party, have someone ask the groom a series of questions, such as where he was born, what his favorite food is, things like that. Then at the bridal shower, put the bride on the spot by asking her the answers to the questions. See how many she can get right (hopefully at least half!). If she does well, give the girl a prize; she deserves one.

One all-time favorite game is toilet paper wedding dresses. This game involves separating the guests into teams consisting of at least 2 people and no more than 5. Give each team a roll or toilet paper (or 2) and have them fashion a wedding dress out of the toilet paper. One of the team members will volunteer as the model. Provide them with a "dress up trunk" filled with jewelry and shoes. They must make the dress out of the toilet paper, but they can accessorize with the provided jewelry, shoes, gloves and hats. Place a time limit on this (5 minutes is adequate) and have the bride vote on the best dress. Be sure to provide prizes for the winning team!

Another fun game that's always a hit is making the bride get dressed while blindfolded. Tell the bride she is to pretend she's on her honeymoon and the power has gone off. She must prepare for her wedding night in complete darkness. Provide her with a suitcase filled with items and then blindfold her. She must get dressed in a certain period of time (2 minutes is adequate) while completely blindfolded and with no help from the guests. Include some silly items like oversized sunglasses, garden gloves or a flannel nightgown just to make it fun. This is a photo opportunity, so be sure someone is waiting to record the end result!

Another fun game puts the shower guests more on the sport than the bride. In this game, everyone puts their purses in the center of the room. Create a list of items commonly found in a purse and assign a point value and create a list of less common items and give them a higher point value. So you might give lipstick 2 points, a tampon 3 points, and sunglasses 5 points. But a granola bar could be 10 points and a staple remover, 15 points. Then go through the purses awarding points and give the person with the highest number of points (and therefore, the most items and probably highest number of unusual items) a prize.

Before the shower, create bingo cards for this shower bingo game. In the squares, put pictures of items you think the bride will receive at the shower. So, boxes might include things like lingerie, towels and the like. As the bride opens gifts, have people mark off that item on their bingo card. If nobody gets a "bingo" give a prize to the person who marked off the most number of items.

This next game is a derivation of a popular game that's often played at bachelorette parties and involves a stripper. This is the clean version. About 30 minutes into the party, have the bride leave the room and pass out pieces of paper. Have everyone write on the paper everything they can remember about the bride's outfit, hair, etc. How many rings is she wearing? What color is her blouse? Is she wearing open or closed toed shoes? Once everyone is done recording their observations, the bride comes back into the room and a prize is awarded to the person with the best observation skills.

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Spring Wedding Favors

Spring is a fabulous time of year for weddings. Many couples choose to have a wedding in the springtime because it is such a wonderful time of year when the plants start to flourish after a dormant winter. With the combination of a variety of flowers in bloom and the temperate weather, many couples feel as though spring is the ideal time for a wedding. These couples are also likely to want to give there guests wedding favors which are closely associated to the spring season. This article will offer a few ideas for wedding favors which would be appropriate for weddings in the springtime.

Flowers are one of the most obvious choices for wedding favors for a spring wedding. Spring is one of the best times of year for fresh flowers. There are a wide variety of bright and fragrant flowers which are available in the spring. Couples who get married at this time of year may have trouble choosing flowers for centerpieces and bouquets because there are so many options available to them. Because flowers are so plentiful this time of year, giving flowers as wedding favors is also a very common practice at spring weddings. The couple may choose to give fresh flowers because they are so bright and fragrant or artificial flowers because they will serve as a lasting memento of the wedding for the guests. With either option the couple may choose to give either a single flower or a bouquet of flowers tied with a ribbon matching the other colors used at the wedding.

Knick knacks such as ceramic umbrellas or ceramic rain boots can also be very cute wedding favors for a springtime wedding. These favors can also often be personalized to include the name of the bride and the groom as well as the wedding date. By personalizing the favor the couple makes the gift more appropriate for the wedding but by keeping the favor related to the season the couple makes the favor a really fun gift for the guests.

Real umbrellas can also be used as favors for a springtime wedding. In many locations, spring is typically a rainy time of year. A favor of umbrellas is a really practical idea because the guests are likely to be able to use the favor for years to come. One way to personalize this type of favor is to include a small tag on the handle with the name of the bride and the groom as well as the wedding date. The umbrellas can also be made more appropriate for the season by seeking out umbrellas in bright pastel colors.

A final idea for springtime wedding favors is simply candy. There are candies available in a variety of vibrant colors. While chocolate bars with personalize wrappers may be popular wedding favors year round, couples having a spring wedding may wish to select more colorful candies such as jelly beans or hard candies which come in a variety of colors. These candies can be distributed in see through containers such as votive candle holders or clear bags so the colors will be prominently displayed at the place settings. This type of wedding favor is not only a great deal of fun but it also relates very well to the season of the wedding and it is a favor which is likely to be greatly appreciated by the guests. While it is not a favor which will serve as a lasting memento of the wedding, it is a favor your guests will enjoy while they are eating the favor.

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Wedding Favors for a Romantic Wedding

Wedding can be planned in a variety of different themes. Weddings can have themes based on the seasons, on a holiday, on the beach, on science fiction, on a period of history or any other theme imaginable. However, the underlying theme of any wedding should always be love and romance. Even weddings which may not have a particular theme will likely convey the message of love and romance. This article will provide ideas for wedding favors which will help you to give your guests a reminder of your wedding which will help to invoke the feeling of love and romance. Whether you are planning a particularly romantic wedding or a wedding based on another theme you might want to consider giving favors which are related to romance.

Anything invoking a feeling of love will be an appropriate wedding favor for a romantic wedding. One great example is a silver picture frame with the word love inscribed into the silver. This is a very simple favor but it is also one which accurately conveys the message of love. Your guests may choose to put a picture of you and your partner in the frame to serve as a definite reminder of you and your wedding or they can use the picture frame in any way the wish. However, they decide to use the frame, it will likely always remind them of your wedding. Each time they see the frame displayed in their home, they will fondly remember how much fun they had at your wedding.

Coasters can also be given as favors for a romantic wedding. This may not seem like a particularly romantic gift because it is more of a practical item but you can find ways to make this simple gift more romantic in nature. For example coasters can be purchased in a heart shape or in a design which reflects the theme of love and romance. A coaster displaying a picture of a bride and a groom is one way to do this. The coasters can also simply have the word love written on them or can be decorated with heart shapes to make them seem more romantic. There are even heart shaped coasters available which are designed specifically for wine glasses. These coasters are much smaller than average coasters and can create a very attractive appearance.

Books can also be an excellent idea for wedding favors for a romantic wedding. Again, this may sound as though it will not be particularly romantic because books are typically viewed as being very practical items. However, your choice of book can greatly influence whether or not it is appropriate for a favor at a romantic wedding. A book such as a book of love poems or quotations related to love would be very appropriate to give as favors at a romantic wedding. With a little creativity you may also find other books which are appropriate. For example if you and your partner are particularly fond of a certain classical romance novel you might consider giving each of your guests a copy of this book.

A CD filled with love songs is another great favor idea for a romantic wedding. You can download some of the love songs you and your partner enjoy or songs which you plan to feature at the wedding and put these songs on a CD for each of your guests. You may even want to decorate the CD cover with a portrait of the two of your or with another image which will invoke the message of love and romance. This is not only a romantic gift but it is also a gift which can be very inexpensive. Many savvy brides and grooms may even be able to create these CDs on their own with their home computer. However, even if they do not have the time or the resources to do this, it should be rather inexpensive for the couple to find someone to do this for them.

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Fun Wedding Music Activities

Music is as much a component of a good wedding as food and drink. You can have a wedding without music, but it's likely it will seem a little quiet and dull. So whether you have a full live band, a string quartet, a DJ spinning tunes or recorded music from a boom box, it should be included.

But music's not just for dancing. There are a myriad of activities you can plan around the music that will add an element of fun to your wedding.

One popular idea is to play musical chairs. Sure, this is a fun kid's game and you don't want to insult your guests in any way, but you can have some fun with this version of musical chairs. The chairs can be just about anything, from chairs lined up from the food tables, to the floor, if you think your guests might be open to sitting on the floor (and then having to get up and down again). One fun option is to use the men as the chairs - they kneel on the floor, with one knee on the floor and the other bent. The women sit lightly on the men's' knees as they are playing musical chairs. When either the man or woman falls down, that couple is out, until one couple is left.

Some brides and grooms like to play musical chairs in order to give away the table centerpiece, which many guests like to take home. Instead of assigning a number and awarding the centerpiece to the person in possession of that number, you have each table play musical chairs until the person left standing is the one that gets to take home the centerpiece.

How about a rousing game of "name that tune"? This is a game that's best for a smaller, intimate wedding where everyone knows the bride and groom well. Prior to the wedding, whoever is planning the wedding should get a list of favorite songs of both the bride and groom. Create a CD of those songs, and then create a game of "name that tune". Guests can be divided into teams and then be played just a small snippet of each song.

After guests hear that first snippet, they can then "bid" on how quickly they can name the tune. So one group might say they can name the tune in 10 seconds, while the other group might say 5 seconds. Once one group has bowed out, the other group will then have to "name that tune". This is a fun game that gets everyone involved and which the bride and groom are particularly delighted by.

Depending on the style of the wedding, there are many fun games you can play to get the bride and groom out on the dance floor. Now, if this is a very large and very elegant wedding, this option might not work since there is certain decorum to maintain, but for a casual, fun, family-centered wedding some of these games can be fun.

If guests want to "call out" the wedding couple onto the dance floor, they can be asked to get out on the dance floor themselves first and hula hoop or perform their own version of a break dance. Much in the way guests sometimes have to "perform" to get the couple the kiss this is another way to get the guests involved and having fun in order to create fun wedding memories for the bride and groom.

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Centerpiece Activities

The question of who will get to take home the centerpiece can sometimes be a central discussion at reception dinner tables, particularly if the centerpiece is particularly pretty or original.

Making a game of who gets the centerpiece, then, can be an amusing diversion and one many guests will enjoy participating in. Here are some ideas for giving away that reception table centerpiece.

How about a game of 20 questions? Give each guest a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. The MC or DJ asks a series of 20 questions, but first gives the guests the basic background information, that is, that the answer is an animal, place, person or thing. Once that's taken care of, people can shout out questions and the MC or DJ will answer yes or no, and whoever figures out the answer first gets the first centerpiece, and that particular table is done playing. The game is repeated until one person at each table has won the centerpiece.

One of the most popular ways brides give away the table centerpieces is to put a number on the bottom of the centerpiece and give each guest a number. At some point in the evening, a number is called, each guest checks his or her number and whoever has the called number gets the centerpiece. There are many ways to put a twist on this traditional activity.

For example, you might provide each table with a number, but make it a lower number (ie. between 1 and 10) and the DJ or MC could move from table to table and have each guest do something a certain number of times. So, at the first table, for example, the guests might need to do "head, shoulders, knees and toes" six times and whoever does it first gets the centerpiece. Or, at the second table, the guests might be required to sing the alphabet 3 times or sing "twinkle, twinkle, little star" three times and whoever does that first get the centerpiece.

Another fun activity for divvying up the centerpieces is to require guests to produce a certain item. The DJ or MC moves from table to table, announcing what guests at that table will be required to produce in order to get the centerpiece. Maybe it's a Georgia quarter or a mint, or a doctor's appointment card. Whatever it is, the guest at each table who produces the requested item will get the centerpiece.

You can always make it easy and offer the centerpiece to the oldest person at the table, or the one who took the most number of years to finish college. Perhaps you could create an activity where the person who has the strangest talent (as voted on by the tablemates) wins the centerpiece. Then, if possible, that person might show off the talent for the entire reception party.

If you like musical chairs, you can play a game of musical dollar bills in order to give the centerpiece away. Someone takes out a one-dollar bill and music begins playing. Everyone at the table passes the dollar bill around the table and when the music stops, whoever is left holding the bill gets the centerpiece. Or this game can be played a bit more traditionally with the person with the bill being eliminated, and the game continuing until only one person is holding the bill. That person can then be awarded with the centerpiece. Or, for a fun twist, the bill can be passed around and when the music stops, the person holding the bill is told to return it to the person who first supplied it. That is the person who gets the centerpiece.

Some fun, and fairly traditional, ideas include the birthday person getting the centerpiece. At each table, the person who has a birthday closest to the wedding gets the centerpiece. Or if there are married couples at the table, the couple who have been together the longest can get the centerpiece, or the couple who were married most recently. Perhaps the centerpiece should go to the person with the longest hair, or the strangest shoes (again, this would be voted on by tablemates).

MONA REFAAT - the Cairo wedding planning specialist
You can trust Mona Refaat to simplify your planning and make your wedding day in Cairo everything you have ever imagined
        

Your professional 
Wedding-Planner in Cairo 

Contact:
Mona Refaat Call me under: 0020/ 122/ 3305695
 

Personalized Wedding Favors

Many couples opt to give personalized wedding favors to their guests. Personalized wedding favors are a good idea because they often include the names of the couple as well as the wedding date. This helps to ensure that the guests will remember where they received the favor. Many people attend a large number of weddings throughout their lifetimes and over time the favors they receive at these weddings may become indistinguishable. However, couples who opt to distribute personalized wedding favors often do not have this problem because their guests simply have to look at the gift to remember who gave it to them. They will also be more likely to remember details of the wedding when they receive a personalized wedding favor. This article will provide some information on the types of personalized wedding favors available and will provide some useful information for giving personalized wedding favors.

When giving personalized wedding favor it is very important to plan ahead. This is so important because unlike other wedding favors which can be bought right off the shelves, personalized wedding favors require special processing. Even if the favors are already manufactured, they may still need to go through an additional process to personalize the item. This requires additional time. It will likely take at least a few days for your order to be processed and the manufacturer may have a number of other orders ahead of yours awaiting personalization. This means the wait for personalized orders can be as little as a couple of days but may take a week or even longer depending on the size of your order and how busy the manufacturer is at the time. Rush orders are usually an option but they also usually involve high fees. In fact you will likely find that a rush order may double or even triple the cost of each favor.

Just about any wedding favor can be personalized. The most popular way to personalize a wedding favor is to include the names of the bride and the groom and the date of the wedding. This can be done on items ranging from candy wrappers to pictures frames and fortune cookies to candle holders. However, including the names of the bride and the groom and the date of the wedding is not the only way to personalize a wedding favor. The couple may opt to have an item personalized with a quotation from their favorite song or poem or with a line or two from their wedding vows.

Another popular option for purchasing personalized wedding favors is to give edible favors. Many different kinds of edible favors can be personalized. Photo cookies are just one example. Many bakeries can produce these cookies based on a photo you submit to them. They may require you to submit the photo electronically or they may be able to scan a photo into their system. The couple can choose to have their photos placed on the cookies and may also include a few words such as the date or a quote from a love song.

When giving wedding favors, the gift wrapping can also be personalized. Many couples opt to wrap wedding favors in simple white paper but they can also include ribbons with their names and the wedding date to make the favor wrapping more personal. These types of ribbons can be purchased either precut or in one continuous ribbon which must be cut by the person wrapping the favor. The precut ribbons are likely to be more expensive but they can save the person doing the wrapping a great deal of time.

MONA REFAAT - the Cairo wedding planning specialist
You can trust Mona Refaat to simplify your planning and make your wedding day in Cairo everything you have ever imagined
        

Your professional 
Wedding-Planner in Cairo 

Contact:
Mona Refaat Call me under: 0020/ 122/ 3305695

Edible Wedding Favors

There is one type of wedding favor which is almost always appreciated by the guests at the wedding. This is an edible wedding favor. Whether you opt for sweet or savory items you and your guests are likely to enjoy your edible wedding favors. The downside to giving an edible wedding favor is it is likely to be consumed shortly after your wedding instead of being saved for years to come as a memento of your wedding. However, you can rest assured that your guests will greatly enjoy the gift. This article will provide a few ideas for edible favors you can give to your guests on your wedding day.

One of the most popular edible wedding favors is a simple chocolate bar with a personalized wrapper. These chocolate bars can be simple milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate are can be filled with items such as almonds or raisins. There are even more options available for the wrapper of the candy bar. This is very important because this is the first thing your guests will notice about your favor. Most brides and grooms opt to have their names and the date of the wedding printed on the wrapper and select a wrapper design which relates to love, weddings or the specific theme of the wedding. However, some brides and grooms may even decide to have their pictures on the wrapper along with their names and the wedding date.

Tins filled with candy are another option for brides and grooms who want to give out edible wedding favors. These tins can be filled with any type of candy you wish. They can be filled with mints, hard candies, candy coated almonds, chocolates or any other favorite candy. There is also typically the option of personalizing the tin by including the wedding date and the name of the bride and the groom. The guests may eat the candy soon after the wedding but they can keep the candy as a reminder of your wedding and use it to store other small items such as change, sewing needles, rubber bands or virtually anything which is small enough to be stored in the tins.

Candy is a very popular choice when a bride and groom are considering giving edible wedding favors. One unique way to give out candy as wedding favors is to use large glass bowls as the centerpieces for the tables and fill the bowls with the bride and grooms’ favorite types of candy. You can give each of your guests a small container which matches the theme of the wedding such as a sand pail for a beach themed wedding or anything else which is appropriate. The guests can fill the containers with some of the candy from the centerpiece at the end of the evening.

Cookies are other options for brides and grooms who want to give out edible party favors. There are a number of different options in this case. You can select cookies which are rather plain in nature but place them in keepsake boxes with the bride and grooms’ names as well as the date of the wedding. They can also give out personalized fortune cookies with each fortune depicting a quotation which is related to love. Another way to use cookies as wedding favors is to give out cookies displaying a photo of the couple. There are many bakeries that can make these cookies for you in a variety of sizes and shapes. You simply need to select a design and give the bakery a photo to use in the design process.

Cocoas, teas and coffees are still another option for couples who want to give out edible wedding favors. You can select specialty cocoas, teas or coffees or you can have the packaging customized to include your picture, an appropriate quotation, poem or other message related to loves and weddings. Putting the couple’s names as well as the wedding date on the package is a good idea as well as including a picture of the couple.

MONA REFAAT - the Cairo wedding planning specialist
You can trust Mona Refaat to simplify your planning and make your wedding day in Cairo everything you have ever imagined
        

Your professional 
Wedding-Planner in Cairo 

Contact:
Mona Refaat Call me under: 0020/ 122/ 3305695