Ceremonial Favors
Traditionally wedding favors are handed out to guests at the reception placed at either their table setting before dinner, or on a specifically designed table for pickup later in the evening.
However, a new trend is emerging that changes that practice, to one in which bridal couples instead bestow their favors on their guests sometime before, during or directly following the ceremony itself.
Often a usable item that guests can use right away, some ideas for ceremony favors include bottles of water personalized with a printed sticker from the bride and groom, or homemade fans that guests can cool themselves off with during an outdoor ceremony.
Ceremony favors can be given out by Ushers or attendants as guests enter the ceremony venue, left on the venue seats, or personally handed out by the bride and groom during the receiving line following the ceremony.
If there will be a large period of time between the ceremony and the reception, favors can be created from gift cards, or gift certificates to nearby attractions, restaurants, pubs or even a nearby coffee shop, where guests can wile away the hours while you have your wedding photos done.
You may even want to give them a small snack in the form of some cake, cookies, or even pretzels as a way to stave off their hunger pangs before the reception dinner.
Candles can also be a wonderful ceremony wedding favor. Starting at the end of a pew or row of chairs, the bride and groom would walk down the aisle lighting the end candles which would then be passed on down the row. Not only is this a symbolic ceremony that epitomizes the love the couple "share", it also is a beautiful finish to an evening ceremony as guests follow the couple as they exit and light up the evening sky. A ritual that could also be performed using sparklers for a more dramatic exit.
Favors are traditionally left at the table settings at the reception, but if you are having a favor that people will need or want to use before they are seated for their meal, then it only makes sense to not do it the traditional way and to instead hand out your favors when they matter most, during your ceremony.
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