Love is Sweet

I'm a big believer in edible wedding favours. If you're not going to donate to a charity, give a plant or seeds, then you should make it edible. You'll find that most guests don't 'favour' the trinket kind like candles, picture frames or wine stoppers.

One of my clients will be providing her guests with a custom made sugar cookie for her wedding. Made by Natalie from Cupcake Diner, this cookie will display the words "Happily Ever After" and incorporate the wedding colours. Customized cookies allow you to bring your personalities, hobbies or simply your wedding theme into another detail of your special day.

These cookies range from $3-$9 a piece depending on the detail, size and amount ordered.

Here are some of our favourites that we found when searching for these sugar cookies that are sure to remind your guests that love is sweet.

Love art?
Image from The Knotty Bride

Are you movie buffs?
Image from Martha Stewart

Bride & Groom Hearts.
Image from Bridal Guide

Bridesmaid Gifts

You might know exactly what to get your Maid of Honour and Bridesmaids for being your right hand gals during your wedding planning and celebrations. Or, you might be completely stumped. There are so many options and ideas, it can be baffling.

Tried and trued is jewelry. You can get them a necklace or earrings that they can wear on your wedding day, or you can do something different. Maybe you want to get them all something a little different to match their personalities - maybe one likes wine, while the other likes cooking. Maybe one is a bookworm, and the other is more of a tomboy.

Giving personalized gifts always adds that extra touch and says 'thank you' far better than a standard gift - but that's just my opinion. Just be sure to give yourself a budget, and get creative!

Here are a few websites that I like for unique gifts:

Etsy - homemade, unique items that can be bought as is or customized to suit your needs.

Candied Soap Bakery - soap that looks almost good enough to eat!

Beaucoup - gifts that can be personalized and tend to be practical.

Painted Shoes

Deborah from Figgie Shoes has combined two wonderful things: Shoes & Art.

She paints on shoes, with the most popular style being heels. Brides or anyone else who wants to personalize a set can do so with Deborah. She paints each pair by hand and can customize them to show off your personality, style and or special message.

Add your Wedding date, Anniversary, Birthday or Star sign. Get an image of you & your man, or your pet, or your favourite flower. The options are limitless!

Check out her website, or "like" her on Facebook to see pictures of the shoe masterpieces. Wear them once, twice, or simply put them on display! These shoes are definitely works of art!

Deborah is located in Windsor, Ontario and can take orders in person, on the phone, or via email. In fact, the very first pair of shoes she painted was done via phone for a Bride she had never met! And, she nailed it! The Bride was ecstatic with the pair, and wouldn't you be too? Here's the pair that started it all....

Hearts, Bride & Groom name, pet dog and Wedding Date - a sure way to make your attire personalized.

We were so impressed when we came across her work via a tweet by WPIC (Wedding Planners Institute of Canada). If you think that you'd like to have a pair of these beauties while you walk down the aisle, give Deb a shout, she'd love to hear from you!

Can you do me a favour?

Wedding favours - also sometimes called 'bonbonnieres', 'thank you gifts' or just simply 'guest gifts' can come in all shapes, sizes and prices.

You may know right away what you want to give your guests as a token of appreciation for sharing and celebrating with you on your special day - or you may not have the slightest idea. Thankfully, there are websites that offer such gifts - like our favourites; Weddingstar and Beaucoup.

Do you want the gift to match the theme of your wedding, your colour scheme, or your personalities? Will it be a practical gift of something your guests can use after the wedding, or simply a decorative gift?
Will it be something to represent tradition or culture? Will it be edible? What about whimsical or nostalgic? The choices are endless - and entirely up to you.

Favours nowadays can be personalized by more than just the favour tag - you can get customized stickers, labels and ribbon with your names, picture or caricature, initials (monogram) or your wedding date on them.

Another question you'll have to ask yourself and your partner - do you want to forgo the favour all together to be eco friendly and green? A good way to do this is to donate to a charity. Many charities offer wedding donation packages - like the Canadian Cancer Society, or Tree Canada.

Still think you want to give a gift, but stay green? Why not give a plant bulb, flower seeds or a tree? How about purchasing from Canadian company TangerineSmile where they make the environment and reducing their carbon footprint a priority?

Do me a favour?

Give your guests a gift that you are happy to send them home with - for at the end of the wedding, when it's all said and done, this finer detail will be the icing on the cake of your fabulous event - so you'll want it to be meaningful and respresentive of you, your partner and the day you said "I do."