Crafting Wedding Souvenirs: Tips For The Perfect Memento

Wedding souvenirs are a great way to show appreciation to your guests and thank them for attending your special day. From edible treats to personalized gifts, there are many options to choose from. Here are some ideas to get you started:

- Hand-crafted items such as pottery, baked goods, or jams.

- Eco-friendly gifts like plant kits or wildflower seeds.

- Practical items like bottle openers, coasters, or keychains.

- Sentimental gifts such as personalized candles, picture frames, or compact mirrors.

- Unique favours like caricatures, hand fans, or puzzles.

- Edible treats including chocolates, candy, or local specialties.

Homemade baked goods

Planning and Preparation:

• Choose recipes that are suitable for baking in large quantities and can be prepared in advance. Select recipes that have a good shelf life and can be stored without spoiling.
• Enlist the help of friends and family. Baking is always more fun with company, and the extra hands will make the task more manageable.
• Consider baking and freezing items in advance to reduce stress as the wedding day approaches.

Presentation and Packaging:

• Opt for attractive packaging such as cute boxes, decorative tins, or cellophane bags. Presenting your baked goods in stylish packaging adds a special touch and creates a wonderful visual impression.
• Include a personalized tag or note with your family recipe. Sharing your recipe allows guests to recreate the treats and remember your special day whenever they bake.

Baked Goods Ideas:

• Cookies: Cookies are a classic choice and can be easily customized with different shapes, flavors, and decorations.
• Cupcakes: Individual cupcakes are a delightful treat, and you can offer a variety of flavors to suit different tastes.
• Pies: Mini pies can be a unique and charming favor, especially if you and your partner share a love for pie-making.
• Cake Pops: Cake pops are a fun and whimsical option, perfect for a light and playful touch at your wedding.
• Brownies: Heart-shaped or personalized brownies wrapped in decorative paper or boxes will surely be a hit with your guests.

Remember, homemade baked goods are a labor of love, and your guests will surely appreciate the time and effort you put into creating these special favors.

For an extra special touch, you could also include a small note or tag with a heartfelt message expressing your gratitude for your guests' presence and support on your wedding day.

Self-jarred preserves or honey

Fruit preserves are relatively easy to make and only require a few ingredients: fruit and sugar (and sometimes pectin and an acid like lemon juice). Make sure to choose a fruit with meaning to you and your partner, such as what's in season when and where you're getting married, or a fruit that represents each of your home states. You could even mix two fruits together for one delicious jam!

Honey is another great option for a DIY wedding favour, especially if you have a local market for it. You can buy honey in bulk from a local producer and then bottle it yourself, adding a special message or a label with your names and wedding date.

Once your preserves or honey are ready, it's time to fill your jars. You can find small glass jars at any craft supply store, and you'll also need lids and labels. If you're making fruit preserves, make sure to sterilize your jars before filling them. Then, simply pour in your preserves or honey, seal the jars, and add a personal touch with custom labels or decorative fabric covers to match your wedding theme. You could also include a wooden honey dipper with each jar, or pair the honey with a packet of wildflower seeds for guests to plant in their gardens.

• Involve your family and friends in the process. It can be a fun project that brings everyone together.
• Display the jars at each guest's place setting or on a table with a 'take one' sign.
• If you're making a large quantity, set up an assembly line to make the process more efficient.
• Store any leftover honey in a warm place to prevent crystallization.
• If you're short on time, consider buying pre-poured honey jars or ordering custom honey favours from a local producer.

Eco-friendly plant kits

Seeds and Growing Kits

You can create kits with seeds and the essential items needed to grow them. For example, you could include seeds of the same flowers featured in your wedding bouquet or opt for high-quality, non-GMO seeds of sunflowers and marigolds. Add a fabric grow pot, coco pellets, vermicompost, and easy-to-follow instructions to help your guests successfully grow their own plants.

Potted Succulents or Air Plants

If you prefer to give your guests a more established plant, you can create small potted succulents or opt for air plants, which don't require soil. Present them in cute, rustic pots that fit your wedding theme.

Fresh Herbs

For a useful and edible souvenir, you can offer a bundle of fresh herbs from your own garden. This idea is perfect if you're hosting an outdoor or rustic-themed wedding. Tie the herbs together with a ribbon that matches your wedding colours, and perhaps add a personalised tag with care instructions.

Tree-in-a-Tube

For a unique and long-lasting gift, you could give your guests a "Plant a Tree Kit." These kits come in a compact tube with seeds, perlite, a growing medium, a mini-greenhouse, and step-by-step instructions. Your guests can experience the magic of growing a sapling from seed, and you can even choose the tree species you want to include.

Handmade craft gifts

Clay Crafts

If you and your partner share a love for pottery or clay crafts, you can create small ceramic trinket dishes, personalised mugs, or even ring dishes for each guest. These can also be used for after-dinner espresso at the reception, adding a unique touch to your wedding.

Painted Canvases

For artsy couples, painted canvases can be a unique and creative wedding favour. Order small canvases, around 4x4", and paint scenic views from your wedding venue or portraits of the guests themselves. You can also add a heartfelt message on the back of each canvas to express your gratitude for their presence and support.

Knitted or Crocheted Items

Knitting or crocheting hats, scarves, or can koozies can be a charming favour, especially for a winter wedding. This option is perfect if you're looking for something handmade and heartfelt.

Jewellery

For a more delicate touch, consider making simple jewellery pieces such as bracelets or earrings that your guests can wear as a memento of your special day. This idea is both thoughtful and elegant.

Wood Burning

Wood burning is a unique craft idea that adds a rustic touch to your wedding favours. You can engrave intricate designs or meaningful words onto small wooden coasters, creating a practical and memorable souvenir for your guests.

Other Craft Ideas

• Painted clay magnets
• Small potted succulents or air plants
• Homemade baked goods
• Self-jarred fruit preserves or honey
• Eco-friendly plant kits
• Personalised candles or soaps with essential oils
• Mini bottles of homemade liquor

Something scented

Scented souvenirs are a wonderful way to create lasting olfactory memories of your wedding. Scents are known to stimulate realistic memories, so your guests will remember your special day every time they light a scented candle or smell a particular fragrance.

• Mini scented candles: Choose from infinite designs, colours, and scents. Your guests will surely love this affordable wedding favour idea, and it can also serve as beautiful decor at your reception and in your guests' homes.
• Handmade soaps: Homemade bar soap is a slightly more complex but luxurious DIY wedding favour idea. Begin with a melt-and-pour soap base, such as glycerin or shea butter, and add essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus, or citrus. You can also add exfoliating ingredients like oatmeal or coffee grounds.
• Miniature perfume or cologne bottles: You can create a custom fragrance that reflects you and your partner's tastes or choose a scent that holds a special memory for you. Miniature perfume or cologne bottles can be given as favours, and your guests will be reminded of your wedding whenever they use them.
• Herbal sachets: Using dried herbs like lavender or eucalyptus, create small sachets that your guests can take home. These can be placed in drawers or closets to add a subtle fragrance to their clothes or linens.
• Scented stationery: Add a few drops of your chosen fragrance to thank-you notes or cards for a subtle yet lasting reminder of your wedding.

Remember to consider any guests with allergies and always use subtle scents to avoid overpowering your guests.

Frequently asked questions