Party Favors: Hot wedding favors trend: Marry fun and function in a useful favor

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(ARA) - When it comes to creating perfection on your wedding day, it's hard to understate the importance of the wedding favor. The favor is the piece of your wonderful day that guests will take away with them. You want it to be something special, unique and memorable, a tangible reminder that they'll turn to again and again.

"We're seeing more brides today turning to wedding favors that marry fun and function, uniqueness and usefulness," says Allison Bergstedt of My Wedding Reception Ideas.com, a leading online resource for brides seeking unique wedding favors and other wedding items. "Perhaps it's a reflection of the times, as we are all tending to be more frugal and practical with our money. The favors of choice today are ones that guests will find useful long after the ceremony is over."

Here are some hints for useful favors:

Kitchen utensils

"Not everyone may have a mantle on which to display a pretty silver picture frame, but virtually everyone has a kitchen," Bergstedt says. "So items that can be used in the kitchen make very practical favors. Plus, with so much variety of utensils used in the kitchen, it's possible to find a favor that is not only useful, but that matches your personality as well."

Popular kitchen wedding favors include kitchen timers, olive oil bottles, cookie cutters, measuring spoons, ice cream scoops and bowls, melon ballers, cake and pie servers, cheese graters and even tea infusers.

Salt and pepper shakers

What favor better embodies the essence of marriage - the perfect pairing of two things that seem opposite, but that complement each other so well that neither is fully functional without the other? Salt and pepper shakers can range from fun and frolicking like the adorable bride and groom set, to classic and nostalgic represented by a set shaped like delicate seashells, to modern and bold such as a set rendered in stainless steel.

Coasters

Who doesn't have a table they would like to protect from water marks? Coasters make a great practical favor, plus they're available in such a variety of designs and styles you'll have no trouble finding a set that flatters the theme of your wedding. Whether you choose a beach design or a "bride and groom" theme, or personalize them with your names and wedding date or with a photo of the two of you together, coasters can keep the memory of your special day alive for guests every time they sip a beverage.

Food

A wise man once said "food is the most personal gift," and when given as wedding favors, food products can be practical and very welcome too. You can opt to go for fun, and give guests Key Lime margarita mix. Or go for heartwarming and homespun with tea bags and a tea caddy or muffin mix with mini muffin pans.

Donation and charity

Another option gaining popularity is to give guests a token that lets them know a donation has been made in their honor to a much-loved charity. For example, you can give a small pink photo frame imprinted with the breast cancer awareness ribbon and a portion of the purchase price will go towards an organization that supports young women with breast cancer. Or, use a tent card at each place setting to let guests know what charity you've donated to on their behalf.

"Giving a useful favor also taps another hot trend for 'green' favors," Bergstedt says. "Any favor that your guests will keep - and not throw away - qualifies as green." For more wedding favor ideas, visit www.MyWeddingReceptionIdeas.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent .