Will you marry “moi” ?

Wedding favors no longer have to consist of the traditional – and let’s face it, boring – tulle bags filled with sugared almonds. Even Granny doesn’t eat those anymore! Get creative when contemplating your wedding favors. Here are some of our favorite picks…

Match your wedding favors to your wedding theme

If you are hosting a beach wedding on the Mediterranean Coast in the south of France or on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, why not provide comfy flip-flops and propose a stroll along the beach at sunset or a personalized beach towel?

Respect the season

For a spring or fall wedding when there is the risk of a chill in the air during the evening, provide the ladies with a pashmina (shawl) to match your color theme and mini bottles of whiskey to warm the guys up from the inside.

For a high summer wedding, fans are a great way to fend off the heat or pretty summer parasols. Bulk buying from dedicated websites in Asia will reduce the costs despite the transport expenses.

Winter weddings provide a multitude of wedding favor possibilities. Why not consider white fur or fake fur handwarmers for the ladies and matching gloves for the men or heated hand warmers in the shape of hearts or a personalized Christmas bauble to take home to decorate the Christmas tree!

Get the party started

To pack out your dance floor, distribute maracas or kazoos or even rally towels for a bit of fun.

Eco-friendly favors

For those environmentally conscious couples, several ideas spring to mind. Personalised packets of flower seeds of your favorite flowers or locally made organic jams in recycled pots that match your wedding colors. Alternatively, give a double use to your dinner table centerpieces by offering them to your guests as favors. A group of small glass vases with a different herb planted inside each one are great giveaways and look fresh and attractive as centrepieces.

Sweet tooth

If you’d like to stick to the food theme, why not provide bags or mini tubes of love heart sweets or personalised M&Ms with your photos printed on them!

Luxury wedding favors

If you really want to spoil your guests who have travelled from far and wide to attend your destination wedding, think about providing them with personalized gift baskets/bags. Include some local specialties such as a mini bottle of champagne or wine, Calissons d’Aix (mini almond marzipan cakes – see photos below) for weddings in Provence or Foie gras for weddings in the south-west…to name but a few!

As you can see, the sky is the limit, or should we say your budget is the limit! Whatever you choose, make sure it’s meaningful to you and corresponds to the theme and ambiance of the wedding.

Photo credits : Wikipedia; www.prixmoinscher.com; www.oriental-decor.com; www.lovehearts.com; www.mymms.com; www.calisson.com

If you or your H2B are tech-savvy socialites who wish to wow their guests with a wedding invitation unlike any other then this posting is for you!

Imagine the surprise on your guest’s faces as they open their inbox and see a personal message from you with a link to a video…but not just any video! By clicking on the link they will discover your very own video wedding invitation.

Make it as professional or amateur as you like and as fun as you like. For those of you on a tight budget, simply grab your camcorder and film yourselves together or separately talking about each other, how you met and the proposal, before coming together and inviting everyone to your wedding.

Don’t forget to clearly state the date, the venue, the dress code, the theme (casual, formal, etc.), whether children are invited and any other important messages you wish to communicate. Tell them how to RSVP or direct them to your wedding website to do so. Wedding websites marry very well with this type of invitation and will give your guests the opportunity to get more information about the venue, directions, etc. after viewing the video.

For those of you who are more creative or tech savvy, why not integrate some photos from your holidays or birthdays you have celebrated together. The video footage can be filmed by you or you could hire a professional videographer. Don’t forget to integrate music to add to the overall effect and why not some special effects?

There are web agencies that can create tailor-made video wedding invitations for you or you can choose from some more standardized templates. These are good options if you don’t have much time or if you are far too camera shy to appear on the film in person.

The most important thing is to enjoy yourself when creating or choosing the video and ensure that it accurately reflects your lifestyles, your humor and personalities. Here is one we particulary enjoyed viewing: Not Your Average Wedding Invitation.

Follow through with the video theme on the day of your wedding by setting up a video booth where your guests can make their own short videos as souvenirs for you to view and keep after the big day!

Check out this YouTube page for more inspiration.

From the discreet to the flashy, diamonds are the smart girl’s rock of choice…

But, did you know?…

1. The diamond is the toughest natural substance on the planet, and can only be cut with other diamonds.
2. Engagement rings are traditionally worn on the third finger of the left hand because of an Egyptian belief that a “vein of love” ran directly from there to the heart.
3. The Archduke Maximilian of Austria triggered the trend for diamond engagement rings when he proposed to Mary of Burgundy in 1477.
4. Unearthed in South Africa in 1905, weighing a whopping 3,106.75 carats, the Cullinan was the largest rough diamond ever found. Cut into the Frist Star and the Lesser Star of Africa, they are both now part of the British Crown Jewels.
5. The UN took a stand against the sale of blood diamonds – sold to finance terrorism or civil war – by establishing the Kimberley Process in 2003. Check out www.kimberleyprocess.com to find out more or rent “Blood Diamond”, the movie starring Leonardo diCaprio that helped bring this illegal trade into the limelight.

Don’t forget that diamonds can be any color. More affordable orange diamonds are available from Namidia and purse-friendly grey colors are also divine. Check out Fiona Knapp’s divine jewelery designs and gemstones.

Credits: Content taken from Marie Claire UK magazine. Photo credit : www.urbanpath.com