subject: Create Affordable Wedding Favors From Your Garden With These Simple Ideas by:Nicola Ray [print this page] Seeds, plants, and flowers given as wedding favours are really very popular these days. Garden gifts make really affordable wedding favours, and they add personality to the wedding, particularly if the plants or seeds come from your own home-grown garden.
Garden party themed, romantic themed and outdoor summer weddings would all do well to use garden favours. These gifts are actually useful for the guests, and they'll keep the memory of your wedding alive for longer, too. The best part though, is that they are environmentally-friendly.
Here are a few ideas to get you going:
Right now, plants are popular favours. You can grow them in your own garden or get them from a nursery, but it's cheapest if you grow them from seeds yourself. Start the seeds a few months before your wedding, and transfer the seedlings into pots when they're big enough. All you need for this wonderful favour is proper planning and lots of time.
Plant cuttings from your own garden or that of a relative (ask first!). Stick the cuttings in a plastic pot, and your easy, affordable wedding favours are ready to go.
Alternatively, create seed packets from your own garden. Simply harvest the seeds from different plants and put them in paper bags or small envelopes. Your guests will have fun watching the surprise plants grow the next spring.
If you don't garden, you can buy inexpensive seed packets at garden stores and supermarkets everywhere. Leave a pretty packet as it is, or dress up a plain one with a ribbon. Some websites will even allow you to order personalised seed packets, which will be great reminders of your day.
Dried flowers are also a lovely favour. Harvest the flowers from your garden, hang them upside down in a dark place for a few weeks, and they'll dry out. Then, put the petals in a fine mesh bag that matches your wedding colours. Roses, jasmine, and lavender all dry well and have strong scents when dried. Guests can use these favours to freshen dresser drawers.
You can also give pot-pouri from a store. Buy flowers that are already dried, and use them the same way as the above suggestion.
The Personal Details
Any of these gifts could be finished off with a personal message to your guests. Buy luggage tags or cut small rectangles of sturdy paper. Create a personal message for every guest and attach one to each favour. Simply punch a hole in the tag, run a ribbon through it, and tie it to the favour. Be sure to secure the bow with a glue dot so you don't have to retie the favours on your wedding day.
If youre using plastic pots for small plants or seedlings, make them look classier by wrapping them with several pieces of ribbon or with pretty paper. Use a bit of glue to secure the decor and the pot will look brand new.
About the author
Nicola Ray writes for Cheap Wedding Success, a website dedicated to planning beautiful budget weddings. Youll find hundreds of money saving ideas on wedding favours, decorations, cakes, venues, photography and more at www.cheap-wedding-success.co.uk.
