DIY wedding favors for guests
At the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the guests all left with luxurious wool scarves, sporting the Union Jack in various colorful prints, that cost about $75 each. Chances are, you haven't budgeted that amount of money into your next soiree, and instead you're looking for cheap wedding favors. That's OK! In fact, you don't even have to feel obligated to give away favors. According to the imitable Miss Manners, "favors" are never mandatory, and the only time they may be in order is at young children's birthday parties, where the guests "might need consolation for not being the center of attention." With any luck, none of your adult guests fall into that category.
The Nickel Pincher heartily agrees with Miss M and resisted handing favors out even at her kids' birthday parties, though she was known to supply party-related items such as biodegradable balloons for water fights or metal kazoos for festive merry-making. The choice is of course personal, and if providing favors makes you happy, you can do both your guests and the environment a favor by choosing something useful or edible rather than a gewgaw that will end up in the trash. For extra credit, make the favors yourself, or buy them from a local artisan, producer, or business, and keep any labels and packaging you use biodegradable.
