Do you remember your wedding day? Of course you do. There are constant reminders, from the ring on your finger to your wedding anniversary gifts. Every time you hear your song, you still relive the excitement of the big day. And if you need to jog your memory, you just go through your wedding album.
Do your guests remember your wedding day? Well, the question should be whether they kept the wedding souvenir or simply tossed it in a drawer and forgotten all about it.
Many times, wedding souvenirs are an afterthought. In an age when guests take their own photos on their mobile phone – and if they don’t, there’s always the wedding photo booth – wedding souvenirs seem like an old fashioned reminder.
And yet, they still play an important role. However, it all depends on how well you choose your souvenirs.
Wedding souvenirs can be anything, from table decorations and small plants to macaroons and little trinkets. The trick is to make them personal: like all the other elements in your wedding, you need to make them yours. You can do this by either choosing a souvenir that reflects your personality and tastes, or else, if you have the time, by making them yourself.
When choosing your wedding souvenirs, make sure that they match the theme of your wedding. If your wedding is an elegant affair, then something like a personalised champagne glass is a perfect match. If, on the other hand, your wedding day carries a 1980s theme, why not source some love hearts sweets and give your guests a packet each. The sweets themselves may not last long, but the memory will. Another option would be to give your guests a CD with a compilation of your favourite music.
The setting of your wedding also plays an important role. If your wedding reception is being held near the sea, then your souvenirs should sustain the theme: go for something nautical. If you are going for a spring wedding, you can give a plant as a souvenir, while if your wedding day is close to Christmas, then a candle would please your guests and they can use it as a Christmas decoration.
Apart from candles, other souvenirs can perform a double duty. You can, for instance, give your guests a luggage tag with their name on it: apart from serving as a reminder of your wedding, there is a practical use to it. If your souvenir has a practical use, then the chance that your guests will keep it is bigger.
If you’re going for edible souvenirs, the choice is endless. You can, for instance, tie it in with the season, such as pumpkin-flavoured cookies in autumn, lollipops to capture spring’s palette, and a hot chocolate kit – complete with cocoa powder, marshmallows and a spoon – in winter.
Wedding souvenirs are about you – however, that doesn’t mean that you cannot think of others as well. Your best option would be to give a donation to charity and place a note with each souvenir telling your guests about your charity of choice.