There are very few once in a lifetime events quite like your wedding day. From the flowers and dress to the flavor of the cake, the option to plan and personalize your wedding with your own unique wedding ideas is truly in your court. And we’ve all been to dozens of weddings that follow the standard format – the rehearsal and subsequent dinner, the wedding ceremony where the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and couple walked formally down the aisle, and, finally, the reception, where dancing and dinner is bound to follow.

And yes, points are given to the couples that take the time to personalize their wedding with fun favors, unusual refreshments, decorations, and other unique wedding ideas. But have you ever thought about shaking up your own wedding, perhaps even changing the very structure of it? With a little ingenuity (and planning), you can personalize your wedding in a way that’s fun for everyone!

My Favorite Memorable Ideas for Unique Weddings

Consider the rehearsal dinner. Whereas most couples elect to run through the standard ‘meet and greet,’ practice their walk down the aisle to get rid of those pre-ceremony jitters, and then sit down to a light repast, some brides and grooms choose to infuse this gathering with their very own unique wedding ideas. One example I’ve heard of is eliminating the sit down dinner entirely, which is usually more formal in nature anyway. The brides then invite the rehearsal dinner guests over for a picnic (in warmer months) or a potluck supper (great any time). This option not only takes away a lot of wedding stress, but also encourages the guests to interact more.

The wedding ceremony itself is, of course, meant to be solemn and respectful, but that doesn’t mean before or after the priest or minister marries the couple you can’t infuse the ceremony with your own unique wedding ideas. One of the more unusual examples I’ve heard about is the entire wedding party dancing up and down the aisle to the delight of the guests who get in on the act. Without so much as a hint as to what is going on, an upbeat tempo begins playing and guests start clapping. The bridesmaids and groomsmen get footloose up and down the aisle, making way for the groom’s and bride’s grand entrances. After all, a lively entrance is certainly one way to personalize your wedding and make sure guests never forget your nuptials!

Another way to personalize your wedding is seating guests at round tables at the wedding venue itself (serving as both the ceremony and reception area). Though it appears to be the reception, the guests actually watch as the bride and groom are married while seated at tables, and then after a quick swap out, the area becomes a beautiful reception. The perks? The bride and groom save lots of money because there’s no need to secure two venues, and your guests don’t have to travel.

And, of course, if you choose to have a wedding theme, you can incorporate all sorts of unique wedding ideas. Take the idea of a renaissance-themed wedding. Both the bride and groom, for instance, will be wearing flowing fabrics and unique headpieces, while the entertainment could feasibly be even more entertaining. Couples have hired ‘court jesters,’ ‘jugglers,’ and ‘dancers’ to lighten the mood, carry on the renaissance theme, and personalize their wedding in a unique way. However, whatever your wedding theme may be, just remember to explore all the unique wedding ideas and possibilities available to you. If it’s historical in nature, do your research! If it’s hobby-themed, ask your friends to share their ideas. Not only will collaboration on unique wedding ideas help you to envision a better wedding, you’ll also have the support of your friends.

At your reception, just about anything goes. It’s your day, so plan and personalize your wedding reception how you want. Some brides feel as though they have to please their guests. Bottom line – if you plan and personalize your wedding activities and events, your guests will want to stay all night long. Consider, for example, the buffet or sit down style dinner served at most weddings. A few brides have elected to have wait staff circulate with heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages or have had multiple refreshment tables set up around the room. Usually, one of the most popular attractions at these refreshment tables is the giant chocolate fountain, with fruit and pretzels for dipping.

Another one of the more unique wedding ideas I’ve heard about is a groom’s cake made entirely of meat. Ideally, the groom’s cake is meant for him and his right-hand men, so, in many ways, it’s appropriate. And you might just have a lot of extra ‘cake’ left over to enjoy later!

Memories that Last a Lifetime

These examples of unique wedding ideas are just a few of the more memorable highlights I’ve seen at weddings over the years. Regardless of how you choose to personalize your wedding, it will always be a special day – a celebration of love and romance with your closest friends and family members. And if you ultimately decide to play it on the traditional side, don’t worry – you have those beautiful memories to last a lifetime.

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Choosing and planning your wedding theme is one of the most fun and creative parts of wedding planning.

Wedding themes can express the imagination of the bride and groom (or wedding planner) and can re-create any setting, from ancient Greece to an underwater paradise.

While most wedding themes are less extravagant than this and usually reflect a color scheme or perhaps a season, we have seen some fabulous and original wedding themes over the years. For brides looking for creative ideas, here are some to get you started:

Fairytale: While a Cinderella theme is most common in this category, there are plenty of other options. Cinderella themes can be carried out with such ‘props’ as glass slipper favors, a carriage wedding cake and a horse and carriage to draw the happy couple away to their honeymoon or from the church to the reception.

Color schemes: From black and gold to silver and white, or even red and pink for a Valentine’s theme, color schemes are a fairly easy and effective way to create a theme fro your wedding. You can color co-ordinate your bridesmaids’ dresses, the flowers and ribbons, and even the table decorations and confetti.

Tropical: Whether you go with gorgeous tropical flower arrangements or a sandy beach theme, a tropical wedding theme allows your guests to feel as if they’re being whisked away to a tropical paradise. Add some bamboo torches and a calypso band and the illusion is complete!

Mediterranean: Turquoise and shades of blue, with shimmering candles and all white linens…can you picture it? Add some belly dancers for entertainment and you have a Mediterranean-themed reception your guests will never forget.

Underwater: Hang fishing nets with shells and sparkly fish…offer water-related favors and give bubble-blowers to the children, and you’ll have a lovely and fun underwater theme. There is lots you can do to create an ‘under the sea’ feel, so just get creative!

Fantasy: Weddings are occasions where a bride can indulge the little girl inside, wearing a fantasy dress and planning a magical celebration. Many brides create a fantasy wedding, and there are endless possibilities here. From hiring a magician to adding sparkles or rainbows, you can do anything in this category, as long as it fulfills your fantasies!

Butterfly: From confetti to favors, from napkins to centerpieces, incorporating a butterfly theme is whimsical and enchanting. Pin little butterflies (not real!) on the walls or on linens, offer little butterfly pins. We’ve also seen this done with dragonflies or fairies.

Hawaiian: Hibiscus flowers, laeis and tropical Hawaiian music floating on the air…aaah, your guests will love it! Hire some professional Hawaiian dancers and the mood is complete. Tuscan: Rustic yellows, wine and grape vines, and sunflowers are just the beginning. Research Tuscany and Tuscan décor and you’ll come up with plenty of ideas for this theme.

Diamonds are forever: Add some sparkle and pizazz to your celebration with a diamonds theme. Little diamond-shaped sparkly confetti, diamond ring charms or key chains for favors, and a champagne fountain will help you get started. You can also do this with other gems or with pearls.

There are so many ideas and possibilities this list cannot possibly be exhaustive, and we hope we’ve given you a great start. You’ll find even more ideas at Wedding-Planning-Makes-Perfect.com, and be sure to check out the recommended Wedding Planning Guides. Happy wedding planning!

In this day and age, there’s no such thing as not being able to find something. There’s nothing you can’t find in that veritable and seemingly infinite minefield of information known as the Internet. Furthermore, you don’t have to jump through hoops or pay a big price just to get information because it’s a very easy resource to use, and one that never seems to fail. So if you’re looking unique wedding gift ideas, you know exactly where to go.

A Hop, Search, and A Skip

The first place you should go to when looking for unique wedding gift ideas on the Internet, or the Net, as it is most commonly known as, is the search engine. Google, Yahoo!, Excite, and MSN are only some of the most famous and most frequently used search engines on the Net today.

To utilize a search engine, it’s just a matter of typing in a keyword or phrase of what you’re looking for and clicking the search button. You simply have to indicate that you’re searching for unique wedding gift ideas, and in a matter of minutes, you’ll find hundreds upon hundreds of websites that you can use as reference.

Often, search results organize the websites by page rank, meaning the most frequently visited websites are at the top of list and so forth. While you’re likely to get ideas from the websites at the top, going through the other not so frequently visited websites will probably give you more unique wedding gift ideas.

Interact to Better Act

Search engines often yield results that will lead you to merchant websites offering unique wedding gift ideas. In more specialized searches, however, you’ll be led to weblogs, or blogs and forums where you can find more personal unique wedding gift ideas.

Blogs are generally created and written by ordinary people, so you know that most of them don’t have any profit agenda in mind, but rather a genuine desire to share their unique wedding gift ideas. Some may even go as far as to share do-it-yourself tips and advice on making ordinary gifts more special.

Like blogs, forums are also frequented by ordinary consumers. A forum is a good way to interact with other people and share unique wedding gift ideas. Forums are often conversational and casual. It can be likened to a discussion among friends, only online. In forums, you can give opinions and advice, and even cultivate real friendships.

There Are No Limits

Indeed, the sky’s the limit when looking for unique wedding gift ideas on the Net. Whether you spend hours on it or spend a few minutes searching for unique wedding gift ideas, you won’t leave empty handed.

So when you walk into a wedding reception with a beautiful gift that you know the newlyweds can definitely appreciate, you’ll know the time you spent on the Net is time well spent. And you’ll never have to rack your brains for unique wedding gift ideas ever again. You just have to type and go.

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Giving out wedding favors is a customary practice during weddings. They are offered to guests as a gesture, showing appreciation to them. They can be edible, decorative, or practical gifts that guests can cherish.

Today, where weddings are getting more and more unique, most couples make it a point that their wedding favors would be unique and special to their friends and loved ones. If you are on the hunt for unique wedding favors, don’t worry because there are good places where you can find lots of choices to choose from.

Your first stop would be the Internet, the biggest source of everything! If you want a quick search for unique ideas for your weddings, all you need to do it so go online. The birth of the Internet makes lives of engaged couples a lot easier. Today, you don’t have to visit local bridal shops one by one, because by surfing the net, you are just like going to a mall or local wedding boutique where different bridal ideas are available, from bridal gowns, wedding bonds, wedding guest books, bridal jewelry, to wedding favors and etc.

When you are surfing the net to find unique wedding favor ideas, consider browsing through different websites. This way, you can see a lot of choices to choose from, as well as you can compare prices. One best thing about shopping online is that it is easy to find unique and trendy ideas when it comes to weddings. It’s not hard for you to order what you want even if they are located in a very far place or even abroad. Shopping online lets you place your order, including all the details such as the quantity of products you want, colors, and of course the shipping details. The online vendor will ship your order in a short span of days, depending on your location.

If you are on a tight budget, a good place for you to visit is a wholesale store. Consider your local wholesale stores, where you can find and purchase cheap wedding favors in a bulk quantity. Usually, wholesale vendors give great discounts to their customers for buying their products in a large volume. Some of the most popular wholesale wedding favors are candles, soaps, candle holders, place card holders, mini picture frames, coasters, mugs, and favor boxes. To make these things unique, put your own personal touches on them. For example, packaging them by yourself. If you have plenty of time to do the decorating and packaging, the better so you can make your modest wedding favors a bit different.

Having unique wedding favors are not that difficult to achieve. Just plan in advance and as much as possible put your own touches, as they are ideal ways to help you come up with wedding favors that your guests will surely cherish. They can be cheap wedding favors, but if made with thought can definitely make a great difference at your big day. Don’t forget also to include small notes printed with your thank you message for your guests.

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A wedding is not a complete one without the wedding favors. As a result, couples will try their best to make this small gift special and unique. To this end, you will need to have some wedding favor ideas. As a matter of fact, there are tons of choices in the market. You will be able to get something which can fit your needs.

There are a lot of companies which will offer customized or personalized wedding favors. This wedding favor idea is certainly excellent. You can add your own element or personal touch to the gift. Yet, it will usually be more expensive. Yet, there are still personalized choices even if you have limited budget. You can consider searching for them on the web. There are lots of online shops which will give customer a lot of discount.

In fact, couples will want to make sure that the guests will find the favors useful. To this end, you have to make them practical. There are a lot of choices to this end. For example, you can consider purchasing wine stoppers and fridge magnets. Your guests will certainly find them useful. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of companies which will help you to personalize the fridge magnet. Consequently, you should consider this if you want to give your guests something practical and meaningful.

If you have a wedding theme, you may want to have some wedding favor ideas which match your theme. You need to be a bit creative to this end. In fact, it will not be difficult for you to get something that is matching your theme. If you are going to have a beach theme, you will probably want to get something which is related to the beach idea. Ideas such as sand, stones, seashells and starfish should be considered to this end. On the other hand, if you are going to have a Christmas theme, you may want to consider the ideas such as Santa Clause and snowflakes.

There are also brides and grooms who may want to create the wedding favors themselves. To this end, the wedding favor ideas will be unlimited. As a matter of fact, you can also save money by adopting the idea of DIY. To this end, you can make the wedding favors special while you can spend less on them. There are a lot of ideas you can consider to this end. It is very common for couples to create some edible favors. For example, you can create some chocolates yourself. You may also consider baking some cakes yourself. Your guests will certainly appreciate your effort and creativity.

It is not difficult to create your unique wedding favors. You can get a lot of wedding favor ideas on the web. You should spend the time to do your research on this part. As a matter of fact, you do not only visit the online shops when you are doing your research. There are also a lot of wedding blogs or website on this topic. Be sure to visit these sites as well.

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There are many reasons why a bride might choose chocolate wedding favors for her reception. They’re typically very affordable, come in a wide variety of flavors, look beautiful and festive, and let’s face it, who doesn’t love chocolate?

But wanting to have chocolate wedding favors for your reception can leave you scratching your head as to what you should actually choose, and how chocolates can be presented at your reception in a beautiful and appropriate manner.

Choosing these favors will depend on many things, but probably your budget more than anything. There’s no limit to the amount of money you can spend on designer bonbons and truffles and other gourmet items, so it’s a good idea to have an actual budget in mind before you even begin shopping around.

You might also want to give some consideration to the theme and tone of your wedding and reception. Is it a very formal affair in an elegant banquet hall or a more casual party? If it’s formal and traditional, then typically you want chocolates that are just as elegant and indulgent. Most chocolate makers have packages that they make up just for weddings, usually a small collection of bonbons or truffles that comes in beautiful boxes. They may be decorated like little tuxedos and wedding gowns. They may be heart-shaped and hand decorated with your names or initials. Some may offer just one very exquisite or decadent chocolate in its own mini tray or foil, and be wrapped with a bit of tulle and ribbon.

Other small treats may be a few chocolates stacked on top of each other to resemble a wedding cake, again, in its own mini tray and ribbon or a small clear box. There are also chocolates in the shape of a letter which is usually in a clear plastic bag and tied with an elegant ribbon.

However, if your reception is more casual then your options can include treats such as chocolate covered pretzels in a small box. If you’re both sports loves, there are chocolates shaped like golf balls, soccer balls, bowling balls, volleyballs, baseballs, and virtually any other sporting ball you can think of.

For those who love casinos or who are planning a Vegas-themed wedding, some chocolate wedding favors are shaped like large dice or like poker chips.

For beach wedding favors, you can find chocolates in the shape of seashells. Some bakers can offer to make just plain squares of chocolate that are stamped with your name or initial.

When opting for chocolate wedding favors such as these, be sure to dress them up with a personal touch. If the box they come in is rather plain, wrap it in beautiful wrapping paper and large ribbon from either your paper supply or fabric store, in a color that matches your reception’s theme.

And of course a very affordable and unique option for chocolate wedding favors is personalized candy bar wrappers, which usually come in a wide variety of designs and styles. These can match your wedding’s tone, whether elegant and traditional or fun and whimsical, and can also provide a nice keepsake for an album or scrapbook.

As more and more chocolate makers realize the popularity and versatility of chocolate wedding favors, you may see that you as a bride have more and more options available to you when it comes time to choosing just the right chocolate favors for your reception.

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Being creative when deciding on wedding reception favors can help create a lively atmosphere. The wedding reception is a time for celebration of the new couple, so why not use a play on words to create unique wedding reception favors. The following list can help you come up with a play on words that will work for your wedding. After the list is an example to help give you an idea of how to do it.

1. Think of words associated with couples, marriage, weddings, love. Also think of variations on words, like pair and pear. Use a thesaurus to help you out. Make a list of these words.

2. Think of popular sayings or twists on the words on your list. Also write down any sayings that might convey the overall idea of couples and love. Write everything you think of down even if it seems crazy or useless. You may surprise yourself with how an off-the-wall idea can become perfect.

3. Try to edit each phrase or saying down to no more than five words. You may be wanting to use it on the favors and you want to keep the length to a minimum.

4. Choose your favorites and brainstorm different things that could represent the saying. For example, for the phrase ” birds of a feather flock together” you could use feathers or birds or even flowers – birds of paradise. do not worry about being too practical just get the ideas out there.

5. Choose your favorite. Make it fit to your reception. Make sure the favors will be practical. Try to have the saying you use printed on the favors or somewhere at the reception so the guests are sure to get the joke.

The following is an examples of using a play on words to create great wedding reception favors.

Perfect Pear:

The idea here is the play on the word “pear/pair”. You can use the image of pears to convey the idea. Silver pear shaped bells with “perfect pear” engraved on them along with the couples names and wedding date make for a nice favor. Another idea is marzipan pears served on small silver platters. If you are looking to have fun with the idea you can give tubs of pear flavored lip gloss. You can also tie this theme into the reception by serving pear dishes and decorating the room with pear theme favors.

As you can see there is a lot of fun in using a play on words to create your wedding reception favors. It may take some creative thought on your part, but the end result is well worth it. People will be talking about your unique wedding reception for a long time. Do not be surprised to see others copy your ideas. This is not only fun, but creates a great conversation piece for your guests. Plays on words are all around, so think hard and get to work on those great wedding reception favors. It is more important than you think when you need to choose the perfect unique wedding reception favors.

A wedding favor can be unique if the theme or style of your wedding is different from the run off the mill ceremonies. Another way wedding favors are unique is if they are not intended to be used as favors in the first place.

Unique Wedding Favors by Theme

A theme for a wedding is not necessary only when you have a destination wedding; regular local weddings can have themes too. Some popular themes could be to replicate an era in time such as the 70′s or the Victorian Age. Or you could take a flower or shape to be the wedding theme; roses everywhere from the cake toppers to the centerpieces to the bridal bouquets will make everything look coordinated. An object like a butterfly or a flip flop can also be a great idea for unique wedding favors.

Dual Purpose Favors

By initially using the favors as place card holders, you can tell the guest that they can take them home and use them for notes or photos of their own. For a Vegas themed wedding you could give decks of cards or dice as favors and for a fairy tale theme, you could hand out horse drawn carriage photo frames.

An Asian wedding theme could have chopsticks or oriental soup spoons as favors; something people might not got out and buy for themselves but would like to use or display if they get them as gifts.

Practical yet Unique Wedding Favors

Luggage tags, tea infusers, wine glass charms and book marks are just some examples of unique wedding favors that are easy to utilize as opposed to be chucked away in some drawer. Everyone could use another bookmark and luggage tags get worn out quickly too. So, remember to give your guests something they can use.

Wedding favors, whether unique or typical do have one limitation most of the time; they have to be pretty small. This is because they are usually placed on tables before the guests arrive and hence should not take up much space when the food is served. If you have a unique wedding favor idea that is a little different from the usual size; then you may want to make someone in charge of handing it to guest s on their way out.

If you score a great deal on a poster print that complements your wedding theme for instance, then hand it out at the end as opposed to guests having to fumble with it during the reception and meal.
Imported Unique Wedding Favors

If you think all your friends have probably visited the same websites or read the same bridal magazines for unique wedding favor ideas; then you’re probably right. If you really want to wow your guest, get something not readily available in the US. Indian handicrafts, Japanese candy or British tea are just some examples of unique wedding favor ideas that your guests can not just pick up at any store.

Avoid Monogrammed Wedding Favors

In an effort to get a really unique wedding favor, many couples opt to personalize the item with the initial of the recipient. While this is a very generous gesture on their part, it is not very practical. Some guests may not be able to make it even if they RSVP’d that they could. Others might have to bring in an extra guest or two and you won’t have the time to get their specific initial engraved or embossed.

Favors can get mixed up and misplaced; it is better for everyone to go home with the same favor rather than Tim leaving with a ‘P’ candle and Rose with an ‘S’ embroidered handkerchief.