Candles may be the most affordable, available, and versatile items to use as wedding favors. Some of the best things about using candles include that they come in every color, they can be found at affordable prices, and that there are so many ways to use them. One important caveat, however, is to be careful of the scent. If you have a room with 100 scented candles with a large group of people and food, the fragrance may be overwhelming and can be unpleasant for some guests. Here are some great ideas for using candles for your favors, but maybe consider using unscented candles:

• Simple votive candle, wrapped with tulle and tied with ribbon - to make this favor personalized, either wrap a label around the candle or add a card to the ribbon with your names or a special message.
• Sand/shell candle for a beach themed wedding - Buy inexpensive champagne flutes or small glasses (you can find them at the dollar store), sand, and find some small seashells. Mix the sand and shells, pour the sand/shell mix into the glasses, put in a candle wick, and melt a layer of candle wax over. The design is a layered beach themed favor that can also add a lot to your table decor. To personalized, you can buy glasses/champagne flutes with your name or message online for pretty affordable prices.
• Simple shot glass favor to suit your decor - Find inexpensive shot glasses, glass stones in your wedding colors, and small candles that will fit in the shot glasses. First, place a few colored stones in each glass and place the candle on top. Make sure that the candle fits tightly, as this will hold everything in place. It’s a great little wedding favor that will go with any type of theme / color.
• Gel Candle for your theme - If you are into the craft / diy thing, this may be a good option. First find a small glass container (could be a shot glass, mini glass, or candle holder), find something inflammable that represents the theme of your wedding (seashells, metal hearts, small ornaments), and buy candle gel mix. It is important to follow the gel candle mix directions to avoid air bubbles and problems, but clear candle gel, with a wick and suspended ornaments can make a great wedding favor. If you are really talented, you can find small metal letters that represent your names to insert into the gel candle.
• Red Wine /Champagne gel candle - For this favor you just need to find mini champagne flutes and/or wine glasses, and find the appropriate gel candle color. Just follow the instructions, put in the wick and pour in the gel candle mix. This is a simple favor, but may work well with the theme of your wedding. If you like this idea, you can also look into purchasing a ready made version.
• Unique Candle in Simple Box - If you are looking to keep things simple, you can always find a unique candle that you love or that really goes well with your theme. Generally, these types of candles come in great small little gift boxes so they are ready to go!

Candles are great because you can either buy great candle favors, make them yourself, or add a unique touch to a ready made favor. This type of favor can be suitable to any type of wedding or wedding budget, just be creative!

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Similar to all other wedding decisions, planning your wedding flowers takes time and a lot of thought. Obviously you want your flowers to coordinate well with your decor, fit in your budget, and look fantastic, but you will also want to consider the following:

• Will you be hiring a florist or doing the flowers yourself? Putting a bouquet together may not seem very difficult, but it can be more complicated than it looks. First, you need to practice well in advance to make absolutely sure that you and/or your family/friends can do the job. Then, I would recommend that you have lots of help. If you are using fresh flowers, it will not be something that can be done well in advance and there is so much to do at the very last minute that you will need help.
• Are you going for silk or the real thing? First, you need to understand that throughout the day the bouquets take a lot of abuse. Depending on the season, the flowers can be exposed to either really cold situations or very hot temperatures. Also, the flowers get waved around, pushed around, and in some cases dropped on the ground. Fresh flowers are wonderful, but you need to understand that you may not have the perfect flowers at the end of the night. With fresh flowers, you must also realize the fact that they may not be 100% perfect, or exactly the color that you had in mind. With silk flowers, you must think about how important it is for them to look real. Silk flowers that look very real can in a lot of cases cost more than real flowers. In addition, if you are purchasing silk flowers and are ordering online or without seeing them in advance, make sure that you can return them or order a sample, as the quality and colors may vary. The choice of real or silk flowers really depends on the person and the setting of the wedding, but either one can work well.
• What colors are you looking for? If you are looking at real flowers, you may want to choose natural colors. Many florists will tell you that flowers can be dyed, and this is a good option for arrangements, but beware, there may be problems in stopping the ink from leaking on to your white dress. With flowers you will also want to consider that trying to match colors too much may be difficult. I would suggest choosing a complementary color instead of trying to find an exact match.
• Are the flowers in season? Not only will choosing flowers that are in season save you money because they are more readily available, but they may also be nicer flowers. Trying to find exotic flowers may limit the suppliers, which means higher costs. In addition, if the flowers have to come from further away, the flowers may be less fresh. The last thing you want on your wedding day is to have your flowers arrive with brown spots.
• Can the flower arrangements be used for the ceremony and the reception? If you are looking for ways to save money, try to use as many of the decorations in both areas. Generally, flower arrangements are easy to load and place at the reception venue. Often you can have a close friend of family member with a larger vehicle do this if you don’t have a decorator. Beyond saving money, using the flower for both also bring continuity to the event.
• Will you be keeping the arrangements? If you are planning on keeping the bouquet, find out in advance the best way to preserve and/or dry the flowers. Don’t just put them on the counter on the night of your wedding, as this may ruin the bouquet.
• How many flowers/arrangements will you need? Flowers can be used to decorate the ceremony, the tables, can be given as favors, and are generally a part of the wedding party’s attire. Beyond that, corsages are often given to the mothers and/or grandmothers of bride and groom. It is also common for the fathers and grandfathers of the bride and groom also receive a boutonniere. Before making floral arrangements, make sure that you know what you will need. With flowers, you can often save money by buying in bulk.

Flowers provide great decor, and are usually a considerable portion of your wedding budget. Take the time to consider the options and make sure that you get the perfect wedding flowers.

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