Do you think that wedding shower favors are just cheap little trinkets that you buy as a token gesture for your wedding shower guests? Think again. While this might have been true years ago, today’s brides and wedding planners know that bridal shower favors have an increased significance. While a few decades ago, bridal showers tended to be small, minor affairs, today more than ever, they are major parts of the wedding month. In fact, in some circles, the shower is second in importance to the wedding day itself. And just as the bride wants family and friends at the wedding to share her happiness, she wants them to share this special day, too. Therefore, she understands the importance of showing her love for these guests by providing meaningful bridal shower favors.

In the old days, you could almost predict what wedding shower favors would be given to the shower guests. Typically these were something such as chocolates or flowers. Trues, these can still be excellent bridal shower favors, more variety makes for more excitement. And the possibility exists to really customize these wedding shower favors to the wedding theme, to the interests of the bride, and to the expectations of the guests.

Remember that today, the wedding shower has become an event in itself. From the food to the games and entertainment to the decorations, the shower rivals the wedding reception itself. And so, just as the wedding favors at the reception are important, so too are the bridal shower favors. You want to be sure that your guests look back on this evening in years to come and have fond memories of it. So your wedding shower favors should do a few things: They should remind the guests of the couple, they should be useful enough that the guest will keep it, and they should evoke fond thoughts.

So how do you ensure that your wedding shower favors will do this? There are any number of ways. First,get gifts that have a real function: bottle openers or wine glasses, candies that come in boxes which can be reused. And then perhaps incorporate a message from the couple on the wedding shower favors, or if not, then include a special card of thanks with the gift. This will attach a special meaning to the gift. And for the sake of lasting memories, something about these bridal shower favors should tell the guest that this was a gift from your friend during her wedding. A wedding design or motif. Something should say wedding about it.

So start brainstorming. Pull out some paper and pen and write down your thoughts. How do you want people to remember your wedding? Is there something about the couple you want the wedding shower favors to communicate? Perhaps you’d like to coordinate the gifts with the wedding theme. Jot down all your thoughts and then have a friend help you select the best one. Then put them with a nice card from you and the groom. With determination and creativity, you can come up with bridal shower favors that will have all of your guests fondly recalling your shower for years to come.