West Aussie Wedding

comfort

Being comfortable is paramount. I'm the sort of person who comes home and get changed into comfortable clothes as soon as I can.. I wear tracksuit pants and ugg boots around the house. If I can feel my waistband digging in, or my bunions rubbing, or my hair pulling then I just get grumpy.

Which is why I like the following ideas for a wedding reception...

Parasols to keep you out of the sun!

 
image via istockphoto

Or if it's cool...  Pashmina's to keep yourself warm..

Photo by Fred Marcus

And cutting rug in your high heels is tiring...

so some thongs to rest your tired feet! 

image via Ferro's Flickr  

Not that we have organised any of these things for our guests (sorry Guests!)

I guess we are counting on nice weather.. But I do think thongs is something that our female guests would definitely use.. there were lots of girls dancing bare foot at the wedding I went to last week..

Havaianas only cost a few bucks in Brazil. I wonder if there is some place to buy cheap thongs in Perth..?

biccies

I am quite a fan of edible favours. I think homemade goodies get extra points. Biscuits are a good idea as easy to make en masse and they can be cut into whatever shapes you want.

 
image via RachelsinWonderland

You could have some fun with these.

Nom Nom Nom.

personalised badges

Early on in the wedding planning I got the idea from somewhere about making personalised badges for each of our guests. Little buttons with a relevant picture and each guests name, which would double as a favour and also a placecard.

The idea was that they would be sort of fun, and each one would have a bit of a story behind it. So not only would they help guests working out each others names, but also serve as a bit of a conversation starter.

image via Black Eiffel  

That was the idea anyway. I made a start. Began cutting out some pics from magazines, wrapping paper and old cards (eg VW symbol for my kombi loving cousin, green damask for my friend obsessesed by green, owl for my friend who collects owls, tartan for my scottish Auntie etc) I bought some clear tape for the label maker, I rang around to get some quotes on badge making costs and patted myself on the back for being all crafty and stuff.

But I have now scrapped it. Because:

1. We are having a over 150 guests. And thats a lot of badge making. I don't want to be up until 1am the night before the wedding pumping out buttons.

2. We are having a cocktail reception so no formal seating. In which case the badges wouldn't actually be doubling as place cards after all. Which was the main point. Name badges that serve only as name badges seems a bit too corporate team building to me.

3. Couldnt think of a good way to give them to people. Handing out a name badge doesn't seem as cool as having one waiting for you at your seat. I didn't want it to seem like we were forcing name badges on people.

So we're not doing it. In fact I'd say this means we are not doing bonfavs at all. Up Yours BonFavs!

But I still really like this idea and am a little sad to let it go. I do think its a really good idea for anyone having a small sit down dinner reception

Yay flags

I think these are a really cute idea. How festive to look out at a sea of waving 'YAY' flags!

 
image via Offbeat Bride
 

I'd throw a few 'Yippee's and 'Hooray's and 'Fuck Yeah's in there as well.

probably not the last one but it would be funny to see Nan waving a fuck yeah flag 

bon bon yeahs

Another cute idea from Martha Stewart. These favour boxes look so effective- each unique, yet working with the colour scheme.

It does look rather involved.. especially if you are having say 150 guests.

But if you were organised and crafty (which I am not) it would be totally worth it.

image from Martha Stewart Weddings

But the big question remains... what to put in the boxes..?

Sugared almonds? chocolates? cake? scratchies?

I don't actually think we'll do bonfavs. Not just for the sake of it, anyway.. Only if I come across something too good to resist

Rock n. Roll

Here are some rockin wedding motifs

 From West Aussie stubby holder company, Wine Coolers Australia

hand puppet favours

I don't know why but I have a preference for silly childish tokens of appreciation (like the quirky talismen or the  sea creature lollipops for instance)

So these sock puppets are right up my alley. They are so colourful. They are so funny. They are so interseting and they are so cool. (I have actually wondered how long it would take to sew buttons onto old socks..) 

 

Photography by Tanja Lippert

I think I like the idea of bright and cheerful and fun bon favs because they would serve as an ice breaker and an unexpected talking point amongst guests. It just seems to lighten to the mood.

For the story behind this creative idea, and for more pictures of this wedding, check out Southern Weddings Magazine Part 1 and Part 2, there are lots of interesting details

 

lace stones

This is a unique idea. For wedding favours.

Well a lot of people would probably wonder what they would do with a lacey stone. Maybe just go with chocolate love hearts or stubby holders or something useful like that.

Or perhaps they would just make an interesting table decoration.

They sort of remind me of sea urchins

 

from knitalatte, originally seen on  loveology

Quirky Favours

These talismans by Sanne van Winden would make really cool favours

  

 originally seen on loveology

Little Match Girl

I got this idea from EmilyStyle blog, who used the birdie ones as her wedding favours.

They are cute little match boxes with funky little pictures on them.

   

available from Areo USD$2.90 each

Funny Favours

These would make fun and colourful favours.

From Melville Candy. Zoo animals and Dinosaurs also available!