My friend Mona has a large collection of beautiful silver pieces – there’s a magnificent rooster, a small trinket box, a delicate little figure. These were all gifts from weddings she had attended in her home country of Egypt. Apparently, this is traditional there.
Few of us these days can afford to provide real silver thank you gifts to our guests. The challenge for the bride and groom is to provide something a little special for them to take home without breaking the bank.
There are ways to do this creatively. Here are a few suggestions you might like to consider:
- Make a CD with a selection of the songs that mean something to you. Vinyl CD sleeves are inexpensive and you can make covers with colour photocopies of a collage of pictures of the two of you. Include the date of the wedding and a little thank you message on the back for sharing your special day. These can be made for under two dollars and will be enjoyed again and again by your guests.
- The Christmas before your wedding, visit the One-of-Kind Show. There is always at least one booth with handmade Christmas ornaments which can be personalized. They usually run about $5 but if you chat with the owner, you might be able to make an arrangement to buy the numbers you need. Pick an ornament that means something to you and have your wedding date and names added. It’s a keepsake they will remember every year when they decorate their Christmas tree.
- A little indoor plant with a white ribbon bow is a lovely gift for guests. And they will enjoy it as it grows and spreads. If you want to get really creative and time permits, buy inexpensive containers (you can find these at the dollar store) and hand paint each one, adding your names and date of the wedding.
- On a white napkin or x-shaped cloth (for lining a bread basket), embroider your initials and the date. Don’t have the skills to embroider? You can buy pretty iron-on letters and designs that will personalize this simple gift.
- An inexpensive votive candle holder can be decorated with ceramic paint and turned into a small treasure to hand out to guests. Here too, adding your names and the date will personalize this little gift.
- How about an attractive little address book for each guest? Of course, your new address and phone number will be under the appropriate letter.
- Make your own flavoured olive oil – steep rosemary sprigs, garlic, basil leaves, chives or even cilantro in a large container of olive oil. Buy inexpensive bottles and decorate them yourself. Ceramic paint or inexpensive decals from a craft store will turn them into works of art. Fill with oil and seal with a cork or screw cap.
- Fill small boxes (you can get flattened cardboard ones with a tiny wire handle at most dollar or craft stores) with three or four special chocolates. On the outside of the box, write your names and the date with a coloured marker (use the colour of your flowers if you can match it).
- A beautiful handmade paper card embedded with wildflower or perennial seeds is a special gift which your guests will be able to enjoy for a long time. Write a little message in each card and leave these at each place to take home. Several companies provide these including Winnipeg’s Botanical PaperWorks.
