Wedding Favors of 2020

Guest writer: Marcella Fouce

COVID has brought so much uncertainty to our world. Everything has changed - how our children learn, working from home, wearing masks in public, limited contact with the people we love – in that same vein,

planning a wedding amidst a pandemic is going to be different as well. How can you give people enough space to socially distance while still maintaining an intimate atmosphere? What types of entertainment are going to lend themselves to social distancing? Can you still have a dance floor and dancing all night or will guests be too worried to party? These are questions couples before you never had to consider while planning their weddings; but that doesn’t mean it has to be more stressful! Have some fun with the things you can control.

You’ll never be able to please everybody all the time, but this day is yours, so you are the only ones who need to be pleased with the outcome! That being said, you still want to show your wedding attendees how much they mean to you (and maybe take their minds off the pandemic for a little while in the process). You can do that by incorporating some small, meaningful acts of gratitude into your wedding favors. There are a plethora of wedding favors that you could choose from.

Choose favors that will show gratitude to the guests who braved this pandemic to join you on your special day. It will all depend on your personalities, of course, but here are some ideas that would be extra special keepsakes for your loved ones to remember your day .

Because...COVID - Because COVID has changed so many things, why wouldn’t it change wedding favors, too? Place individual hand sanitizers on each guest’s chair. You could even do personalized labels with your wedding details for each bottle. Instead of robes for your bridal party, personalized masks could become the new normal! Now everyone has their PPE and it’s time to party.

Personalize it - Personalized notes are always wonderful, not just for weddings! Who doesn’t love receiving a note written especially for you?! If you’ve had to narrow down the guest list thanks to COVID, this is a

perfect way to let your guests know just what they mean to you. If the ceremony doesn’t make them cry, just wait until they find their way to the reception table only to be greeted by your personal thank you

incorporated into their place setting.

Another, more personal memory for smaller weddings would be coasters with photos of the bride and groom with each guest instead of place cards. You can have all your wedding details printed on the backs so they’ll never forget your anniversary!

Maybe a DIY hot cocoa kit with personalized labels is your style (or more suited for that winter wonderland wedding). It could be as simple as a few homemade chocolate chip cookies in small personalized gift boxes or as extravagant as gourmet goodies in small mason jars to eat after all the alcohol consumption.

Adult beverages - Speaking of alcohol... grab some wine glasses from the dollar store and dip the bases in chalkboard paint for your guests to write their name on, or mason jars with chalkboard labels if you’re going for a more rustic theme.You could send guests home with a mini beverage bottle of your favorite champagne with personalized labels from your special day, too. If wine is more your speed, make each guest a wine cork keychain!

Nature lovers - If you’re nature lovers, send your guests off with small seed packets to plant at home. One couple I adore (Britny and her hubs) sent their guests home with their own succulents! Maybe you want them to have flowers that will never die. Another wedding I attended had paper flowers (just like the paper flowers in the bride’s bouquet) sprinkled in the center of each table.

Favors aside, make sure your guests will never forget how much it meant to you that they were able to join you on your most special day! Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, they’ll forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Making sure your guests feel extra special on YOUR special day will definitely leave them feeling loved.

Mr and Mrs Bernard

COUPLE: Alex and Victoria

VENUE: Our Lady of the Pillar Catholic Church in Creve Coeur, MO

DRESS: Mia Grace Bridal in Chesterfield, MO

SEAMSTRESS: Theresa Mahaffey from Sew Ridiculous in Manchester, MO

CAKE: Bake Me A Cake Etc in Ellettsville, IN

FLOWERS: Sarah Wong from I Do Flowers in Carmel, IN

MAKEUP: Ryan Wieringa

HAIR: Diana at Salon de Christe in St Charles, MO

PLANT: Sherwood Forest Nursery

CATERING: Trattoria Toscana

RINGS: Fernbaugh's Diamonds & Fine Jewelry

This wedding was originally scheduled for July 4th at one of the local state parks, but then COVID happened. My lovely cousin, Victoria, and her now husband Alex decided to postpone their large wedding with friends and family until 2021, but still wanted to get married this year. Within a matter of weeks they were able to pull together an intimate wedding that was nothing short of gorgeous.

We set up a live stream at the church so dozens of family and friends could watch them get married. After the ceremony local guests were waiting outside the church to surprise the couple!

Years ago Victoria and Alex went to the Makers Mark distillery where they dipped their own bottles and signed a barrel. They brought home two bottles, which they mix and take shots from whenever something significant happens in their life-- their wedding day included. I thought it was pretty darn adorable.

They also had a unity plant, to add to the dozens of plants at their home.

Wedding days are usually fast-paced and end up being a blur at the end of the night. I'm thankful for their small wedding, where they were able to go at their own pace and savor the day. Everyone there was able to soak in those moments and truly create memories to last a lifetime. While next year's celebration with all their guest will be amazing, this year's wedding was a special moment just for them to enjoy.

Mr and Mrs Felty

COUPLE: Stone and Morgan

VENUE: The Balmoral House

CATERING: Nameless Catering

DRESS: The Newfangled Bride

ALTERATIONS: Angela Sundaramurthy

OFFICIANT: Deric Skinner

HAIR AND MAKEUP: Macy Noel

FLORALS: Wanda Brockman

Morgan reached out to me at the end of April asking if I was available for their wedding on May 30th. They were originally going to get married back home in Virginia; however, due to COVID they were in Indiana and didn't want to delay their wedding any longer. They planned their wedding in a few short weeks, but you would have never known by the looks of it.

Her gown was darling. It had a princess vibe to it, but was extremely light weight. Morgan's shoes matched her personality perfectly- fun and relaxed.

Stone met Morgan when he was visiting a friend in Africa. Stone was only there for a week, but after that week he knew he wanted to get to know her more. He planned another trip to visit shortly after, just to see her again.

In true gentleman fashion, Stone asked Morgan's father for her hand in marriage. Morgan's grandmother who had passed away, was known for her jewelry. Morgan picked out one of her grandmother's rings and asked her father to put it away for safe keeping. When the right man came along he could give the ring to him. Needless to say, her father approved of Stone.

Congrats to the happy couple!