Before buying favors, take your budget into consideration. Personalized favors, for instance, make wonderful keepsakes, but are more expensive than ones that are not personalized. While there's nothing wrong with splurging on favors, make sure there's room in the budget for the other things you consider important in your wedding before you do.

If you are the practical type, you might want to give your guests something that is useful as well as commemorative. Key chains make great wedding favors, and they are something that almost everyone uses. You could get them in a design that goes with your wedding theme, or have them personalized with the couple's names and wedding date. Bookmarks are another useful and easily personalized item. Even small household items, such as measuring spoons and coasters, are available with wedding motifs.

If your wedding has a distinctive theme, you can take cues from that theme to help choose your wedding favors. If you are having a western wedding, for example, you could give your guests western-themed candles or candleholders, or items with cowboy hat or boot designs. In a beach wedding you could use flip-flop or surfing inspired favors. Garden themes can be commemorated with flower or watering can items.

What if you've found your dream wedding favors, but they don't come in the colors you're using? You can easily doctor them up to match. Pouches, small pails, and tulle circles can be found in most colors, and your favors can be put inside them. Ribbon can be used by itself to accent favors, or to tie up the tulle circles. Silk or freshly picked flowers in the colors of your wedding also make great accents.

If you have the time to create them, handmade wedding favors are a sincere way to show your guests that you truly appreciate them. It's not necessary to make anything elaborate. Simply taking the time to put some candy in a small tin and pretty it up with ribbon will make your guests feel special. If you are a crafter at heart, you could make small items such as key chains or magnets for your guests. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time to complete them.

Your wedding favors serve as tokens of gratitude to your wedding guests, remembrances of your ceremony, and reflections of your personality. There are a wide variety of favors available for purchase, or you can make your own. Choosing the right ones should be an easy and fun part of your wedding planning.