With oil and food costs going up with no promise of relief,brides and grooms everywhere are starting to cut costs.  Whether it's offering cocktail snacks at anafternoon reception instead of an evening buffet or finding cheap weddingfavors, brides today are more aware of cutting wedding costs than everbefore.  Trimming your wedding budgetdoesn't mean that you have to cut corners though ? there are hundreds of cheapwedding favor ideas that will still leave your guests impressed without leavinga big impression on your wallet.

Takeout Containers

Craft stores and online warehouses offer nifty little favorboxes that are made to look like popular Chinese takeout cartons.  Many of them come in a variety of colors andpatterns, so it's easy to find ones that match your wedding palette.  This cheap wedding favor cashes in at around$1 or less per carton, and you can make a great wedding favor by simplythrowing in a handful of mixed chocolates and other candies and using a ribbonto tie the two wire handles together. Voila!  Just a few simple stepsand you've got a cheap wedding favor that looks elegant and is simplydelicious!

Going Green

Vellum or paper envelopes are extremely cheap wedding favors? they're simply plain versions of the flower seed packets you see in thegardening section of your local supermarket. They're available at just pennies each and you can fill them withbirdseed, flower seeds or any other small growable item.  This is a great cheap wedding favor ideabecause all you have to do is dab a spot of glue on the front of the envelopeto adhere a bow or tag and you're done! Your guests can enjoy feeding the birds or planting flower seeds intheir own garden or their favorite park in your honor.

Soap Favors

If you're really a do-it-yourselfer, you'll love the idea ofcrafting handmade soaps for each of your guests.  It's a great cheap wedding favor because thecost of the raw ingredients all together is significantly lower than purchasingpremade soaps for your guests.  You canhave a lot of fun with your groom when experimenting with scents for thesoaps!  Let your groom design the scentfor the men's soaps while you come up with something delicious for thegals.  All you need is a standard soapmold (or you can go with different shapes if you like) and bulk soap flakesthat only need to be melted down.  Addthe fragrance, pour the melted soap in the molds and let cool.  Once your soaps are done, you can tie someraffia around them for a natural, rustic look or use traditional ribbon.  You can even put them in organza bags for alittle extra!

Get Baking

Everyone loves homemade brownies, cookies and other downhome desserts.  For a cheap wedding favoridea, grab some cellophane bags, a little ribbon and a whole lot of flour,sugar and butter.  Bake up a storm in thedays before the wedding and give a small batch of cookies to each guest.  It's a simple and delicious way to thank yourguests for attending your special day, and it's surprisingly easy on the wallet!  You'll save a nice chunk of change by makingyour own cookies or brownies and wrapping them yourself instead of buyingpremade confections.  Plus, homemadeitems just taste better!

Personalized Champagne Flutes

This may sound like an expensive option, but if you've gotmore than 150 guests at your wedding, you can actually get a personalizedchampagne flute for less than $1.50 per guest. This cheap wedding favor idea is one of the best ? you can fill the glasswith candy or simply put inexpensive curling ribbon so it spills out of the topof the glass. 

More often than not, you'll be able to create cheap weddingfavors by simply doing it yourself rather than buying prepackaged or premadeitems.  You can still find traditionalfavors, like silver wine bottle toppers or small photo frames, at a discountbut you're far better off making a cheap wedding favor on your own.  If you use a little creativity, you cancreate almost anything!  Browse for ideasin bridal magazines or look online for inspiration!  There's nothing that says ?thank you? than ahomemade gift or treat crafted by you and the groom yourselves.  What a great way to both show your guests howmuch you care and to save money!