Girls have been known to have a folder of unique wedding ideas that they have clipped and collected for years until their big day finally arrives. Some people have a vague idea of what they would like their wedding to be like and leave the nitty gritty to a wedding planner. Others plan out every minute detail themselves and have quite a few wedding favor ideas to choose from well in advance.

Regardless of which category you fall in, ideas for wedding favors can range from the tacky to the treasured. Contrary to what you might think, it's not just how big a budget you have that determines how good your wedding favor idea will be. A little homework, a little patience and a lot of creativity (original or borrowed) are the ingredients in the recipe to a great wedding favor idea.

Tacky Favors

Extremely lovey-dovey wedding favors are not a good idea as what you feel for your spouse (right now) may not really interest 200 people a few weeks later. Leave all the mushy sentimental poems and love songs for your own exchange; give people something they would like.

People spend money to attend a wedding and while they are not in it to make money, they would at least like to leave with a small trinket of the wedding that looks like it has thought put in to it; not just a crate full of standardized mint tins that they could have bought from the gas station on the way back home. Don't make yourself look cheap by making your guests feel uncared for. Just like you take pains in seeing to the dress, the décor and the food, look through several wedding favor ideas online an in bridal magazines and something just might click.

Classic yet Predictable Favors

The candied almonds wrapped in net, the personalized Hershey's kiss and the monogrammed candles are all sweet ideas, but if anyone has ever been to a wedding before yours, they've seen them all. However, you don't need to go over budget to come up with a good wedding favor idea. Take the classic and put a twist on it.

Instead of the famous Hershey's kiss, opt for personalized M&M's in the color of your wedding; they even put your name and wedding date on the candy. Instead of the monogrammed candle, add a candle holder so that even after your candle burns out, your guests can make use of it.

Another way you can make your wedding favor idea have a longer shelf life is not to include anything perishable or consumable. If you really want your guests to be able to keep the favor, opt for non-perishable items such as pens and frames as opposed to flowers and sweets.

Themed Favors

The best wedding favor idea is to tie it to the theme of your wedding. If you got married on the beach, consider a pair of flip fop fridge magnets or palm tree salt and pepper shakers. The wedding favor ideas do not have to scream wedding and they do not have to be white, silver or pastel. They have to be something that looks interesting and people can keep for a while.

So while a flip flop magnet may not say Amanda Weds Jason, it is something your guests can look at everyday and think about you if you are close to them. If you're not that close to begin with, any favor will any ways be handed to the kids as a Happy Meal toy when they are picked up from the sitters!