A long table under the stars with all your favourite people sitting having a great time. A balmy warm night. Music playing. Dancing on the sand. Fairy lights strung from the trees to light your way. That’s going to be your beach wedding reception. Bliss.
So what are you going to give as favours?
We think a beach wedding demands something a little different. Your guests may have travelled quite a way to be with you on your special day, so it’s only fair that you can leave them with an extra special momento to remind them of your wedding. They don’t need to cost a fortune – in fact, DIY favours can add a more personal touch, as well as save you money. Here are eight of our favourite beach wedding favours…
1. We love a good sarong – they are, after all, essential for a beach holiday! So why not give your guests locally-bought sarongs tied up with simple twine and a decorative shell? Not only is this a beautifully simple idea that’s easy to put together yourself, this favour is really practical. Plus, because you’re buying locally, you don’t have to worry about taking the sarongs in your luggage either!
2. With only a sea breeze as air conditioning, your beach location could get pretty hot, especially if your ceremony takes place in the middle of the day. Stop your guests overheating by placing a hand fan on each person’s setting – you can even personalise them for an extra special touch. Fantastica have some lovely coloured paper fans, starting at 99p each.
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3. Flip flops. A classic. You’ll have to gauge the size of your guests’ feet beforehand (or just ask them directly!) and then have a pair of personalised flip flops tied with ribbon onto their seat backs. Try Tesco, which even has a service allowing you to personalise flip flops with a photograph. Or you could keep things simple with plain white or black flip flops – we found these ones at Pure Treats.
4. You could give everybody a personalised beach bag. Get them printed before you head off and then fold them up so they won’t take up much luggage space – or you could always ask your chief bridesmaid to take them for you. We like these by Andrea Fay’s from Not On The High Street for £11 each with free delivery.
5. For a sophisticated gift that will stand the test of time, why not have silver plated luggage tags personalised with your guests’ names? That way, your favours can double up as place names too! We love these ones, £19.50 each by Highland Angel from Not On The High Street.
6. Annoyingly, mosquitos and beaches at sunset quite often go together. You don’t want everybody getting bitten, so how about putting an anti-mosquito wristband out for each guest? They’re an effective way of repelling the little pests and people won’t need to worry about spraying themselves with sticky anti-mozzy spray. £3.29 for 5, from Play.com.
7. Lip balms. Both men and women use lip balm and mouths can get dry and cracked in hot weather. We found a fabulous DIY lip balm recipe here with full instructions, and you can even make personalised labels to add that special touch. This is a great crafty wedding favour for the beach, as lip balms are small and easy to transport, and travel much better than classic DIY favours like sweets and cookies.
8. As the sun goes down, it’s very pretty to have a few lanterns dotted about. Give your guests a mini lantern holding a tealight each, so they can take home afterwards if they wish. Personalise it with your names and the date of the wedding by adding a paper luggage tag or strip of paper. These tea light lanterns are £2.48 each from the Wedding Ideas magazine shop – just don’t forget to buy some tea lights too!
For more amazing wedding favours that you can make at home, take a look at our DIY Wedding Favours section – or, if you’re inspired by the idea of beach wedding, why not check out our Real Weddings Abroad section?
