Everybody knows that a wedding is a costly event to organize. Gone are the days where the parents of the bride paid for the day in full. Now it is common for those actually getting married to contribute to the costs and many people feel that they do not wish to begin their married lives in debt, courtesy of the wedding itself.

There are simple ways in which you can reduce the costs at a wedding without compromising on tradition, taste and quality. One of the easiest things to do at a lower price is the making of your own wedding favors. These can be expensive if bought for all of your guests and making your own allows you to reduce this cost significantly. It also gives you the opportunity to personalise them to your color themes and the fact that they are handmade makes them more special for your guests to receive.

The first thing to do is to decide what to put in your favors. Most people choose to use pot pourri or confectionery in them. Once you have decided this it is important to gather all of the materials you will need together. The best place to make these is at a table where you have sufficient room to lay everything out but have it close to hand for when you need it.

You will need to decide on a color for your favors. This can be to match the d'cor of the room where they will be displayed or a color found in your bouquet or bridesmaid dresses. Then select an accent color to compliment this. For example, should you decide on yellow as your main color you may choose purple to compliment it.

You will need to purchase pre-cut wedding favor wraps. These can start at as little as $10 for 50. Then you simply place an amount of the filling in the centre, gather the wrap around it and tie the top with a small length of ribbon. The easiest way to do them quickly is to take your time making the first one and add or remove the filling until the amount is perfect. Then try different lengths of ribbon until you have the one you like best. Once you have one favor which is exactly how you want it, dismantle it again. Keep the parts together and use them as a guide for all of the others. Cut multiple pieces of ribbon, using the length of the completed favor to ensure it is the length you require.

Planning a wedding can be stressful and making your own favors may seem like an additional burden. However, it is a great way of lowering costs. Why not get your bridesmaids round, open a bottle of wine (or two!) and between you they will all be made in no time.