Bridal shower favors can be cheesy but they don't have to be! You can find something that goes with the shower's theme or something that the bride likes that you think the guests will enjoy too. It's important not spend too much money on favors and don't buy anything that if you got at a bridal shower you would throw out as soon as you got home.
Here are some favor ideas you may want to consider:
- Edible favors such as chocolate, cookies, candy, tea. Food is always a hit!
- Musical favors. You can burn a CD of songs that you think guests will enjoy. It can be a mix of the bride's favorites, somehow related to the party's theme or have a general theme like love songs or dance music.
- Lottery tickets are very cheap - $1-5 per scratch off - and everyone loves playing.
- Seeds or a small plant. This is great for eco-fans but there's no guarantee that all of your guests have a green thumb.
- Monograms. Items that can be monogrammed with the guest's initial not the bride's are a good idea but depending on what it is this can be pricey. I've hosted showers where each guest was given a monogrammed handkerchief (less than $5 each) and I've been a shower guest where I received a mug with a large A on it. It happens to be one of my most favorite favors ever.
As for pricing shower favors I would try and stick to $5 - $10 max per favor. Remember that you are giving one favor to every person there, plus the other hostesses and the bride so let's say you spend $8 on each favor times 30 people, you're spending $240 on favors -- and this doesn't including shipping, tax and any special packaging like a cello bag, ribbon and favor tag.
