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Tip Store: Weddings: Bombonierre

​Wedding- Keep Tradition and Style for Less

Approximate $ Savings: $minimum of $15 per guest.

My wedding had 43 guests so it saved me a total of $645. I organised and planned my own wedding recently and knew from the outset that in order to save money on what we know is an expensive event I would need to be creative. I still wanted to follow most traditions and maintain the quality and style of day I wished to have so I set about looking for areas where I could get away with cutting costs. When it came to the bonbonniere and wedding favours, I realised that this was one area that was certainly not an element of focus for the guests or us. Guests don't come for the wedding favours, they come for the celebration. I also can't believe how you need to feel you need to provide something for each guest. So when I started researching favours or bonbonnieres I realised that the options are endless and the more expensive the option I chose, the more the per person price and therefore the total cost started to add up. Some basic options will cost you at least $15 per person. Instead of having something for each person I bought nice spirit glasses at Freedom and had a few glasses on each table, not one for each person. The glasses cost $40 on sale. I then filled the glasses with Baci and Ferrero Rocher chocolates the guests on each table could help themselves to. The Baci chocolates have silver paper and the Ferrero Rocher ones gold so they looked very nice in the glasses. I bought bags of Baci chocolates and the large Ferrero Rocher boxes so the chocolates cost me $30 at Woolworths. In total it only cost me $1.62 per guest for a wedding favour. The idea was a success, there weren't any chocolates left over and now my friend in London, with over 160 guests, is using this idea.
​- Contributed by Zofia, Paddington, 19th March 2010

​DIY Gift Boxes

I made up gift boxes for the tables at my daughter's wedding breakfast with the same theme and put some potpourri with the same flowers inside adding some fragrant oil to the flowers and a bar of pretty strawberry and oatmeal soap, natural of course. The men received a bottle of port done with the same raffia and leaves. Everyone loved them. Its amazing what we can find in our own backyards if we only look. Hope this gives you an idea.
​- Contributed by Helena Muster, 2nd March 2007

​Bombonierre

I am just in the throws of making bombonierre/place card glasses for my daughter's wedding. She is having a butterfly theme, so I have tied the place card (printed on the computer using a business card program) to the glass with ribbon (bridesmaid colour) and added scrapbooking butterflies on wire to the ribbon as well. The glasses look very effective.
​- Contributed by Merilyn, Heathcote, 31st March 2007

​Hand-painted Wedding Trinkets

I recently had my sisters wedding and we had champagne glasses that we picked up from the Warehouse for $10 a dozen, these were filled with chocolates and we painted the persons name and bride and grooms name with the date on each one. We used a glass paint, or porcelain paint available from craft shops in the wedding colours, that you can bake in the oven and have dishwasher proof. We didn't bake them as we ran out of time and did have a few people start to lose the names after a night of being handled and have liquid in them. At around $9.95 a bottle we had a total cost for just under 200 people of $165.00 plus chocolates. Not bad for a gift for everyone, saved us hiring glasses and it was very personal.
​- Contributed by Lisa-Marie, Bargara, 31st March 2007

​Budget Wedding Candles

I have my wedding coming up in February next year and was looking for ideas for bombonnieres but they were all too expensive. I went to eBay and bought a bulk lot of 96 new scented gel candles in glass shot glasses. I paid $41.55, which equates to 43cents each.
​- Contributed by Brooke, Revesby, March 10th 2005

​Make Your Own Chocolate Souvenirs

​I am getting married in 6 weeks time, and in preparation for my wedding, there have been many ways I have cut costs. Chocolates as gifts for your guests are timeless. However, to buy them, it can certainly add up. I have made my own. Just with Cadbury Melts (white and dark chocolate). You can buy moulds anywhere (I got mine from Spotlight) and whatever shape you would like. You are likely to save at least $100 (and you can use the moulds again for choccie gifts at Christmas time!) I also made my invitations. You can make then as simple or as elegant as you like. I got quotes to get my invitations made (70 invitations) and it was going to cost around $600. I bought all my materials (from a local newsagency) and I still saved at least $300. And lastly, I am getting my roses from a local grower, and making my bouquets up myself. I am going to save at least $300 here as well. If you've got a creative streak, you just can't go wrong!
​- Contributed by Terri, Bundaberg, 22 April, 2005

​Lolly Basket Bombonierres

If you want bombonierres for your tables, consider a lolly basket, instead of chocolates or custom made lollies or wine etc. Spotlight has really cheap boxes, or you could use noodle boxes. Decorate the front with a chocolate heart (for example) and write your guests name on the side or top (there is the place setting names out the way). Fill the box with whatever you want - one wedding I just attended had 2 party poppers, a roll of streamers, bubble blower, small Freddo Frog, 2 Allens snake lollies and their thank you card (that way you can avoid sending them out after and waste postage). We thought it was the best idea! Congrats and good luck!
​- Contributed by Denise, Mawson Lakes, 22 April, 2005