Brides and grooms have to thank close to 380 million people during the year 2006. It sounds like an impossible task, but there is help. Wedding favors are small tokens of appreciation presented to the reception guests. Historically, wedding favors were valued little and often ended up in the trash after the wedding. The wedding favors of today are not your mother's wedding favors.

As the average amount spent on weddings has skyrocketed to $28,000 brides have a larger budget for wedding favors. Only a few percent of the total budget is spent on favors, so brides have to be creative to find unique products.

Brides have to provide wedding favors for an average of 165 guests. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg to buy stylish wedding favors. A couple of dollars per guest can get you a wedding favor that is going to be cherished. Make no mistake, though, a stylish wedding favor can make the difference between a good wedding and a great wedding

It is difficult to come up with gift ideas both men and women appreciate, so it make sense to have different favors for men than women. Men may appreciate an elegant wine stopper while you give a beautiful rose candle to your female guests.

Wedding favors can be a variety of different products. One of the most popular wedding favors is personalized chocolate. Chocolate is a sure hit with most people and it is only natural that chocolate wedding favors are a welcomed gift. One of the greatest advantages of chocolate favors is that they can be personalized. Often, the names of the bride and groom and date of the wedding is printed on the wrapper, while a short message such as "Thank you for sharing our special day!" is printed on the back.

Although destination weddings cost a couple of thousands dollars less than traditional weddings, brides don't have to do without stylish wedding favors. Many destination weddings are in exotic beach destinations where beach theme wedding favors are most fitting. Seashell filled gel candles are favors your guests can cherish for years to come. Dolphin wine stoppers or bottle openers are functional wedding favors that perfectly fit the destination-wedding theme.

Although millions of dollars are spent on wedding favors, many brides leave ordering to the last minute. The best place to start your search for wedding favors is online. The prices and selections are abundant. The fierce competition among online favor retailers drives prices down benefiting the brides. It is possible to find functional favors for less than a couple of dollars per guest. Just a little effort and creativity can promote a favor from a throwaway item to something wedding guests will have in their home as a keepsake for years to come.