Wedding Favors

Unique Wedding Favors

How many times have you seen the same old monogrammed mugs, cups, candles, or trinkets claiming to be unique? Compare those items, then, to maple syrup as a token of appreciation to your guests, a truly unique option. Maple syrup fits the bill for unique in spades, not to mention it's the perfect conversation starter or ice breaker for guests who might not know each other well. Pulling off the right styling and look is important, but following that up with something special that punches above its weight class is the cherry on top. 

To arrive as a finished wedding favor, a unique combination of climate, topography, and soil is the first basic requirement. By chance, our 5th generation family farm rests in Vermont's northern Champlain Valley, satisfying each requirement to produce an exquisite tasting syrup. Every favor in our collection is double filtered to ensure the brightest clarity possible, matching the glow of your event. Maple syrup is for everyone, young to old and in between. Think of this product as the ultimate inclusive wedding favor option going. 

The perfect favor should add to the theme, while also providing some utility. Some of the stories we've heard from past customers even stretched the limits of our own imagination (not that we're an authority on that front!). For example, one couple provided a brunch menu (who doesn't like brunch?!) and of course maple syrup fits in with brunch as well as anything. We've also heard that during one wedding's toast, everyone was encouraged to sweeten their mint julep to taste before taking a drink in honor of the couple. No matter what you choose, it's safe to say that everyone will find their own use for Vermont maple syrup. Our favorite type of feedback is when we hear there weren't any left behind during the post festivity clean-up. How many weddings have you been to where at the end of the night you notice a bunch of monogrammed candles still on the table; or, even worse, have to dispose of them the next day? Our idea of a useful wedding favor certainly means one that isn't left behind when people close the night.

Are wedding favors necessary?

Ultimately, this is a personal decision that each individual couple will have to grapple with on their own. Guests sometimes travel anywhere from 100's to 1000's of miles away to be there on this important milestone and special occasion. It is customary, and sometimes even expected to share a small, token of your appreciation that they can remember the day with. Our recommendation would be to stay within your budget, we offer a variety of selections that should cover the spectrum. The Knot has a great breakdown on how to approach the question of if wedding favors are necessary. Essentially, their advice echoes ours, carefully consider your budget, have an idea of what gifts you would like to give your guests, as well as the wedding party.

Wedding favors aren't just a modern invention, tradition holds that wedding favors have been in use since at least the 16th century. In Europe, it was customary for new families to show their gratitude by gifting a cube of sugar to each guest, which was considered special at the time due its scarcity. Though we have certainly progressed a great deal since those days, the gift of gratitude has remained in style. We like to think our maple wedding party favors are the next evolution of the traditional cube of sugar. 

Do people still do wedding favors?

This question is separate of whether favors are necessary, that is a question of personal preference. 2020 aside, and even this far into 2021 and spring of 2022, COVID-19 has thrown everyone's plans into disarray, vendors included. However, yes, wedding favors remain as popular as ever, with couples allocating almost 1.5% of their total budget to this gift of gratitude. The industry expectation is for this trend to continue into the 2022 wedding season as well. However, members of the industry have noted that many people tire of the same old monogrammed gifts such as cups and bottle openers that will just collect dust in a drawer. Our hope is that maple syrup can fill this void and spark people's imaginations for how best to reinvent the wedding favor as something unique and fun.

How to display wedding favors?

In our experience, and with feedback from past customers, we have seen two popular options regarding the optimum way to display favors. Most popular, and in our opinion one of the finest ways to display them are at each guests place setting. It's a perfect ice breaker for people that might not know each other well, who find themselves together on the seating chart by chance. In either a rustic or elegant theme, our bottles are going to add to the setting theme, as opposed to taking away from the ambiance.

For the second option, a display tower greeting guests as they enter the wedding hall or tent is also an attractive and popular option. Prominently displayed in this manner, a 100 or more-glass maple leaves can look like a cascading waterfall of gold. If someone misses during their first pass, you can bet that once at the table they'll make their way back to the display to collect theirs! No matter what you decide, we are certain you will have 100% satisfaction across the board.

When to order wedding favors?

In general, a month before the wedding is a great time to place your order. Depending on the location, it might only take 2 or 3 days to arrive as we ship orders immediately, and generally keep a supply bottled and in stock. However, that does not mean you have to wait until the last minute, especially for maple syrup, as it is shelf stable and has a long life when stored properly. In addition, being a small family farm provides us a great degree of flexibility and personal attention generally not possible from larger vendors. Feel free to contact us about any of your special shipping needs and we will work to accommodate you personally.

How far ahead should you order personalized wedding favors? 

Due to the nature of utilizing a third party for customization, we recommend a 3-4 week lead time prior to the date of the wedding. Living in in rural Vermont, nothing is closer than 30 minutes, our engraver being no exception. Additionally, we will present you with a digital proof over email to give the OK on moving ahead with the engraving process. Personalization really elevates these bottles, every time we get a new batch back we're blown away with the results. Commemorate your day and etch a custom message to your liking.

Shipping Wedding Favors

Everything you need to know about shipping and receiving your wedding favors from the Carman Brook Farm is right here in one place. Two decades of selling party favors and answering questions qualifies us to know the best way to ship your party favors. If you can think of a question we haven't answered here, email us now for a quick turnaround of important information that will impact your wedding favor purchase.