Tropical weddings can be beautiful. Tropical honeymoons can be magical. Even a tropical theme at a wedding or reception can be exciting. Whatever your reason for using tropical ideas, you have a budget. That’s why you want cheap tropical wedding favors.

Cheap tropical wedding favors should not be difficult to find, as long as you use your imagination. You cannot expect to walk into your nearest mall and find them quickly, though.

Finding Cheap Tropical Wedding Favors

Finding cheap tropical wedding favors is easier if you begin with a few minutes of thought about things that are tropical. What do you think of when you hear the word “tropical” or think of a tropical place?

* Palm trees swaying in warm, humid breezes
* Sandy beaches licked by gentle ocean waves
* Sailboats on a turquoise lagoon
* Flip-flops, loose shirts, sunhats, and sunglasses
* Seashells and sandcastles
* Colorful flowers and fish

Draw up your list of the pictures brought to your mind by a tropical theme. These will be the focus for your cheap tropical wedding favors.

Before you begin shopping for your cheap tropical wedding favors, set a budget for yourself. How much can you afford to spend on your wedding favors? How many guests will you have? Divide your total wedding favor budget by the number of guests, and you will see how much you can spend on each wedding favor.

We will try here to present tropical wedding favor ideas that are around $1 per guest.

Cheap Tropical Candle Wedding Favors

Many couples plan to use candles at their wedding reception. You might give each guest 2 mini plumeria candles. The colorful, pastel flower shapes will brighten your tables, and the candles can be used later by guests. Unscented mini floating plumeria candle can be ordered in lots of 25 for $9.49, making your cost about $0.76 per guest.

Cheap Tropical Lei Wedding Favors

Seashell leis are readily available and inexpensive. We did an online search on the phrase “shell leis” and found 38″ long leis at $5.95 per dozen. These really are cheap tropical wedding favors – a mere $0.50! You could tie a small bow around each lei, using your wedding color scheme. These are natural tropical wedding favors.

Fern leis made of simulated silk fern leaves are also an option. At $6.95 per dozen, these 36″ leis will cost only $0.58 per guest before you add a bow.

For really cheap tropical wedding favors, and a tropical rainbow of colors on your tables, you can give two-tone leis at $0.33 per guest.

Cheap Tropical Flower Wedding Favors

Tropical flower leis are not the only possibility when it comes to cheap tropical wedding favors. Hibiscus napkin rings of simulated silk would be a colorful use of tropical flowers. A set of 4 napkin rings at $2.95 can be divided among 4 guests makes your tropical wedding favors $0.74 per guest. The napkin rings we found had bright pink and orange hibiscus flowers with leaves, each 3.5″ wide. The wire ring was covered in green paper.

Another idea for cheap tropical wedding favors is to purchase hibiscus print goody bags at $0.10 each and fill them with candy. You could also put bulk seashells in your bags. Or stuff each colorful bag with one of the leis above.

Cheap Tropical Island Wedding Favors

Cheap tropical wedding favors can often be found at websites that feature island or luau products. Look, too, at wedding favor sites for island items. We found palm tree placecard holders at $0.99 per guest if you buy 96 or more. Real sand dollar favor decorations can become cheap tropical wedding favors by adding ribbon from which to hang them. We found them priced at $0.50, $0.75, and $1 each, dependent on size. Starfish soap, each 2×2″ and presented in a ribbon-tied box, can be ordered at $0.90 per guest if you need more than 144, and still qualify as cheap tropical wedding favors.

Cheap Tropical Novelty Wedding Favors

Finally, you may want to check online websites that feature novelty items for proms and parties that have a tropical theme.

Flip-flop key chains that cost over $1 each on wedding favor sites can be ordered for as low as $0.20 on novelty sites. Luau leis with flip-flops hanging from them will cost you about $0.70 at novelty sites. Solid color paper hand fans shaped like palm leaves will cost you only $0.20 per guest, but offer 10×10″ of bright color.

Tip: Cheap tropical wedding favors can be as simple as seashell-shaped or flower-shaped guest soaps available at your local discount store. Drop two into an organza bag (ordered bulk) and you have solved your wedding favor problem.

If you are affected by the threat of a recession and concerned about spending too much money on your wedding there are ways to save money and still have a fabulous day.

It will cost a lot less to have either your reception or wedding and reception on a weekday than on Saturday. It will also cost a lot less to have your wedding out of the main season i.e. before May and after September. Venues charge a lot less for these times. You can save up to 50% of the cost of hiring the venue and sometimes even the catering will cost less. You could save at least $1000.

If you are on a really tight budget why not find a community hall or room in a hotel. You can decorate simple rooms to look fabulous quite cheaply. Can any of your family and friends make a buffet meal? If no one is confident enough to make the food then you can buy party food at a supermarket or store. This will be much cheaper than paying for catering. You can hire the crockery, cutlery and tablecloths. Look on the internet for a local supplier.

There is no need to pay a fortune for a wedding cake. You can get a ready made fruit wedding cake iced plain white which can easily be decorated with flowers and ribbons. You can hire a cake stand from your local bakery. This can save you hundreds.

Make your own favors and table decorations. Do you know anyone who can do flowers? Bridal bouquets are very expensive to buy and are very simple to make by someone with a little experience with flowers. Why not buy some flowers from the supermarket, some ribbon, and practice! If you need a florist then go to a Wedding Exhibition and ask about prices. Again, if you are getting married out of season ask for a discount.

Your dress can be very expensive or you can look for a sale dress in a bridal shop. If you are a standard size you should be able to find a sale dress but do check any dress you buy over very carefully for signs of wear on the hem and for marks on the neckline. Ask the shop to have the dress dry cleaned for you. Remember it will have been tried on by customers.

A lot of the high street stores sell wedding dresses and these are much cheaper than those in bridal shops but you do not get the same quality and when you buy ‘off the rail’ your dress may well have been tried on by several customers. If you are going to have bridesmaids you may well find the high street shops have the cheapest dresses.

There are many internet sites which sell brands of wedding dress much cheaper than bridal stores. This isn’t because the shops make fabulous profits on dresses but because of the price a retailer gets charged for a dress from the designer.  Internet sites which do not have overheads and can buy gowns from the designer really cheaply and can then sell at low prices.

It is a worry to buy on the internet although if you use a credit card you will have protection but that will not get you a dress! Try to find a site that has been going for a long time and order early. There are some sites selling branded wedding dresses at lower prices than the shops.

If you buy from abroad do not be fooled by pictures of Maggie Sottero and other top designer dresses selling very, very cheaply on the internet. The dress, when it comes, will be of inferior quality and a total waste of your money.

Tiaras, veils and petticoats can all be bought on the internet, as can shoes, at far lower prices than the shops charge. Find a good site that takes credit cards and has good clear photographs of a wide range of tiaras. Check out their returns policy.

You may want to hire men’s suits for the wedding since this has become the fashion in recent years. If you buy your wedding dress from a shop which also hires menswear then ask for a discount especially if your wedding is out of the season. They should be pleased to be able to hire suits at a quieter time of the year. Wherever you hire ask for a discount. They can only say no! The wedding business is so competitive that most people will give you a discount rather than lose your custom.

Getting married abroad can work out cheaper since you get your honeymoon thrown in! You do not have to pay for an expensive reception for a lot of people. A simpler and less expensive dress is definitely best for a wedding in a hot climate so you can save a lot of money on your dress and the groom will not need to hire a suit for the occasion.

Imagine a wedding venue where everything is provided!

The location (of course), the caterer, the ambiance (no need for extra decorations), the tables, chairs, linens, china, etc. and you get it all for a “package” price. That is what a “Boutique,” or sometimes referred to as “all-inclusive,” Venue is all about. Because the facility has everything right there, you do not have to pay separately for rentals, caterers and flowers, and you will find the pricing a better deal than contracting these services individually.

And the ambiance portion of these Boutique Venues — they are usually swimming in it – and all at a price you could never afford to replicate! One place I personally love is Gatherings, ok, it’s my place… but unless you are planning on getting married in beautiful Monterey, California (which is unlikely since this article is viewed nationally) then it’s hard to consider this an advertisement plug. But to help you understand what I’m talking about when it comes to ambiance, check out some of the pictures of our Boutique Venue at http://www.montereycatering.com/weddingvenue.htm — see the ambiance I’m talking about?  There’s a piano, chandeliers, two fireplaces, an outdoor deck area, antique furniture, beautiful draperies and more. You would never be able to afford decorating the local hall, hotel or restaurant banquet room to this degree – well, at least I personally couldn’t afford to. And the feeling these facilities give your guests is extra special – it’s warm, cozy, inviting and family-oriented (home-like).

Now, a Victorian home such is Gatherings may not be your cup of tea, but all-inclusive, or Boutique, wedding reception venues are made up of many different styles from contemporary and urban to sexy and flamboyant. Just do your research in the city you plan to get married. In your browser, just type in all-inclusive wedding venues in Cincinnati or boutique wedding venues in New York (for instance). Some of these venues take care of every little detail including photographer and florists, and others include mainly what I listed above, but I know that if you were to go and hire each of these vendors individually and add them all up, it would equal quite a bit more than the package price you will get at an All-Inclusive Wedding Reception Venue or Boutique Wedding Reception Venue.

Depending on the time of year, many all-inclusive wedding reception venues run promotions. You may find that for an off season date they offer a discounted rate or include a free wedding cake, an extra appetizer, or a free bartender. Remember to ask them if the date of your wedding falls within one of these off season times that they may have some specials for.

And if these venues don’t fit for your ideal wedding reception, don’t forget them as possibilities for your Rehearsal Dinner or Engagement Parties. Their prices are even better for these events that are usually held on days other than the premium Saturday that wedding receptions are normally held on.

All in all, the location you choose for your wedding reception should reflect your style, but if it is a Boutique Venue, then all the better, as the package price will be much more competitive than buying all the “pieces” individually!

A wedding surely entails a great deal of planning and organization. Since the wedding solidifies the bond between two families, emotions tend to run a bit high. You might be likely to hurt the sentiments of your friends or family, in the event you do not follow proper wedding invitation wording etiquette. Though, wording forms probably the most critical component of the wedding invitation, you can find quite a few other issues that must be addressed.

Appropriate Time to Send Invitations
Ideally, you must send the invites at least six weeks prior to your wedding. This will give your guests ample time to work on their schedules and clear the day for the big day. The replies really should be sent at least three weeks prior to the wedding day. This enables the host to make seating and catering arrangements, well in advance.

Best Wedding Invitation Wording
Choose appropriate words and frame your invitation in the most genuine way. You have a choice to either issue the invitation yourself or you can issue it in the name of your parents, if they’re the ones hosting the wedding event.  You can find quite a few formats for the invitations. Look at a few templates readily available at your local card shop, or better yet, over the internet, where you can shop from the comfort of your home or office, and select the 1 that suits you. You’ll be able to add a personal touch to your invitation by composing original wedding invitation wording like wedding vows or wedding poetry for your guests.

Whom to Send Invitations
Invites are sent to family and friends whom you genuinely desire to be present on the big day. However, if the groom stays too far from the venue, it is less likely that many friends and loved ones from his side could attend the wedding. So, should you send invites to individuals who you know, may find it  impossible to attend your wedding? In such scenarios, you need to undoubtedly send them invitations and let them determine for themselves, if they wish to attend your event. You might even take into account about a separate reception in the groom’s town, so as to invite those men and women who could not make it to the wedding.

Wedding Invitation Envelope
A lot of people today consider acquiring the address of the recipient printed in a fancy font, but proper etiquette says no. It is improper to type or print the address on the cover. Instead, ask a family member or a friend who has a beautiful penmanship to write the address. Also, it really is an excellent practice to contain your address on the envelope, so that it comes back to you, in case not delivered.

Addressing Issues
Addressing your recipients is really a tricky area and you could wind up hurting people when you don’t give it much thought. Years ago, it was addressed to the families with the names of husband and wife and their youngsters, if any. But social changes have reflected modern address etiquette. Wedding invitation wording etiquette, for addressing guests has come to be very liberal that now can include divorced couples, unmarried couples living together, gays and lesbians.

Here are a few tips on addressing your guests.
Unmarried couple living together ought to be addressed within the exact same way as a married couple.

Conventionally, a widow should be addressed with a title ‘Mrs.’, having said that, you can talk to the individual in question and ask her how she would like to be addressed.

A divorced woman, who has retained her marriage name, will need to be addressed as Ms.

A married couple who technically does not stay together, ought to be sent separate invites, however, you are able to also send a single invitation to either of them with their names in alphabetic order.

A gay couple staying together really should be sent a single invite, with their names written separately.

Wedding invitation wording etiquette will need to only be used as a basis for your invitation. There is no strict rule that you have to adhere to, instead use some courtesy and let your common sense prevail, when sending out your wedding invitations.