Your wedding is not just a celebration of your love; it is also a way to thank the special people in your life. Wedding favors, in particular, are the expression of that gratitude. It says “thank you for being there”—and also, is a token of affection.

That’s why couples should give as much thought to their wedding favors as they do to any other detail in the wedding. Why give something boring and generic, which will only end up gathering dust in the corner of a closet? Make it special, make it beautiful, and make it unique—something that, when seen, will make them remember you and your wedding.

You’ll find many unique ideas for wedding favors. Here are just things to consider as you choose from the selection:

* Follow your wedding theme. Did you have a beach wedding? A little glass jar with sand and shells can be used as a paperweight. Add a romantic quote or a verse from a poem with a sea theme, and you have something appropriate and practical. Dried flowers pinned against a refrigerator magnet make a lovely garden wedding favor, while a Medieval themed wedding can have chocolate coins in a velvet pouch.

* Be nostalgic. Dress up a photo frame with a couple portrait, or a CD with your favorite music. Even an ordinary box, useful for odds and ends like paperclips or jewellery, becomes a touching wedding favor if it’s filled with potpourri and a personal note from the couple thanking the guest for “sweet memories”.

* Give something useful, but dainty. What about a champagne charm with a heart (to “toast” your new life), with a note that says that you hope that your guest will have many days as happy as this wedding is for you? A sachet with potpourri, to put into the closet, can also carry the scent of the flowers in your bouquet. These are things that they won’t buy for themselves, but will definitely appreciate—while carrying the theme of your wedding.

* Think “sweets”. Chocolates and candies are always a welcome souvenir, and can be wrapped to reflect the theme of your wedding. If you have a very elegant evening wedding, try rum balls in a small gold box; or if you have a seaside wedding, give chocolates shaped like sea shells. You can even ask some suppliers to form your monogram into a chocolate, or have chocolate handpainted to look like little bouquets of flowers.

* Even “ordinary” wedding favors become extra special if they’re presented properly. Try grouping your wedding favors to become part of the table centerpiece. For example, little boxes of chocolate, arranged in a tier, can add to the beauty of the reception area. Or, you can have chocolate rosebuds inserted into your regular floral centerpiece—now that’s a “sweet” discovery!

There are so many unique wedding favors that the problem isn’t what to give, but which one to give. And with the large variety, there’s bound to be one that fits into your budget and theme.