Getting Handfast? Give Your Guests Magical Favors!

It’s become traditional to give each of your guests a small wedding favor. Typically, these are small trinkets with either the date of the event or the couples’ names on them. However, if you’re having a Pagan handfasting, rather than a traditional wedding ceremony, why not come up with an idea that celebrates your spiritual path, as well as announcing your commitment to the community?

• In some traditions, it’s become popular to have a besom wedding. Decorate small brooms with ribbons, flowers and a bundle of fresh herbs. You can usually pick up little brooms at the craft store, or you can make your own.

• Make a magical charm for your guests — perhaps one to help keep their own love strong. Put together a sachet or bottle of love-connected herbs (lavender, rosemary), stones or crystals (jade, rose quartz) and magical flowers (rose, bleeding heart, yarrow).
• Honey is sacred to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Pour honey into small jars, and put a decorative label on them with the dates of your handfasting, or a prayer from your tradition. Tie a ribbon or some raffia around the lid of the jar.
• If you have a vineyard nearby, see if they’ll give you a deal on single-serving bottles of wine. Label the bottles with the date of your event, and a small poem or prayer.
• If you cross-stitch or do other needlecrafts, you can select a pair of symbols to represent the bride and groom, and then unite them into a sachet pillow, a hanging ornament, or some other item. Napkin rings and key fobs are perfect for this project, although it does take some time.
• Suncatchers are available at most craft stores, and can be painted easily. Find something with celestial or fantasy patterns, and decorate them for your guests.
• Trees are a gift that goes on for a long time. If there’s a nursery near you, look into getting small saplings for each of your guests. If the cost is prohibitive, instead use a plant that grows and roots easily — spider plants, aloe vera, or air ferns are great.
• Gather up seed packets for flowers and herbs. Tie the packets in a bundle with a decorate ribbon or cord, and place them in a small terra cotta pot. Paint the pot with decorative symbols. You can get the small pots relatively inexpensively at craft shops or garden supply centers.
• Give guests a CD of your favorite songs that celebrate your love and your spirituality.

• If you’re tying your wedding in with a Sabbat, which is a popular thing to do, consider making your favors connect to the holiday. If you’re getting married at Imbolc, give out small Brighid’s crosses, or if at Samhain, offer each guest a small cauldron filled with magical stones or treats.

Whatever favors you decide to give out, do it together as a couple. Put the loving energy of your relationship into the favors as you create them, and you’ll be able to pass that harmony along to your friends and family in the gifts you share with them.