Weddings are becoming so over-saturated with Pinterest ideas and online trends, that it is such a challenge to make your wedding memorable and, well, different.

You can make your wedding more personal and unique by adding a few gestures and final touches, such as personalized wedding favors, for example – and if your budget allows for it.

Have a look at these great ways you can impress your wedding guests (and promote the “awww” factor!), by adding a few well thought out details.

9 Things you can do to make your wedding unique and memorable

A great place to find personalized and custom items is either at your local craft fair / farmer’s market, or certain online shops, such as Zazzle and Etsy. You might have noticed by now that I simply adore Etsy sellers because of their handiwork and creativity.

So, of course it will be my go-to place to find inspiration for personalized wedding items!

Naturally, there are plenty of areas where you can incorporate these items for your wedding. Here are a few places:

1 | Personalized wedding favors

Although it is definitely not a unique idea (read: keychains, mugs, pens), it certainly is popular. And luckily, with Etsians being so damn creative, it is easy to overlook the cliché-like items.

The number one rule for wedding favors, and to encourage guests to actually take it with them: It should be either very useful, or edible. With that being said, many a wedding guest also likes a cute, trendy, or expensive-looking piece of wedding memorabilia to take home and cherish (even if they were someone’s plus one!).

Whether you are giving an entire name-printed gift, or using personally selected stationery and embellishments to complete the gift, there are plenty of options to choose from.

The more thought and effort you put into your wedding favors, the more likely they will be appreciated by your wedding guests and go home with them.

Think about all of the guests you have invited and how they have things in common – besides the fact that most of them are family! How can you make their wedding favor more special, useful or memorable?

The greatest way to make your wedding personal is by thinking of new ideas and trends that haven’t been overly used and made dull. Make your wedding special by adding new ways of presenting old ideas such as matches, succulents and candles, for example.

ALSO READ: 9 Fabulous things to add to your Wedding Gift Registry from Etsy

2 | Personalized bridal party gifts

Wedding gifts are one of those traditions that won’t fall away any time soon. And even though you have probably paid for your bridesmaids’ dresses and the groomsmen’s attire, it is still a nice gesture to formally thank them for being part of your big day.

Whether you choose something to match their signature style, or something sweet and quirky they will find amusing, the possibilities are endless! To make it even more special, don’t go generic. Choose individual gifts for each member of your bridal party.

You can also include unique bridal party gifts in the proposal boxes that you plan on giving them.

As with most gifts, choose something useful which they can look at everyday. Things like make up bags, water bottles, stationery and jewelry, will make the cut. You can also include a message on the item / inside the packaging.

Groomsmen gifts are, surprisingly, more difficult to make “unique” – because the first elements that pop up in your head (thanks to our lovely platform we call Pinterest) are wood, leather and stone – and alcohol, beer and beard related, of course. That being said, you can still personalize most items with a name or initial.

3 | Personalized Bride & Groom Gifts

Another tradition of wedding gift giving is to your other half the night before your wedding day. Luckily (and hopefully) you know your future spouse well enough to know what they will like, use and appreciate.

Tip: Say it with your words: Make the gift complete by writing a beautiful love letter and including it in the packaging…

Show how much you love and appreciate your groom / bride, and have something made especially for them. This can be something about them, or your new life together.

Speaking of your new life together, getting something for the house is smart – especially if it is something they will use everyday. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Simple, and stylish will do the trick.

There are so many things you can consider for this kind of gift, so choose something that stands out a bit.

4 | Personalized Wedding Guestbook

You can choose custom stationery and items for your wedding to give it a more personal touch. And even though many of these things might go unnoticed by wedding guests, I promise that the professional photos taken will make it all worth it in the end.

You can choose your guestbook according to your wedding’s “look and feel”. Is it a classic, intimate wedding? A big rustic barn wedding? Or a beach wedding, perhaps? Match your guestbook accordingly to complete the look.

ALSO READ: How to choose the best shoes for your wedding day

5 | Unique table décor

Guests will get a close up view of all the specially made details of your wedding when you place them on the tables. You can add small gestures like thank you letters, or go big with out-of-the-ordinary table décor.

The guest tables in the reception area of your wedding is where your loved ones will spend most of the wedding duration. Keep them preoccupied with notes, favors, or something more interactive…

Because let’s face it: no one wants to sit for 2 hours straight when they can dance! So while your guests anticipate speeches, formalities and waiting on the edge of their seat for the opening of the dance floor, you might as well entertain them a little more!

6 | Personalized romantic wedding ideas

The normal, white, classic wedding which nearly everyone has attended in their lifetime is what we would like to call: the cookie-press wedding. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just… expected.

There is ample opportunity for hints and notions of romance at ANY wedding, so use it around every corner! Besides, I’d like to think of a wedding as a mini-festival of love – and that’s most surely something to celebrate!

It can be in simple signs along the path your guests will walk, or statement props to use in your wedding photos during cocktail hour. Whatever you choose, bring the romance alive by reminding your friends and family what weddings are all about…

I apologize in advance for the quick mini-vent: For some reason, and I don’t know why it has become the norm: Lately, it feels as if weddings have become something to be rushed. It started to seem okay to RSVP ‘yes’ because of free food and an open bar.

What better time to put the words “romance” and “love” back into weddings, by adding something extra to remember it by. These are the things your wedding guests are likely to recall years after.

7 | Personalized pet wedding ideas

One of the biggest trends so far this year is to have your favorite four-legged friend present on your wedding day – and there are plenty of little items to embellish them with to make it even cuter!

Having a cute bandana, collar or tag sported by a beautiful pup is something that will melt any guest’s heart. Your pet is considered as part of the family, and makes for very personal photos to put up in your home – yay! Bonus family shoot! Give your beloved pet a job such as “ring-bearer” or “confetti basket carrier” for that extra aww-factor…

ALSO READ: 27 Fantastic Groom Gift Ideas from Etsy

8 | Personalized bridal wear

Declare your love story to the world (or keep it secretly hidden for the groom to see) by wearing it! There are so many wonderful ideas to complete your bridal look.

Add your name, a simple message or even a drawing to something you’re planning to wear on your big day. Luckily the Etsians have delivered in the creativity front, yet again, so head on over to have a look at the possibilities!

9 | Personalized wedding traditions

Last, but not least, wedding traditions are things that can be customized to your liking, too. With all of the new age traditions taking over, and some older ones falling away, who says you can’t make them your own?

To much relief, some of that older traditions which we’re so very fond of, has stayed for now at least. If you still want to include the popular wedding traditions, but in a new, unique way then go full out!

Your something-blue, bouquet and garter toss, cake cutting and confetti are just a few things to make personal with your own initials, requests, designs and what have you.

Tips for personalizing your wedding

Take care when selecting something generic and affordable (like mugs, t-shirts, tote bags and flasks, to name a few) because there is literally thousands of online shops that sell the exact same thing. Although nearly everything we buy comes from somewhere in the East, it’s better to find an Etsy seller that is trustworthy and know which quality items they’re working with – even if it’s a tiny bit more expensive.

I think I mention this in almost every post, but be mindful of your wedding budget when planning your own wedding. This goes for anything that you need to purchase outside of the things your wedding venue provides. Gifts and favors can become quite an expense, especially if you want to personalize each item.

Lastly, just because you can make it yourself doesn’t necessarily mean you should. DIY isn’t always cheaper (or easier) when it comes to wedding stuff, even if you own a Cricut or Cameo Silhouette… If you’re going to make extra effort in the packaging of wedding favors, for example, be sure to calculate costs beforehand, and secondly, make sure you have the right supplies for the job! Many Etsians and handcrafters have been at it for years, so they are skilled enough to make certain things faster and sometimes, for cheaper.

ALSO READ: The Ultimate Gift Guide for the Bride before her wedding