Have you thought about your favors?

FutureMrsN3312

Looking for some favor ideas. Our original thought was a drink shaker like this:

http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_DB-Exclusive-Personalized-Cocktail-Shaker-Favor-3028000DB?cm_mmc=GMCPLA-_-%20Personalized%20Favors-_-DB%20Exclusive%20Personalized%20Cocktail%20Shaker%20Favor%20Style%203028000DB-_-10177637&mr:referralID=b13f3b0b-1fcf-11e3-bae4-001b2166c2c0


Now I'm leaning towards something edible because I hate taking home some kind of nick nack that is going to wind up in the garbage.  Lately I've just been leaving them behind.

What are you ladies looking to give out?  What was the best wedding favor you've ever received?

pbi9994

I like the idea of food, and hate the tchachke normally at these things.

I'm thinking about doing local spices and an attached recipe. Simple, affordable, packable, and hopefully something people will want.

A wedding I just went to had fresh ground coffee that said love is brewing, and I thought that was a nice touch.

Kristen625

I plan on giving wild flower seeds to the guests.  Have an attached note and instructions on planting.  Super inexpensive, and easy to put together.  And yes, I saw this on pinterest, and I loved it so I'm doing it.  My FI likes the idea a lot, so do the other people I have run this idea by.  I do also like your idea @icecreamcono, I think it is very original and a neat idea.

missangelinamiley

I'm not very crafty but my friends are, I've been looking at Pinterest and found some neat DIY bookmarks. I'm also considering cake pops because I may not be crafty but I'm a good baker. I'd definitely recommend Pinterest to find some affordable inspiration.

tammym1001

We are giving out bottles of wine as favors and our escort cards will actually be boxes of chocolates with their names and table numbers on top. 

I think the shakers would be ok because they're really just to hold the candy or whatever food you're putting in them.

I honestly have never received a favor that wasn't just a little bag of jordan almonds or something similar so I can't say what the best one has been.

ArtTeacher23

I just ordered our favors - we are going with plantable seed paper on a card that says "love blossoms".  I figured since we are getting married at a botanical garden it fit perfectly, and it is also something that they can either actually use or keep in a scrapbook or something.

 

One of the best favors I got at our friends wedding 5 years ago was a Christmas ornament.  They gave out little Mickey Mouse shaped ornaments in red & green in little stockings - it was so cute! My fiancé (then boyfriend) and I made sure to each take one color to have a matching set, and when we put up our first Christmas tree together last year it was great pulling those ornaments out of storage and remembering that night 5 years ago.  I took a pic of them on our tree and sent it to our friend - she loved it!

chibiyui

I'm doing a cookie bar. I love to bake, and didnt want to give stuff that will clutter drawers.

pumpkinsandturkeys

We've opted to forgo favours in lieu of a donation to a regional children's hospital that my nephew recently had life-saving surgery at shortly after he was born. However, if we were going the traditional favour route, edible favours are always the biggest hit. I live in wine country and icewine chocolates are one of the most delicious things ever, so I would probably opt for wrapping up a few of those for my guests to take home.

ohxhi

For me, the most important thing was to make sure that the favors are actually things our guests will want.  I've left more than one favor behind accidentally because it wasn't something that really grabbed me - and I feel awful about it!

I think food is a great route because most people will take it and eat it shortly after. Also the donations - it's a great cause and one could argue the donation has more value than a bunch of little tchachkes.  But if you're opting to go in the tchachke direction, which I think that I am, I'm planning to steer clear of things that have our name/wedding date on there.  I got an ice cream scooper once but it has the couple's names on the handle and years later, it's kind of awkward to have around.  A plain scoop would've been just fine, you know?

SoontobeMrsNytes

We have a fairly small wedding, only about 60 people. We are compiling a CD of all of the married couples' first dance songs. We'll also include an insert with each couples names, wedding date, and the name of the song.

pbi9994

SoontobeMrsNytes said:

We have a fairly small wedding, only about 60 people. We are compiling a CD of all of the married couples' first dance songs. We'll also include an insert with each couples names, wedding date, and the name of the song.

Umm... I generally hate CDs as favors, but I love that idea! It's adorable, and it makes your guests the focus of your gift to them, instead of yourselves. If I wasn't set on local spices and a recipe, I'd probably steal the idea.

vmj23

I was thinking of doing seed bombs in a burlap sack to go with the rustic/nature setting of my wedding.   I'd like getting seeds to plant, but not sure how otehrs feel?  

SoontobeMrsNytes

icecreamcono said:

SoontobeMrsNytes said:

We have a fairly small wedding, only about 60 people. We are compiling a CD of all of the married couples' first dance songs. We'll also include an insert with each couples names, wedding date, and the name of the song.

Umm... I generally hate CDs as favors, but I love that idea! It's adorable, and it makes your guests the focus of your gift to them, instead of yourselves. If I wasn't set on local spices and a recipe, I'd probably steal the idea.

Why, thank you! It was actually one of my FI's ideas! At first I thought it was dumb, but the more I thought about it I liked it. I'm sure some will end up in the garbage though

ntagnello

For our favors, we are doing a donation in our guests' names to 2 charities.  FI & I met while volunteering in college for an organization raising money & support for families fighting pediatric cancer, and the other organization we'll donate to is a local ASPCA or humane society because we're both dog lovers!

ecotracs8

We are doing smores! Our tag will ready " 'Smore love from the Bride and Groom ". We are going to package them with instructions to cook over fire or in microwave.

kellibastien

I love that idea @ecotracs8!

We are doing favor boxes that double up as place cards. Just not sure what we are going to put in them yet.

ShellLillian

Since we are having a lot of succulents in our wedding, one favor will be a tiny succulent in a little glass pot that will be used to hold everyone's names at their seat.
Since I'm a baker, I'm making cookies and then I'm going to put them in a cute little bag with the recipe.

hollieandmatt

I think I'm going to be going the DIY route. I found on pinterest instructions on making birdseed hearts (or whatever cookie cutter shape.) It looked very simple and inexpensive and I know I wouldn't mind getting something like that at someone's wedding. 

VTBride51014

We are doing jams, one of my moms best friends makes amazing jams and offered to do this for us. We will put them in little jars and have them double as place cards wuth everyone's names. We may also put a 'spread the love' tag line on the jars.

ohxhi

@ntagnello did you go to Penn State? Just curious, it sounds like you're talking about THON.

I've been thinking more and more about going the donation route lately. I feel like I've always steered away from the idea of donations, but I'm starting to think it has a lot more merit than something disposable. FI suggested it last night and listening to him explain why he wanted to go that route made me feel like it's worth considering.

rhiannon383

We're doing chocolate chip cookies in cute little Tiffany-like boxes. I know I always enjoy edible things and I'm pretty sure most people like homemade cookies

lizpanjian

We're having a candy buffet, and that is going to be the favor--there will be chinese takeout boxes for them to bring it home in, or they can eat it there.  I'm also making cake pops and cookie dough truffles to go on the buffet.

I recently went to a wedding and they had made their own apple butter...it was probably the best favor I've ever gotten.  Edibles are always the best.

ntagnello

@ohxhi Yes, we did go to Penn State!  THON is very near & dear to our hearts  Many of our family and friends know of our connection to it, so it won't be a surprise when they see our favor donation notes.

ohxhi

@ntagnello Me too! it really is a small world! one of my best friends got married last year and her favors were THON donations.  It makes so much sense for a PSU couple  

akopitzke

I'm doing these plantable hearts:

http://www.botanicalpaperworks.com/catalog/wedding-collection/plantable-seed-wedding-favors/0132/plantable-heart-note-favor

They're only $0.70 each so super affordable and they grow wildflowers when planted -perfect for a spring wedding! And I love that its something pretty that guests can enjoy for awhile and that they're eco-friendly! They have a variety of colors you can order them in as well. We're doing lavendar.

ntagnello

@ohxhi Love it!  Our Nittany Lion friends & family will love the THON donation.  Plus the animal shelter donation will cover everyone else - because how can you not love lil kids and puppies?

((We Are))  

I really like everyone else's ideas too - plantables & edibles are both a great plan.

Anastasia517

We're doing glass bottles of Coca Cola.  A six pack is typically $5.99 at the grocery store, so it is pretty reasonable.  It's my FI's favourite drink, so it works.

We're also having a candy buffet, but that's not our official favour.  It's something my in-laws volunteered to do, so I couldn't say no haha.

ark155

I don't want to do favors, because at most weddings, the favors have been something I didn't want or know what to do with.  I think my fiance and I are doing the charity donations, too, and then we'll have a cookie/candy bar with boxes for people to take stuff home.  I think edibles work.

Is it just me, or do you feel pressure to have favors because "that's what people do" but don't want to waste the money on something people won't want? This favor thing is causing me more stress than I expected!

luckym1220

I went a little favor crazy... We will be having drinking mason jars at each place setting for guests. We will also have koozies at the bar and a candy buffet. I couldn't help myself

Kristen625

@ark155 I think it is a bit of "that's what people do" but there are so many ways to make it cheap.  The giant bag of wild flower seeds I'll be picking up will be less then $10, and what will cost more will be the mesh bags I'm planning on putting them in.  And then I'll need cards to attach as well.  Honestly, make it as simple as possible and as stress free as possible.  Because in all honestly, some people will leave the favor behind, and most people don't remember what they got as favors at a wedding.  Try not to stress about it that much

ohxhi

@ark155 My cousin got married a few weeks ago and just the other day, FI was like, "what were the favors? Did we get anything?" We didn't and we didn't realize it until just now.  I think it's more of an obligation/tradition thing than anything else.  It's nice to give a token of your appreciation, but @Kristen625 is right, it shouldn't be anything stressful or expensive.