Wedding help...favors!
 

Alright y'all..I need help! I got engaged at the beginning of December, and the wedding is less than 6 months away..i've got lots of planning to do and minimal money to spend!! There are quite a few good threads on weddings i've found, but not specifically about favors..anyone have any good idea for inexpensive favors for the reception? I'm definitely willing to make them, or purchase pre-made if it's easier and not outrageously expensive. Thanks!:)

Have you thought about not doing favors at all? I don't think most people really care about getting some little thing that they have no use for and will probably throw out anyway, and why have chocolates or jordan almonds when you're already having food and dessert?

Oh, and congratulations!!!

My sister is planning a wedding on a tight budget and for favors her fiance is burning a CD with, I believe, five of their favorite songs on it then making copies for the guests. Something that is personal and useful :)

In our "society", it's tacky not to have any gifts. Alot of people will do picture frames, mini champagne bottles, or even the CD idea.

ETA: I just realized that was kinda snotty. Depending on where you come from and stuff. That's just the opinion of my "people". If it was a good friend's wedding I'd liek to have a lil something, but it's not a big deal.

How about giving a goldfish? I went to a wedding where they gave out little fish wich came in jars. Really interesting and cute.

Just an idea.

My best friend was on a pretty limited budget but she had a very beautiful, classy wedding by keeping things simple.

They got ribbon printed that had her name and his name and the wedding date on it in silver lettering. Then little silver bags in which we put hershey's hugs and kisses, along with a little note that said "Hugs and Kisses from the Mr. and Mrs." and then tied with the ribbon. Cheesy but cute. And cheap!

All of the bridesmaids sat down with her and her mom and put together a bazillion of the little bags. They looked very pretty.

The CD favors are good depending on how many people you're having at your reception. Most spindles come in packs of 50-100, and I know jewel cases are pretty cheap depending on what store you get them from. You can print out a thank you message and a list of songs on your own computer.

Have you ever thought of giving soap as favors? One of my chapter sisters learned how to make her own fragrant soap in her wedding colors and for her wedding she used a really nice transparent fabric to wrap them up.

But at any case, I'd stay away from Hershey's kisses and/or Jordan almonds.

LOL! I tend to have rather non-mainstream views when it comes to weddings, so I guess I should say that. I think favors are usually stupid, but I also would never, EVER do things like have a bouquet or garter toss or wedding party introductions because I think those things are tacky. :)

I'd like to add please PLEASE don't do goldfish. I bet most of those poor fish don't even make it home alive.

my friend's sister did this.

at one friend's wedding she gave out a small box of chocolate turkeys and cornicopia's....her wedding was the night before thanksgiving.

someone else bought small bottles of wine from a local winery and had their names and the date of their wedding on the label.

a votive candle in a small glass votive

a pint glass with the couple's info on it

i am a big fan of the edible favors! maybe you can make a donation to a charity with the money you would spend on the favors. make a little note card for each place that says you donated to xyz charity.

at my wedding this summer we handed out little bells at the church...

they weren't that expensive and for the church where we were married, they wouldn't allow anything to be thrown.

we attached little notes with our info on them and asked people to also ring them instead of beating on their glasses to get us to kiss at the reception...

on a side note, bells are supposed to "ward off bad luck and spirits"

marissa

Best Wishes!!

One of the easiest yet cutest things I've seen was the Hershey Kisses & Hugs - but the bags were made using wide lace ribbon. Have someone run up two long pieces together

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on the dotted lines, then cut to the proper size. Sew up the bottom and you have quick bags!

I have to echo the goldfish sentiment... it really is very cruel. You'll find a million horror stories on pretty much any wedding messageboard about using goldfish as favours, centerpieces, etc. They may be small, but they still are a living creature.

That said... I'm having a fall themed wedding, and our favours are going to be wooden fall "leaves" with our names and the date etched on them. We'll either put a magnet on the back, or drill a small hole in them to be used as ornaments. FH's mom is making them, and they're so cool... they look really realistic!

Ginger, that's a wonderful idea!

In my Italian family, you have to have jordan almonds so that the single women can put them under their pillows so that they will dream about the man they are going to marry.

I did not have the almonds however and nobody said a word. I'm disappointed that nobody has matches anymore. What does one do when one needs a match and nobody gives them out anywhere anymore?

Dee

I didn't do Jordan Almonds.

We did hershey's miniatures wrapped in navy and silver tulle. They were tied in ribbon with our names, wedding date and Las Vegas

We also did personalized playing cards in navy and silver with our names, wedding date and Las Vegas

wedding favors
 

I made my own wedding favors and saved lots of money. I made three types..but just one type would have been fine

1) Tiny bottles of Bubbles (I got a case for $10) with our name and dated printed on computer paper and tied with ribbon on the lid.

2) Small crystal slippers with a Hersey's hug stuffed inside tied up with tulle and ribbon.

3) BUT! The cheapest and best received gift was the packets of flower seeds. We went to Wal-mart when they had seeds for 10 cents a packet. I bought up all of the baby's breath and blue belles. I typed up a "Thank you" message that asked the guest to plant these seeds as a rememberance of the love that was sowed on our wedding day. I glued the message to the back of the packet. I made 200 for $25 including printing, paper, seeds, and glue! EXCELLENT idea!

:)
Good luck!
Silver

Thanks for all of the great ideas! Right now we're thinking that doing some sort of little treat bag tied with ribbon and a sentiment of sorts will probably be the winner..but I really like the idea of personalized candy bars that i've seen in a few bridal magazines..like a full hershey's bar with a personalized label. Unfortunately, can't find any for really cheap...might not be too hard to make myself if I had decent computer/graphics skills..but I definitely don't want it to look cheapy like it probably would if I did it! Thanks again, ladies..and no goldfish or jordan almonds, I promise!

Re: wedding favors
 

I was just about to post this!

This was one of the best favors I had ever seen. They took translucent envelopes of seeds, punched two holes in the top of the envelope and attached with ribbon a little poem which talked about love being like flowers. It was so cute!

I went to a wedding where they gave out plastic heart shaped containers just thin enough to put tiny mints in them. The first initials of the couple's first names and the last letter of their last name were on the container.

I'm the type to sort of scoff at traditions that I see as silly and useless, and am saying "ditto" on the idea of not having favors. I've never never heard of a favor that was that cool, so why waste the money? You're wedding can definitely still be classy - I've been to weddings that were in the neighborhood of $150,000 (i.e. very classy, very high society) that didn't have favors, and no one was offended...

If you do want to do something, I think the seeds or a small tree that guests can plant in their yards are both good ideas.

Magnets w/ your names and the date, and a cute drawing of a stick bride and groom. Useful and won't melt on the way home!

oh dont do that.... fish are a pain in the ass and think of the poor fish stuck in the jar... i know if my parents or i came home from a wedding with a goldfish we would be like, "wtf?!?!"

My sister just got married and she had wine bottles as favors. She had labels made with her and her husbands name printed on it. These seem to be pretty popular amoung the weddings I have attended this year. I have been to 10 weddings in 2003, mostly bc I am asked to sing at the weddings. But, I'd have to say that the wine bottle favors are probably the more classier favors I have seen. And, I think they are good momentos.

My cousin made a picture CD which was pretty cute also. They used their wedding song as a back drop.

I recently talked to a long lost friend of mine about favors at her wedding and she gave everyone a pair of those nice chopsticks.

I dont know if this would go with your theme or whatever..but at my mom's wedding about, two summers ago...they used the placecards as favors, and something to tell the servers what food that guest was getting.

It was a small nantucket like basket with a blue candle inside, then a small namecard was tied on with ribbon and a colored heart next to the name. Then on the bottom of the basket was little stickers with mom & my stepfathers initials and the date.

Pretty cute I think. I wonder where mine went...

I really like this idea! Okay so I just got the invitations ordered yesterday..they're a really pretty, yet simple, white card with a thin platinum border. The writing is embossed in black with an "Engravure"-type font, with our names printed in script. I think they look so classy...and it's a huge relief to have that out of the way! Unfortunately..we forgot about the whole where we're registered at thing. Is it tacky to include an enclosure card with maybe directions and a note where we're registered? Hmm..ideas appreciated! Should we just leave that out all together? Thanks again everyone!

I don't know what your budget is like but I know that if you visit Yankee Candle's website, you can have personalize mini-jar candles made - complete with you and your spouse's name and maybe a favorite quotation.

I personally like the cd idea because to buy a bunch of cd's is inexpensive, and then it could be a project that some of your bridesmaids could do. Maybe to spice it up you could not only add some of your favorite love songs, but some other fun songs the two of you like and shared.


I was going to do the hershey kisses from the Mr. and Mrs. when I was planning my wedding...though cute, it's a pain to put together.

Also I don't like the idea of the mini-disposable cameras at the tables. I've heard stories of drunken guests getting out of hand with the photos...not to mention that they cost a FORTUNE to develope!

I know some people balk at the idea of a registry, and others who love it. I know guests like it when you include a map, especially if there's travelling involved between the wedding and the reception. As long as you register at some major stores, and tell your parents and your attendants [b/c that's who'll probably be getting asked a fair number of questions], people will find your registry.

Good Luck!:)

See what all you fanatical anti-smokers have done? A pox on you. Bah!! ;)

One of my friends gave out the seeds in a miniature pot...and you guessed it, mine are still sitting on my bookcase. I rent, for the love of Pete. Where am I going to plant a tree?

Edible favors are the best - see if you can find anyone who makes homemade candy. It's a little more personal than the kisses, almonds whatever.

Some people don't mind about the registry thing and some think it's REALLY tacky - so I would skip the card. As rho4life said, people will find your registry - I know the first thing I do when I get an invite is check at Kaufmann's and Lazarus. I take it you already are registered - if not, please don't use someplace that is local only and no one from elsewhere can find it (unless everyone you invited is local). May Company has a registry that is cross-referenced at all their stores.

and if people are traveling, please, PLEASE include a map - not a mapquest map, drive the easiest route yourself and write it down as you drive. (Or as the groom to be drives, hee hee.)

In Chinese culture, chopsticks are often given to guests because the Chinese words for chopsticks (or at least the Cantonese words) are homonymous with the words for having a baby quickly. What I don't get is why the GUESTS are the ones getting the chopsticks and not the actual couple!

Fye gee=Chopsticks in Cantonese

Fye also means fast or quick

gee can also mean baby

When my sister was helping out with a friend's wedding, they made Hershey's Kiss rosebuds. You put two Kisses end to end and wrap them in red cellophane, and you can attach them to stems (real or artificial). They were nice, but not overstated; inexpensive, but not tacky.

I'm going to be such a laid-back bride, none of this favor stuff excites me.

I don't know. To be unique maybe or maybe it means something else entirely in the Korean culture, altho the Chinese and Koreans share a lot of the same characteristics.

I just love the seed idea! It can be done very inexpensively yet chic!

Also, please, please, please include a map.

Instead of noting where you're registered (a major etiquette faux pas!), you can put "Any questions? Please call (trusted friend) at (her number)!"


And on a different note: I'm re-reading a book (because, deep in my heart, I really feel that a documentary should be done on it!) about a White Russian Princess during WWII. She went to the wedding of Kostantin of Bavaria, and it was done in Old World Aristocratic style. The favor was a souvenir menu, elegantly printed with the Bride & Groom's name at the top, the wedding party, then the wedding supper. It was obviously done quite well, because they each passed their menu around to be autographed by the other guests. I don't know if it would work here, but it sounded rather elegant to me!

I work at JoAnns and we get people in wanting ideas that are cheap and easy to do. Alot of them have already been listed here! :) There is also a book you can find by Wilton's and it has TONS of ideas in it. Or you could visit their website at: http://www.wilton.com/ if you are still deciding. The book has things for different times of the year. Just a thought! :) Good luck and congrats! :)

I'm from California, DH is from Kansas, we live in Washington DC area. We didn't do favors. Neither we, nor our families, thought it was tacky that we didn't do them.

I've been to lots of weddings. I've gotten my seeds, cameras, picture frames, chocolate, bubbles, etc. The best stuff is something you can eat. The rest is just stuff that I feel bad throwing away but has no practicle use in my life.

Save the $100 in favors. Buy yourself a nice dinner on your honeymoon.

Or, donate the $100 to a charity with a list of the names of your guests. I went to a wedding that did that and I thought it was pretty classy.:)

Also a very classy idea!

We did personalized CDs of some of our favorite songs and had a lot of favorable comments on them. Slightly time-consuming (we did 150) but worth it. I also like the flowers idea and the donations to charity. I've been to weddings where both are done. Edible favors are also very good--especially if they're at the table or where the seating cards are. Some people have to wait a long time before they get their food, and any little thing helps (especially if there's an open bar--but that's a whole 'nother topic).

I'm on the side of "don't include registry info with the invite." I post on a wedding board and many a catfight has been started with that topic. Just Say No. Though, I did put our wedding website URL on the map insert (along with numbers and descriptions of the hotel blocks) and then had our registry info on our website. That seemed a little more acceptable to me. It wasn't as if we were begging for presents, but people knew where to go if they wanted.

Hehe..ultimatewedding or theknot?

Down here, it would be considered a HUGE faux pas to include registry information in the invitations. I don't even think they should go in the shower invitations. People will find out, somehow. I had a friend get married that I hadn't seen in awhile; I took 15 minutes and checked all the major department stores and found her registry easily.

We're thinking we may skip favors for my wedding. It's not really expected down here. If anything, it might be a little box of cake to take home. Edible is good. People dont' need another knicknack to deal with.

I like the CD idea, although they're not quite legal, even if you own all the CDs that the mp3s came from. But that's another issue...

Are some of you girls on the wedding messageboards? (knot, ultimate wedding, wedding channel, etc.?) what are your screennames over there.. it would be neat if we knew we were posting to one another!

I was one of those who argued that registry cards are not evil in a thread like that. We'll probably do them, only because nearly everyone attending, participating, or orchestrating our wedding is coming from out of state... there will be no showers or anything like that for information to spread... the "standard stores" vary greatly from one part of the States to another... and I'd hate to have people randomly calling one another cross-country to see if they know where we're registered. (ie. grandfather in NJ calls my mother in Arizona... she's not home, so they call my brother in Green Bay (who's standing up for us), but I'm sure even if I told him, he wouldn't have a clue!... and that's just family!)

If anyone is that offended by it, well, they don't have to buy us a gift or come if they don't want to. All a registry card is is a time-saving device to be used if someone wants to buy you a gift, not a statement saying You Must buy me a gift, and it MUST be from one of these three stores.

But, as with everything else, everyone has their own opinion, and if there are two things we've learned on GC... someone will always be offended by something, and you'll never change anyone's mind :)