I’ve heard it a hundred times, “Do we really need to have favors for our guests at our wedding?” While it is a long-lived tradition and is a way to say thank you to your guests for attending your wedding, it most definitely is not a must. I always tell my brides, don’t feel pressured to do anything on your wedding day just because it’s tradition. It’s your day so do with it what you will! Nothing is right or wrong because this one day is about you and your love. Now, with that being said, I love me a good favor and I have seen some extremely creative ideas for favors out here at the farm over the years and I wanted to share my favorites with you all!
To get the inspiration flowing, think local…think useable…think fun…think personalization…think DIY…think edible…think out of the box! Those are the gifts that guests will take home and use. No bride or groom wants a bunch of leftover favors, let me tell ya! So please, if you are at a wedding that the bride and groom went to the work to select favors for you, take them! Also, here is a tip for the Mr. and Mrs., make sure that your favors are displayed well where every guest can easily see them and that there is signage telling the guests to take them.
- Snap, crackle, and POPCORN! Yes, popcorn was used as a favor at one of our weddings! The couple jarred up some kernels and packaged it adorably. And obviously, there must be a cleaver saying attached to said jar. “Thanks for poppin’ by!” Photo By – Mon Photography
- We do s’mores around a bonfire after dinner at Fresh Air Farm but this bride put a different twist on it. She prepacked the s’mores and used them as her favor! How adorable does this look?! Here comes that one liner: “How sweet of you to celebrate with us!” Photo By – Beau Vaughn Photography
- Message in a bottle probably comes to mind when you take a glance at this favor put at each place setting for dinner. The rolled-up piece of paper inside of these jars explained how the couple donated money to a local charity instead of doing a typical take-home favor. Lovin’ that! #giveback #thinklocal #spreadthelove Photo By – We are the Parsons
- We have been seeing this amazing local company out here a lot lately. It takes a whole new spin on a photo booth. I present to you…The Photo Bus. Yes, it’s a bus, a vintage VW to be exact. They have a red one and blue one and here they both are for your viewing pleasure! Just grab a prop, strike a pose and you get some fun photos to cherish forever! #bestphotoboothever Photos By – Photo Mementos Photography (red bus) and Cassandra Castaneda Photography (blue bus)
- Now back to the edible options! No one can resist a little snack at the end of a long night of drinkin’ and dancin’ right?!? Doesn’t fresh, warm rolls with a side of homemade honey butter sound absolutely delicious? Fresh Air Farm supplied these favors and packaged them oh so adorably (if I don’t say so myself *winkwink)! Photos By – Jonathan Canlas Photography
- Let’s stay on that homemade train for just a bit longer and talk about jams, jellies, and preserves, oh my! But whatever you do, don’t forget about the presentation! I have to say that these two brides nailed it! Photos By – Cassandra Castaneda Photography and Fresh Air Farm
- What about something that you can plant? A gift that keeps on giving, you might say. I’ve got several in this category that blew me away. First off, living herbs, I love it! Hands down. I love everything about it! This couple chose basil but you could pick anything, you could even do a variety and let the guests pick for themselves. Next up, mini succulents. I wanted to take them all hehe! Who doesn’t love succulents?!? Let’s shift to a little different take on this idea and check out the packaged flower seeds. This creative couple selected poppy seeds because, well, their last name was Poppy! Photos By – Alea Lovely (basil), Photo Mementos Photography (succulents), epagaFOTO (poppy seeds)
- I could really go for something sweet right about now. How about a cookie? These featured cookies aren’t just ANY cookie though, they are neatly packaged caricatures of the bride and groom! So fun, so creative, and oh so delicious! Photo By – Nick Allen Photo
- I’m going to finish off this list of my fav’s with this winning idea: “Eat, drink, and be spicy!” These two love birds made mini hot sauce bottles as their take-home gift! Let’s just say, there wasn’t too many left at the end of the night. Photo By – Amy Hoskins
After all of that, you might think that we have seen everything that there is to do out here. But that is not the case at all! There are so many great ideas out there that aren’t being utilized to their full potential. So, here is a list of what I would love to see at the farm:
- More late night snacks! Enough said.
- BBQ sauce from a local spot. We have soooo many great places to choose from!
- Playing card decks. Fun for any age!
- Homemade or locally made candles. That’s something anyone could use!
- Hangover cure pack. All the necessities for the next day laid out for the needy….
- Infused olive oil. I would so take that home!
- Homemade or locally made soap. Who wouldn’t love that?!
- Feature some delicious treats from local companies like Andre’s Confiserie Suisse or Christopher Elbow. No one will turn those down! Swoon Cookie Crafters is another outstanding local company that will create one-of-a-kind cookies just for you!
- Mini packets of the Roasterie Coffee. Choose your favorite, have a variety, or offer your guests our signature blend!
I hope this gets your creative energy flowing! Everyone wants that crowd pleasing element and you can totally take yourself to that level. Just focus on being true to you and you will come up with the perfect, not so typical gift, that will really give your guest that WOW factor you are dreaming of! Oh, and remember, have fun with it!!!
