Wedding "favours"?

I did what Grannyknot describes when my DS got married in 2010. Each guest had a plastic document holder like this:

www.viewfromthevan.co.uk/presentation-folder-cv-43_47/100pcs-transparent-pvc-11-hole-a4-file-protective-film-stationery-file-protection-film-al7icsey1z-vc-4065.html

In it, there was

- a sheet of A4 on which I had printed "Three pieces of advice for a happy marriage"
- a biro with the couples name, the date and their wedding motto
- a slip of paper in all the relevant languages explaining what they had to do and that they could keep the biro as a souvenir.

On the gift table, I placed a flowery decorated lever arch file for guests to "file" their hints and tips. Most only wrote "best wishes". Perhaps I should have told them again over the microphone what they were supposed to do.

Biros with personalised texts printed on them are not terribly expensive, but there is usually a minimum order number of at least 50. This was ok though, as we also gave them to people who weren't invited but had sent a card or present.

You can also get serviettes personalised, (I did that for the Christening of their son) or other useful items

Basically you are to all intents and purposes for the supplier a commercial business, ordering a large quantity. To this day, I keep getting sent samples of the pens from the same company. They are very good quality. One friend told them that they had done all their uni exams using the "wedding" biro!

You can also get all sorts of things with a photo printed on - coffee mugs, cloth bags, note pads, which would serve as a useful souvenir.

Around these parts, it is customary, nay obligatory, to have bottles of wine with personalised labels for all guests, but these are distributed at the end, or when people call at the house to bring presents. But that's just here in the Palatinate. My DiL2 from the Rhineland was not familiar with the custom. But their wedding was a completely different affair altogether. (We did go up there with a dozen or more cartons of wine bottles though, and it all went!

My dil gave trolly coin key rings from a charity very relevant at the time. Lots of charities do them and at least they are useful

Here in Italy they always have wedding favours or confetti as they call them here to represent fertility, longevity, happiness,health and wealth. It used to be just the almonds but since weddings have become more elaborate and expensive other gifts are often given. Mind you the bride and groom always want money and rarely a gift from their guests. They probably need it to pay all the expenses involved! When DH and I married my DD and sat and made all the favours . 5 sugared almonds in a net bag tied with ribbon!! Traditional!

You could of course get personalised trolley coins (Ebay have lots) but I think the charity ones are a nice touch

Dontaskme
My daughter is getting married abroad later this year ours is in Italy where's yours

My DD was married abroad and as she has married an Australian they printed koalas on shot glasses - stuck the transfers on themselves from their own design. These held a card with each person's name and she gave out koala bottle openers for the men and glittery koala key rings for the girls.

Before my daughter got married 11 years ago we all wandered along the beaches near our home collecting shells. Daughter then wrote the date of the wedding on them and they were then placed on the tables as decoration so if anybody wanted to take them they did. Almost every one was taken home. BTW we don't live in the sun but on the SW coast of Scotland. Simple is best don't fret about the favours, just enjoy the day.

I was going to suggest flower seeds. We were given these at my nephews wedding.
However, a word of caution, it is not possible to import any type of flora n forna into sever foreign countries.

When DD married I made small lavender bags,cross stitched with their initials and date of wedding and tied with ribbon to match the flowers. I only made them for the ladies and it wasn't a big wedding!
I would think OP would need to be careful about taking crackers,flower seeds etc abroad as I don't think Customs allow them.

Wedding favours can't be a new idea as I can remember them from relatives' weddings in the '40s and '50s. My DiL chose to give the traditional sugared almonds in little gift bags. At my nephew's wedding in NZ, we were given little boxes containing a replica of the top tier of the wedding cake. I was able to bring some home for relatives who could not attend the wedding.

shysal, unfortunately snowdrops don't grow in many countries and although it is a nice idea this will only work in Britain.
I haven't been to a wedding for ages but my grandson is getting married next year. Thank goodness I wont have to supply any wedding favours. Wish I'd been at the wedding Beckett went to. There would not have been any chocolates left on the table.

And don't believe you are allowed to take bulbs etc into another country without an import licence.

It was Luckygirl who suggested snowdrop bulbs. Even if they were allowed I doubt they would grow. Snowdrops are best planted in the green.

Have you checked with the bride whether she wants favours or not?

As far as I know, and recall from childhood, the tradition of favours comes from the fact that the cake was decorated with 'favours', and they were removed, and the bridesmaid went round with them on a tray after the meal, offering one to each female guest. I remember that they were usually silver rings, horseshoes and small flowers and suchlike. After the cakes were no longer decorated in such a way, the tradition of offering a small memento seems to have continued, albeit with different 'souvenirs'.

My daughter got married recently and I know she would have been annoyed if anybody else decided what should be on the tables although she was open to suggestions. I do feel strongly that you should not interfere with somebody else's plans especially on such an important and potentially stressful day. However I wish you and your family a very happy day.

You won’t be able to carry crackers if you are flying as they are explosives.

Sorry, shysal. Silly me.

I went to a wedding where the favours were charity pin badges.
The sort that are metal and go through the lapel. They were all different sorts - something for everyone.

This sort of thing - probably many charities do them:
shop.cancerresearchuk.org/wedding-favours

But DO check with the bride that she doesn’t mind....

Yankee candles do some lovely wedding favours

If it is somewhere hot - what about hand held paper colourful fans- useful and pretty? Men can have plain ones!

Hi sounds like nice idea but you will need to check what is allowed on board a flight as don’t think fire crackers would be allowed. With food and plants you would need to check if they are allowed as well. You don’t want disappointment of them being confiscated.What about small pictures of bride and the groom when they were children.... one cute picture could be copied enough times for however many guests and clipped onto the place settings. Lightweight and inexpensive but effective and will make people smile. Let us know what you decide.

Two years ago my younger son ( actually aged 44) and wholly compatible partner aged 37 had a great wedding in a huge tent. Every place had a hand made folded paper fortune teller - the kind you used to make at school with flaps to open with answers to questions. The wedding ones had comments from bride and groom about one another. The questions were on the outer folds and the answers on the inner ones. It made a pleasant thing to take away.

We went to a wedding recently where every guest was given a card with "Advice to the married couple " on it. A doctor amongst us wrote ' Always check unusual lumps'