Wedding Favors

Bomboniere, or favors, are gifts given to guests as a 'thank you' for being part of your special day. Traditionally they are accompanied by Confetti (Jodan Almonds). I spent five minutes days googling researching the  history behind Confetti... they are supposed to symbolize the 'bitterness' (almonds) of life... and the 'sweetness'(candy) of love. They're usually bundled in groups of 5 representing Happiness, Health, Longevity, Wealth & Fertility.  Who knew? I think Wiki just made that up. No one ever eats those things - except for my sister. It's good to always have at least one person in the family to dump your Confetti on. I kid. I'm only hating because they take forever to make and I can't do it. No one can ever make them as pretty as the store bought ones anyway, so save yourself the headache.
Times, they are a changin' in the wedding favor department. For one, not everyone does favors anymore. A nice change is that instead of letting your guests leave with a dust collector and some candied almonds, couples have started making donations to their favorite charities on behalf of their guests. I have nothing bad to say about this. I think it's a socially responsible thing to do and really really thoughtful on the bride & groom's part. I would rather leave a wedding with a note letting me know that a donation to a charity has been made on my behalf than get another ceramic figurine to stick in my credenza.
If you're not a crazy hippie making donations (I KID!) another wedding favor tip is to give your guests something useful. The best bomboniere I ever got? A pie server, an ice cream scoop and a napkin holder. Seriously. I use these things all the time.
These days budget is always a concern. Weddings are expensive. After paying for the venue, caterer, dj, photographer, dress, tux, officiant, yadda yadda, yadda yadda... the last thing you need is to start uninviting your dad's co-worker's sister (why is she invited again? where's that seating chart??? MOM!!!).
A great option is giving away food as a wedding favor. Everybody loves to eat! It shows your guests that you appreciate that they took a shower, put on the shoes that hurt their feet, and wore a tie to be at your wedding and it won't break the bank. I do a lot of wedding favors. I've done everything from caramel & chocolate covered pretzel rods to boxes of mini cannoli. Prices start as low as $1 per favor and can be customized to fit your theme & colors.  Here are just a few examples..
xo
L

 

These were for a Sweet 16

 

 

 

 

These can be customized with labels matching your wedding theme