Ask the Birdies: Hip and Inexpensive Wedding Favors?

I am getting married and need to find some unique wedding favors for guests. I don't want to get the usual favors (photo key chains, heart-shaped coffee spoons) that people are never going to use. I want something unique and a little funky.  We're also on a budget of $2-$4 per guest. Can you suggest any unisex, inexpensive trinkets that would be cute all wrapped in tulle and placed at the reception? I need some advice! - Stormy

Yeah, we've all been to weddings where you get a keepsake trinket that, well, kinda blows.  We were on a mission to find wedding favors that'll rock.  We love these Bride & Groom Playhounds cards ($2.50) because they're adorable and you can add your own sticker or tag to personalize them.  If you want to get creative, you can forgo the tulle and buy these Asian satin brocade boxes ($15 for a set of 6), add some plastic film in each one, and either plant mini flowers in them or, make up tiny packets of soil and seeds so people can bring them home and grow the flowers themselves.  Add a little tag with something about love and blooms and you're all set.  Speaking of flowers, why not give your guests a palm tree ($2.99) or a customized bookmark that has the seeds to plant 10 trees ($1.99)?  Or send everyone home with a love bean (as low as $3) - a potted mini plant where a tiny bean sprouts with the word "love" on it a week after it's planted.

If you want something that people will likely carry around with them everywhere they go, how about personalized mint tins with mints ($2.50) or these "mint to be" heart-shaped mints (as low as $1.80)?   Who doesn't need fresh breath?  Or how about personalized M&M's (starting at $3.75) where you can choose the colors to match your wedding colors and get a short message printed on each candy?  If you go the candy route, we say forget the tulle and put the candies in these groom ($0.69) and bride ($0.69) candy tins. 

While we're on the topic of ingestible goods, these customized travel tea discs ($2.70) look pretty hip.  Doctors say olive oil is the key to a healthy heart, so why not show some olive oil love (as low as $2.75) to your guests?  Or, you can just booze everyone up with these personalized cocktail mixes ($1.55).  Speaking of booze, there is also this cute bride and broom wine stopper and corkscrew (as low as $3.85) which would come handy around the house.

Everyone needs a pocket mirror (as low as $2.25) for those quick teeth checks and general grooming on the go, and you can even create a customized one. Speaking of grooming, what about a manicure set ($1.89)? 

Personally, we love the chance to win some cold hard cash - why not thrill your guests with scratch lottery tickets (as low as $1)? You could put them in these lottery ticket holders that are personalized ($36.90 for 25).  Maybe even throw in a fortune teller fish ($12.99 for 125 fish) - remember those as a kid?  They're super cheap and everyone would enjoy getting their fortune told.

We love the idea of everyone getting a disposable wedding camera (as low as $2.95) to create their own memories of your special day. 

Or you can do what several folks are deciding on doing these days: forget the wedding favor, and instead, donate the money you would've spent on the favors to your favorite charity on behalf of your guests.  Then give each guest a bookmark or small card to let them know about the donation.  Some charities even provides templates and printouts so that you can hand them out to guests.

We hope this helped - congrats on your upcoming nuptials!  Send us pics!

**Readers - feel free to add to your own answers!**

Comments

[Liz]

My sibling-in-laws made origami boxes out of pretty paper, and put teabags of a few of their favorite teas in there! They had some pretty good choices too :)

My mom made handmade chocolates for our wedding (she really wanted to, so I let her and they turned out cute.)

My cousin made blueberry jam for everyone, using blueberries that grow wild near their home in Alaska. The jam was in pretty glass jars.

[Erika]

http://www.americanbridal.com/personalized-hand-cream-favors-dseb1035.html#

Really cute personalized hand cream :)

[denise]

I like the CD idea that Carissa posted. We made sugar cookies for our wedding and then put them in a clear plastic box tied with ribbon. It was on the super cheap and everyone loves food. I don't know who started the donation favor idea, but it is horrible. I've been to a few weddings where this was the favor, and EVERYONE groaned...

[carissa... brown eyed fox]

how about a music cd of all your favorite music/songs! very inexpensive and easy to create! you could create a great custom label too! use a clear jewel case or even a paper sleeve tied up in a unique way... all depending on your wedding style.

this is always a big hit!

great fun & who doesn't love music!

[Erin]

I'm not even sure that I could add to that. Great list!

[Andi]

I love Rare Birds, read it everyday. But I have to say this is probably the best entry you've ever written! I'm not getting married (...yet, ahem!) but, regardless, I clicked on every link and "ohh"ed and "ahh"ed over those amazing finds! Wonderful, wonderful job ladies! I'd love to see another article, similar to that, maybe about cheap party favors or stocking stuffers. Fabulous!

[Julieta]

These are great! Love the lottery ticket idea!!