Reception Favors
This list was taken from a post by sandy@sw.stratus.com (Sandra Frongillo) on
the soc.couples.wedding and alt.wedding newsgroups and is reprinted here with her permission (after
some cleaning up of the headers). A lot of effort must
have gone into compiling these posts (thanks Sandra!). Enjoy!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Anne RobottiSubject: Re: favors suggestions Our wedding was December 17, 1994 and we had little red apple Christmas ornaments. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: angel@merle.acns.nwu.edu Subject: Re: favors suggestions We had pencils made with our first names and wedding dates engraved on them. We bought them in two colors to match our wedding colors. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: leahingram@aol.com (LeahIngram) Subject: Re: unique , inexpensive wedding favors As far as inexpensive favors go, when we had our reception, we decorated all the tables with small pots of flowers, such as African violets, pansies, etc. Since the reception was held in a backyard, we also lined the walkway to the yard with the potted flowers. We made sure there were enough popts so everyone could take one home, and we ended up killing the proverbial bird with two stones -- we had inexpensive and pretty decorations and favors that everyone could take home. Plus, it helped when it came time to clean up, because all the pots were gone! Good luck. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From bab2@nestor.cc.bellcore.com (barter,elizabeth) Subject: Re: Favors Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 14:57:06 GMT I went to a wedding once where the favors were personalized kazoos, yo-yos and spinning tops (I think the groom's brother owned a toy business). It was great fun, especially when one of the tables seranaded the B&G on the kazoos. :-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: goldberg@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Mark Goldberg) Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas needed To: sandy@sw.stratus.com (Sandra Flor) A few possibilies.... Have your photographer do a portrait of each attendant with his or her SO, then present it in a gift folio (such as an Art Leather Keepsake) with that shot, plus one of the wedding party or you or your fiance with the recipient. Another possibility is a Mini MAg flashlight. These are great and can be ought with nice holster. A little unorthodox, but always appreciated. Still another is a Swiss Army knife and case. Same comment as above. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Small wicker baskets filled with potpurri, wrapped in tulle, and tied with a message and ribbon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We just made very nice wedding programs for people to keep as souveniers (if they liked) or throw away. They had the entire text of the wedding, a cast of characters, and some other tidbits. They were printed as little booklets (matching the wedding colors) and tied together with a little ribbon. The covers were decorated with stamps and embossing powder and markers and such (they looked very nice, if I do say so myself). At least it's the sort of thing that could be put in a scrapbook instead of out on a shelf. Also, we collected all the unused ones and those left behind in the church and sent them to people who weren't able to come (which seems to have gone over extremely well). As far as other ideas goes, here are a few thoughts: - potpourri is an old standby, but at least it's useful in the closet or drawer in sachet form - candy or chocolate has the virtue of being edible. I've also seen little mints in personalized little containers (like Tic-Tacs) Marzipan would give an opportunity for a little fun and would be off the beaten path a bit. - one person had fans made out of some pretty wallpaper with some ribbon for an outdoor summer wedding - I've seen some adorable little salt&pepper shaker sets lately. I think they're by a company called Clay Art or something like that. They're tiny and whimsical--one was a cat (salt) on an overstuffed pink chair (pepper), one was a sun and moon, one was a rabbit in a hat--you get the picture. I don't know how expensive they are, though. - Pretty little glass vases with a single bloom in them would be nice as decoration *and* as favors for the guests to take home (and eliminates the fight for the centerpieces that sometimes breaks out!). You could have all different shapes and sizes. The best favors of all, though, have something to do with the bridal couple. Are they avid tennis fans? Then give out personalized tennis balls--they'll bring a smile to everyone's face, even if they don't play tennis. Are they into Victoriana? Then embroider pretty handkerchiefs for the women with initials and the date (or more if you're ambitions--they could be used instead of place cards!) and less frou-frou ones for the men. Do they garden? Then give tiny pots of flowers or seedlings to take home and plant. Are they avid music listeners? How about tapes of their favorite music? Are they stand-up comics at heart? What about making a little booklet telling a humorous story of how they met and came to get married? Surely a little searching will turn up *something*! Ericka eek@csmil.umich.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From 5ALEXANDER_L@spcvxa.spc.edu Wed Jun 1 13:55:19 1994 Date: Wed, 01 Jun 1994 13:55:05 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas needed To: sandy@sw.stratus.com My sister is getting married at the end of July, and for her wedding favors we are giving out little bottles of Asti Spumante. In addition, my grandmother is making favors out of tulle. She's putting a few Jordan almonds in the center, and then ties the whole thing together with ribbon and lace and flowers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ To: sandy@sw.stratus.com (Sandra Flor) From: Leslie_Baxter@brown.edu (Leslie Baxter) Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas needed Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 15:23:01 My mom picked out cute little frames (porcelain) and wrapped them in colored paper and put them in those gift bags they have at party stores. They (frames) cost about $1. apiece, and after some bargaining, we got the tissue paper for free (we bought our centerpieces from the same store, so they were amenable to my bartering technique!). They were a big hit, because people can use them, and they don't have any of those silly almonds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From combust@telerama.lm.com Mon Jun 6 18:20:09 1994 Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas needed Two ideas that I have been toying with for wedding favors are: 1. a lavendar stems shaped into a heart shape. I like this idea because lavendar is a symbol of luck, and if you pack it away with you winter closes it is supposed to keep the bugs away. 2. mini wine bottles with our names and the date on them. Another favor idea that I liked except it seemed kind of time consuming to make is padded picture frames. You could put your placecards inside them and then your guests would have little picture frames to take home with them. I got the previous favor idea from reading this bbd and also getting il bacci (sp) chocolates. Il bacci, or however it is spelled means kiss in italian. A friend of my mother's got married in the spring and she is making little burlap sacks and putting a daffodil bulb in each one. On the outside of the sacks she is stenciling a daffodil. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ What does the bride and groom do for fun? If they have something in common, you can be creative with that. For example, some friends of mine met playing ultimate frisbee (sort of like frisbee soccer/ of football without the tackling) They had mini-discs printed up (about 4 inches in diameter) with pictures of an aztec looking couple (cave drawing type) holding hands with their names and the date on it. Another example is my sister and her fiance- they are both doctors. My mom got a bunch of pill bottles from a pharmacist and filled them up with candy m-n-m's. She printed labels that looked like perscription labels (Rx - wedding date... Take two of these when you wish to feel romantic - or something like that, and had Dr. Lois and Dr. Ross on the bottom.) Very cute idea, they were a big hit. (Put a little cotton in the top of each one. Oh- to keep the cost cheap she just printed out the labels on a computer herself and we taped them onto all of the bottles with thick clear packing tape, so it covered the whole label. karen ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas needed We were a little simpler, we found a person who makes custom wrappers for chocolate bars (Kate is a choco-holic) The wrappers say Kate and Lee, and our date, Made in Heaven, and list the ingredients for a successful marriage, love honesty etc. We will wrap a bow on them, and that's the favor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: corkill@cems.umn.edu (Jennifer Corkill) Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas needed I had gone to a wedding in the Santa Cruz mountains (forget where exactly) and the bride and groom had gotten rose-shaped chocolates wrapped in beautiful cellophane on a "stem" (lollipop stem) for the tables. They were made by Bay Chocolate Co. in Los Altos but I called earlier and the owner was planning on leaving the country. Any other suggestions for decorative chocolate "favors" (I *hate* that word...) are welcome -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: lee@mdli.com Subject: Chocolate favors, was: Wedding favor ideas needed The people who do this are Kevin and Laura Mendoza. They call themselves Mendoza Designs, and can be reached at 408-264-3654. I've got their flier in electronic format, but I hesitate to post it for fear of being flamed for putting an ad on the net. I would appreciate your telling them that you got their number from Kate and Lee, if you do call them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas needed We're going with a theme also, we both play golf and probably close to 80% of our guests play also. We're having golf balls printed with names and date, as well as tees that are packaged in a cover that looks similar to a matchbook, contains 4 tees with names and date on the tees as well as the cover. Those are for the men, for the women, since I raise hothouse roses, I've had an artist friend oil paint a minature portrait 3X5, of a bouquet I raised. 75 prints will be made and framed for the women. We started a while ago though, so most of the work is complete. The last wedding I went to, for the men and the women, a ball and chain key chain was given. The name and date were ingraved on the ball. My mom was offended, but many people thought it was cute. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: ak481@yfn.ysu.edu (Teri Flora) Subject: Bridaltown, Collegeville, PA Hi everyone, I got so many requests for their address I thought I would post it for all to see. Bridaltown 3446 Germantown Pike Collegeville, PA 19426 215-489-1950 They are a warehouse store, though much nicer than the "salon" I had been to previously. When the store receives the dresses, they` are given a date. the longer the dress is in the store, the higher the discount you will get when you purchase it. It's just like Filene's Basement in Boston, for those of you in this area. You do get the dress you are trying on, they do not do make to order or whatever you call it. The sales people were very nice and helpful. I would suggest you make an appointment. I bought my dress (with crinolin (sp?)), shoes, veil, hosery, and a guestbook, in under an hour. I did, however, know exactly what I was looking for. They have an alterations department there, but I don't live near the store so I am having the alterations done elsewhere. They do do same-day alterations though, so if I wanted to I could go back on a Sunday and have them do them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas needed From: lls@tntvax.ntrs.com We are going an even simpler route. I *don't want* jordan almonds in netting. I called Fannie May, and they sell one and two-piece boxes of candy. I'm getting one of those, buying micro-mini bows in our wedding colors and sticking them on the box. I may put a ribbon around it too, depending on how it looks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 10:51:55 -0400 From: "Kathy Brade" (brade@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu) To: Sandra_Flor@vos.stratus.com Subject: Wedding favor idea For my wedding, we're doing the following: 2 Hershey kisses and 2 Hershey hugs wrapped into 3 circular pieces of tulle which are tied so that they "poof" like a flower. The tag on the outside says something like: "Thanks for celebrating with us on our wedding day. Hugs and Kisses, Kathy and Mark June 18, 1994" kathy p.s. This was a variation of something my cousins have done... 2 hershey kisses and a penny: "A kiss from the bride, a kiss from the groom, and a penny for good luck" p.p.s. Depending on how much time you want to invest or not I've also been to weddings where the favor was a lead glass (Christmas?) ornament shaped like a bell. Perhaps you can find someone to make them cheaply (bulk) at an art fair or somewhere. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ To: Sandra Flor Date: 94-06-01 20:38:43 edt From: selene@eskimo.com Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas My mom had little bags of potpourri with B&G name and date. I still have mine (this was a 2nd wedding ~7 years ago) Many people have mentioned little splits of wine with personalized labels. I love that idea. We will be giving out homemade beer with a personalized label (so Jim better get busy!) The local facbrics and crafts stores have scads of stuff for making the more traditional tulle pouf with almonds inside. The little plastic containers look like shoes, swans, mugs, wine glasses, and the cardboard ones look like purses, octagonal boxes, little tuxes (cute!), mailboxes... that's all I can remember. I saw blown glass birdbaths with two birds and ribbons in the wedding colors tied on to it. Very extravagent, I'm sure. I've read about spoons with chocolate kisses tied into them with a little poem about spoonfuls of love or something like that. I'll be giving out handmade cloth napkins (Selene better get busy) to follow along with the German tradition of providing guests with napkins to take food home in. An explanatory note will accompany them. Several people on the net mentioned little brass or crystal bells tied with wedding color ribbons, for guests to ring instead of banging on glasses. Someone else (Maddi?) painted little wooden boats with appropriate info and let people select one to take home. All were different. This could be modified to represent any major interest of the bridal couple (how come it isn't groomal couple?). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: white@eng.gtefsd.com (Lisa White) Subject: Re: unique , inexpensive wedding favors...thro Friends of mine were married in April in Plymouth, MA, and their reception was on the water. For favors, they had pretty little paper bags (made out of gift wrap-type paper, and that stood on their own like a grocery bag) each with several pieces of salt water taffy. The top of the bag was folded over, a hole punched in, and several strands of colored curling ribbon threaded through. I loved this idea, since I don't like the little frou-frou things (they just create clutter for me, since I can't think of where to put them and I can't bear to throw them out). My wedding is in Sept, and I plan to do something similar. I'm going to put in some really good wrapped chocolates and amaretti cookies (which come two to a tissue wrapper). One Baci (hazelnut chocolate truffle-type tidbit), one piece of Ghiaradella chocolate, and the cookies. All great with coffee. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: lisah@titan.ucs.umass.edu (Lisa M. Holzer) Subject: Re: wedding favors For favors, I got these plain little baskets for 50 cents apiece at a Christmas Tree shop. Next, I got some ribbon in my wedding colors (33 cents for 10 yards! but that was because this particular Leewards is going out of business in my area), and a darning needle. I am sewing the ribbon in a very simple pattern around the top of the basket, and tying it into a bow in the front. I got these CUTE little silk flowers from a fabric store ($2 per stem, but each stem has like 15 flowers on it) which are getting tied into the bow. I thought I would have to glue them, but the tying seems pretty secure, so there is no need for the glue. To fill the baskets, we got: + chocolate hearts by the pound, something like 45 came in a pound and we got enough for two hearts per basket + little gold bells, that were 60 cents per package of two, from a craft store; they are usually located where the jingles are at, at least, in the stores I have been in in Mass. and southern New Hampshire. Apparently, this is the one item that made my parents and his parents and even my grandmother happy so far. The bells need to have a ribbon tied to them, since they have this little hole for one at the top, and there is no handle really on the bells. The bells can be used as Christmas tree decorations. + we are being sent off with bubbles (to my parents dismay, but the place we are getting married at doesn't allow rice or confetti or anything like that, which is hard for my parents to comprehend, apparently), so perhaps a small bottle of bubbles will go into the basket. I bought these for 50 cents apiece at a Bradlee's. But I might wait to give the bubbles out later... (To make sure they aren't all blown before the end of dinner ;-) + I am adept at baking cookies; I am making Sand Tarts in the shape of a ginger boy (the groom), a ginger girl (the bride) and a couple of hearts. Unfortunately, his parents don't like these particular cookies because they are "too crackery"; so I have to include a couple of some kind of cookies they DO like. (I am afraid they are going to be picky. Sigh.) Anyway, the cookies are going into plastic bags that will be tied with ribbon, so that they don't get stale. We would put a couple of the almonds in them too, but the trouble is (my Mom says) Dad wants to have more that two or three almonds in his basket. Dad said he would be happiest if we just filled all the baskets with pistachio nuts. 8-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Erica Nielsen Killins (enielsen@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca) Subject: Re: LIST: Wedding Favors For my wedding, I wanted to do something personal, but wasn't sure what. My ex-sister-in-law gave me the idea of crocheting the favours myself. She found some patterns for me and I experimented with them until I found 2 that I liked. But, I didn't have enough time to make them all myself, so she made one kind and I made the other. I crocheted little baskets and she crocheted little fans. We decided only to give the baskets and fans to the women, as men wouldn't really know what to do with them anyway and would just give them to their wives. My ex-sister-in-law did all of the hardening of the baskets and fans and put all the ribbon and other decoration on them. Then we got together and put candy (cinnamon hearts and mints) in the baskets and tied up the candy in tulle and tied the package to the fans. For the men, we just tied up the candy in tulle and put a little silk flower in it. Of course, some people would wonder what to do with the baskets and fans. Well, since our wedding colours were red and white, the baskets and fans were either red with white decorations or white with red decorations. I figured that since they were such Christmas-y colours that the favours could be used as Christmas ornaments later.... If you're interested in the patterns, e-mail me and we can work something out to obtain the patterns... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Dianne Snow (Snowy2@tiac.net) Subject: Re: favors suggestions For favors, we had sunglasses with our names and wedding date embossed on both ear pieces. We got them from a company in Waltham Ma.. called Creative Concepts.. their phone number is 1 617 935 8439.. They will send you a catalog of their wares. lots of ideas there..Dianne and Bill .. we are seeing the sunglasses all over the place. and they are useful..nice and dark. Good luck.. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Dawn Neuhart (dn1g+@andrew.cmu.edu) Subject: Re: favors suggestions After lots of scrounging, I found a craft store near me which has terrific sales. I found lots of the cutest little brass bells that were marked 40% off, and so, were $1 each! We bought 40 of them, as well as white satin ribbons with our names thermographed on them in green from an invitation place. We also got some green ribbons from the same craft store and are going to tie them around the bells. All in all, each favor will cost us about $1.21. Not to shabby if I do say so myself. They're really cute, very tasteful, unique, and inexpensive. Good Luck! Dawn (& Joe) October 7, 1995 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Bill Scanlan (smurf1@grfn.org) Subject: Great Favors!!! My fiancee and I have just ordered the best favors for a wedding or engagement party!!! HEART SHAPED GOURMET BROWNIES!!! They can have special labels made for just your occasion! Bill ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: erogers@yeats.rand.org (Elizabeth Rogers) Subject: FAVOURS We're having favours. I like fortune cookies; so we've place an order of 1000 individually wrapped with our message. We'll put in small take out Chinese food boxes (paper mart sells them) and wrap in netting. Cookies cost $88.00 for the 1000. very reasonable for our wedding with about 250 guests and good for the snack. -Elizabeth ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: vdimauro@aol.com (Vdimauro) Subject: great favors Low cost, attractive and fun idea..and I wanted to share since everyone here has been so nice about answering my questions.. hope it is useful to someone .. we bought wine glasses and filled them with colored sand wax.. you can buy sand wax at craft stores and it comes in all colors. By pouring in the different colored wax the glass fills up and looks like the Santa Fe style sand art. Stick a wick in and then seal the whole thing by melting the wax in a sauce pan and pouring it over the top. We are not terribly artistic people yet everyone of the candles came out lovely. best VDiMauro@AOL.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: sandy@sw.stratus.com Subject: Favors We gave out potted plants to all our guests. Some flowering plants and some different ivy plants. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: itcynthi@bullwinkle.ucdavis.edu (Cynthia Pickens) Subject: Re: magnets for favors Date: 17 Jul 1995 20:01:37 GMT I am doing magnet favors for a wedding that I am coordinating now. She is using little small brooms with a ribbon rose and a pretty gold bow. I think it is a great idea, beats those yulky candies and useless plastic kizmos. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stephanie Raney (sraney@bass.hooked.net) wrote: : I was just at a wedding last weekend where they gave out small ice box : magnet brass frames (1"x1.5") with their picture in it. They glued on a bit : of ribbon and a tiny silk flower. Cute, and fun, and when I get tired of : it, I can peel off the decoration and remove the picture and put in one of : my own. I've seen them at craft stores, but don't know the price. : Regards, Stacy Turner : The Veil Lady ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Sandra Flor (sandy@sw.stratus.com) I made pincushion dolls that were a HUGE hit. They were a lot of work (about 45 minutes per doll), but luckily I had a lot of help. It was also a lot of work because I made 72 of them!! They were the talk of the party though. I have the directions if anyone would like them. They are kind of long to type in but I can fax out a copy. They are also a good craft to make with scraps of material, lace, and ribbon you may have lying around. -- Sandy ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Theres a great magazine published 4x per year called Bridal Crafts. They always have lots of ideas for favors. Bridal Crafts 701 Lee Street Suite 1000 Des Plaines IL 60016-4570 phone: 1-800-crafts-1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Another idea for bridal shower favors is that you take a square of white lacey material and fill it with a few jordan almonds (colored ones or all white. Draw up the edges of the material and tie a narrow ribbon into a bow to hold it all together. It looks really nice and is not too expensive. Another thing you could do is to go the a craft store and buy those little inexpensive plastic wedding rings or tiny umbrellas and attach these little trinkets to the candy favor you just made from above. Colored mints in tiny weaved baskets that they sell at craft stores with a small bow glued onto the top of the basket are easy to make also. Hope this helps you out. Trese ------------------------------------------------------------------------ My friend threw me a bridal shower and she made some really neat favors. She bought these little baskets about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Then she sprayed them white and used a hot glue gun to glue some pink and white lace around the edge of the basket. For the shower she got the hotel to make chocolate dipped strawberries and put these in the basket. For the centerpiece she used a medium sized white basket. She glued pink and white lace around the edge of this basket too. The basket was filled with nice things for the bride (eg. scented soaps, face cloth, etc). It was very nice. Another shower I went to had cookies for favors. The bride loved chocolate so she baked chocolate chip cookies (3-4 inches diam) and sealed them in seal-a-meal bags. Then she baked a huge cookie (over 12 inches across) with Congratulations written in chocolate chips. Yummy. Hope this helps, Sylvia ------------------------------------------------------------------------ At a friends wedding, they got netting and ribbon and Ande's mints, and tied up a pair of mints together in a square of netting. It all went together very fast. Netting and ribbons were in the wedding colors, of course, and available at fabric shops. Or, just wander thru a few of the crafts supply stores in your area. One near me has tons of bridal type stuff, from the tiny plastic champagne glasses to bulk jordan almonds. Wander thru and decide what you like. I bet they have idea books there too. (Wish I'd found this place before my wedding....) Also, try a post to alt.weddings, if you get it at your site. They are full of suggestions. Best of luck. Kaye Trimbath trimbath@data-io.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- From: tang@spectra.com (Melissa Tang) Subject: Re: shower favors Date: Thu, 20 Jan 94 22:34:12 GMT >In article (farr.759081225@nyquist) farr@ee.ualberta.ca (Catherine Vaike Farr) writes: >> The mention of the pillow reminded me of tablecloths. >> One person I know got everyone to sign a table cloth. She >> then embroydered over the names with various colours the >> bride had chosen. >> Another person has a red cloth with the best wishes from >> everyone that was at their wedding. They have mounted this >> cloth and it is now hanging on one of their walls. >> >> Catherine >> >Was the person who had this red cloth by any chance Chinese? It is a >Chinese tradition to have red silk cloths for the wedding guests to sign. I >had two at my wedding and they ended up being like guest books (I had a >typical guest book too). >Another shower favor that we did for my cousin was miniature wreaths. We >bought small wreaths, wrapped ribbons that matched her wedding colors around >the wreaths, added some babies breath and two small hearts with her and her >fiance's names on them. We made them into refrigerator magnets. >I just remembered another one that I really liked. The bridesmaids bought >the 3x5 clear, acrylic magnet frames and wrote the bride's name on them >using shirt paints. They added ribbons around it too. >Melissa ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: oxton@skopen.dseg.ti.com (Gail Oxton) Subject: Re: shower favors Date: Fri, 7 Jan 1994 18:53:27 GMT For my bridal shower, the hostess made potpourri bags. She bought blue fabric and white ribbon 1/4" wide (blue & white were my wedding colors), cut the fabric into squares using pinking shears for a "ruffled" edge, placed a small amount of potpourri in the middle of each square and tied up the "bag" with the white ribbon. She also wrote "Gail's Bridal Shower" and the date on each ribbon (probably before tying). They were easy and inexpensive to make, but they looked very pretty. She had them sitting in large basket as a table centerpiece (also adorned with blue & white ribbon). --Gail ------------------------------------------------------------------------ My sister made the favors for my bridal shower. She started with small candles (6" tapers). Each candle had a piece of lace wrapped around it and tied into a bow. A small piece of baby's breath was tied into the bow. These were done in my wedding colors (pink candles with white lace). They looked very nice and were quick to make. -Beth (bp2f@virginia.edu) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Jan 1994 09:06:37 EST From: (MAHMGR@rohvm1.rohmhaas.com) Subject: Re: shower favors If you have access to a fabric and craft store, a quick, inexpensive bridal shower favor idea is 8" squares of white bridal veil netting filled with either mints or potpourri (a little more expensive than the mints). Place the mints in the center of the netting and gather up with a thin, white satin ribbon (or you could use white wrapping/curling ribbon). Craft stores sell gold plastic wedding rings which are very inexpensive. Before tying the final knot, slip on two of these wedding rings on each favor. Curl the ribbon, fluff the netting above the knot and you have very nice looking favors that don't cost too much to make. If you use the potpourri, look for netting that is tight or use two squares so it doesn't shake out. If you use mints, smaller (and white) are better. Meryl rohvm1.mahmgr@rohmhaas.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: jcm5132@ritvax.isc.rit.edu Subject: Re: shower favors Date: Sat, 8 Jan 1994 01:27:55 GMT One more thought about shower favors. I have been to several bridal and baby showers and have a cupboard full of stupid little do-dad dust collectors I dont know what to do with but just cant throw away. Based on that...I would make a favor that could be used. For my sisters wedding we wrapped small bars of fragrant soap in cloth that matched the bridesmaids dresses. We then tied ribbon around it-like you would a gift and put a small ribbon rose on top. When I got tired of looking at it-I unwrapped it and used it. I guess my point is : if you're going to spend hard-earned money on this stuff it might as well be useful. At one wedding I went to, small silver jelly/condiment spoons were tied w/ribbon and silk flowers. Do you have any "All for a Dollar" stores in your area? Check them out. The bars of soap I spoke of earlier came from the "travel-samples" bin of a drug store. They were 50 cents or something. Check out your local library. Ours has a book devoted totally to baby and wedding shower favors. Keep us posted...let us know what you decide to do. Regards....Mary ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: "Rita M. Motor" (rm6v+@andrew.cmu.edu) To: sandy@sw.stratus.com (Sandra Flor) Subject: Re: Ideas for bridal shower favors needed I'm new to this group, so I don't know what kind of responses you have recieved, nor what types of crafts you have done. But I can tell you some favors I have recieved (and what we did for my shower). A friend had a 'kitchen' shower. The favors were small metal whisks, with a small silk flower hot-glued to the handle (the flowers that come 10 to a small pack, only cost a few cents). For a Cousin's shower, someone made little wreath magnets - the 'wreath' was premade, I think. Small dried flowers where hot-glued onto it. its about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. \Another friend's favors were popourii gathered in nylon mesh, tied with a pretty bow. This was a couple years ago, and it still smells nice! For my shower, we ended up buying very small 'gift' bags (about 1 inch or so high). We got the very thin ribbon, and the small silk flowers (come in bunches of 10 or so), and glued a flower and ribbon bow to the outside of the small bag. Inside, were a handful of mints in nylon mesh, closed with the same ribbon. We had also considered getting the mini plastic gift baskets (wrap the handle with the ribbon), or mini champagne glasses. Good Luck! Rita Motor ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: ringuesk@bcvms.bc.edu (Kristin J. Ringuest) Subject: Re: Ideas for bridal shower favors needed If you don't want to go through the trouble of fashioning some intricate craftsy thing that inevitably seems to end up on the back seat floor of someone's car, here's an idea. I gave a shower for my best friend 2 years ago (wow it seems like yesterday). We didn't have much time or much gumption to drag out the glue gun, so I went to a place called the Christmas Tree Shops and bought a couple of cases of glass crystal votive candle holders and boxes of candles in her colors (pink and blue). Votive candles, by the way, are tiny and squat. The holders are no more than 2 inches tall I would say. There was *no* exertion necessary and they were an amazing hit. The whole thing cost about $1.00 a favor. I don't know if you have Christmas Tree Shops, but I'm sure there are different similar type discount stores near you. Good luck and have fun! -Kristin (who refuses to have games at my shower, IMHO) ringuesk@bcvms.bc.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: aboswell@ucrac1.ucr.edu (Amy Marshall Boswell) Subject: Re: Ideas for bridal shower favors needed Hi Sandy, When my sister had a bridal shower for me last spring, she gave the guests pots with tulip bulbs. They were simple clay pots, and she wrapped them in netting and tied them with pretty ribbons. She also attached watering and other care instructions. Everyone I spoke with said they thought this was a wonderful idea. Amy Boswell UC Riverside aboswell@ucrac1.ucr.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I recently had to do that do, it does cause some stress doesn't it? You want to be original, but you don't want it to cost a fortune either. I did up some favor using small candles (the hanging one that are connected by the wick). There are alot of different things you can do if you have a glue gun and some ribbon with these. It was a hit at the shower. I also went to a few showers, where they gave away small plants, you can work with that idea too. Good luck!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From v087q5jd@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu (Donna M Hutchison) Subject: Re: Wedding Shower: Favors??? Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1993 00:00:00 GMT I gave a shower last March for a very close friend of mine.. the shower favors (which I have recieved some sort of at every bridal shower I have been to) were small crocheted (spelling?) hats that doubled as pincushions for sewing. The bride was planning a victorian style wedding so the lacy-edged hats with ribbon and flowers fit right in. (Public declaration: My mom did all the work, I just glued on the ribbon and pushed in a few "hat" pins). As to games, there are many types mentioned in previous posts here, but since time was short at the shower I hosted, I had everyone write on small cards a piece of advice for the B&G. Then the bride read them aloud. Things like "never go to bed angry" and "Make sure right away he knows who's in charge!" :) and I also made a little True/false quiz of wedding traditions for people to try their hands at. It was a lot of fun, but most of the afternoon was taken up by eating and opening presents. hope that helps! -Donna from Buffalo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can always make silk roses in the same color theme as that of the wedding. These roses can be filled with candies, potpuri etc The cost to make one is approx 50-70 cents appiece, and in one evening you can make about 50 if you never made one before. For complete instructions on how to make them please send $5.00 to Classic Keepsakes P.O. Box 97143 Pittsburgh Pa, 15229. Please send check or money order only!!! -- Geo G. Zaun Pittsburgh Pa. ggz@telerama.lm.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 1 Mar 94 13:45:42 PST From: Tamra.Heathershaw@gain.com (Tamra Heathershaw (contractor)) To: sandy@sw.stratus.com Subject: Re: Ideas for bridal shower favors needed My favorite favors of all the weddings I've been to were cast paper hearts in the wedding colors...they were about 2 inches across, maybe a little more, pale pink, with a pink bow glued on. I liked them for the simplicity, and also because I could then glue my heart on a card and send it off to my mom and tell her about the wedding! The cast paper things also make great xmas decorations. I believe they were made by making the paper "sludge" and then pouring in into a heart-shaped tin cookie mold that's sitting on a paper-making screen. You could also do pressed paper in the clay cookie molds. There are a couple of books out on the market with good instructions on this. I get my molds and paper linter sheets and instruction books at Michael's crafts, and I've seen several articles in past issues of the craft magazines on the subject. Good luck! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: carole_mahoney@iegate.mitre.org (Carole Mahoney) Subject: Re: Ideas for bridal shower favors needed I got the job of making the favors for my brother's wedding and just started last night. A small potpourri sachet is pretty, simple and inexpensive to make. Cut 7 or 8" squares of inexpensive fabric...I bought some fabric and used some leftover pieces from other projects. The fabric can be all different colors or the bridal color theme. You can cut 15 squares from 5/8 yard of 45 inch wide fabric. Cut ribbon pieces (about 8 inches) to tie them closed. Put about a quarter cup of potpourri in the fabric and hold it together and tie with ribbon. Tie a knot and then a bow. If you want to get fancy, you could tuck a silk flower in the ribbon. My husband and I made 25 last night in an hour. I cut, he scoops and knots, and I tie the bow. Only 75 more to go! The house smells so pretty, too! Have fun! Carole ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I JUST HAD MY SHOWER THIS PAST SATURDAY (FEB. 26). ONE OF THE BRIDESMAIDS MADE MY FAVORS. SHE BOUGHT SMALL GRAPEVINE WREATHS AND DECORATED THEM WITH DRIED FLOWERS AND SOME SPANISH MOSS AT THE BOTTOM WITH A RIBBON IN THE MIDDLE. IT WAS ALL DONE IN MY COLORS AND EVERYONE REALLY LOVED GETTING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SHE ALSO PUT A RIBBON AT THE TOP, SO YOU COULD USE IT AS A CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATION OR ON A DOORKNOB OR JUST AS A LITTLE DECORATION. SHE MADE TWO COLORS OF THE RIBBON SO THAT EVERYONE HAD A CHOICE. I THINK THE WREATH SYMBOLIZES WELCOME OR SOMETHING. IT IS IN A CIRCLE SO IT COULD ALSO MEAN NEVERENDING LOVE. ANOTHER IDEA IS WOODEN SPOONS WITH A SMALL BAG OF POTPOURRI TIED ON THEM IN YOUR COLORS IS ALSO NICE. I HOPE THIS IS HELPFUL. IN EACH INVITATION THERE WAS AN INSERT TO BRING A RECIPE TOO. THIS WAY THE BRIDE-TO-BE HAD A HEADSTART ON A RECIPE BOX. MARTHA CHEETHAM MARSHALL UNIVERSITY ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: jderbog@gmuvax.gmu.edu (Jane der Boghossian) Subject: Re: Shower/Wedding Favors I can't take all the credit for these ideas becuase they are various showers and weddings that I have been to in the past. The first one, which I am making as the party favor for my wedding in 6 1/2 weeks was from a Helouise column in the paper here a couple of weeks ago. Take a wooden kitchen spoon and place two chocolate kisses on it. Wrap the spoon part in nylon tulle. I have two layers of tulle for the two major colors in my dress and my maid-of-honor's dress. In between the layers of tulle, enclose the following saying: A Spoonful of sugar And two kisses Now *Richard and Jane* Are *Mr. and Mrs. Tie the tulle where the handle starts with silk type ribbon. The squares of tulle that I used are 13" square (more or less) and were purchased for $0.50 per yard. I was able to get 150 squares from 15 yards of tulle. I found the wooden spoons at Ben Franklin (now called Total Crafts here) for 3 spoons for $1.00 and the silk type ribbon on those ribbon reels on sale for 4 reels for $1.00. You can make the saying using Word Perfect or something like that with a pretty border around it with nice text. Some of my favorite ideas for favours from showers have been those actibath tablets with a nice ribbon tied around them. Another one I got was a small wooden box that was sponge painted with paper mache stuff to give it a white bumpy feel. On top of the box a small silk rose was glued with a few green leaves. The inside was filled with bath confetti and a small fleck bear was placed inside sitting inthe bath confetti. Others I've received are small sachetsmade from teh same colors as the wedding party or just the colors of the new couple's home with a small amount of potpourri enclosed with a ribbon to ahng it or just with a nice design on the front. Good luck with your search. If you need an idea for a wedding present, I've become quite good at making wedding cakes from towels since many of my friends and my fiance's friends have gotten married over the past two years. They aren't that expensive and they are a definate hit to all that see them. They are also good shower presents or centerpieces since everyone can always use extra towels and white goes with every color scheme almost. Jane der Boghossian (Soon to be Huzil) e-mail replies to: janedb@sylvest.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: jlp@unr.edu (Marge Parker) Subject: Re: shower favours Take about a half a yard of lace fabric, cut into 6" circles, saturate with fabric stiffener, place over the ROUNDED end half of a L'Egg's egg. Once dry, remove & trim with ribbon/tiny flowers etc., use 1 chenille stem folded in half for the handle, curving at the end, and glue into the center of the lace for a parasol. I did these and they were quick, easy and VERY inexpensive. We didn't just lay these on their side like a normal parasol, we stood them upside down, with the handle sticking up and filled the parasol 'cup' with tiny mints. For a centerpiece on the refreshment table, we did a giant sized one with double fabric, which we starched over a basketball! Hey ... it worked! Marge jlp@unr.edu m.parker@hdc.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: carrollj@freenet1.scri.fsu.edu (Joyce Carroll) Subject: Re: unique , inexpensive wedding favors...thro I decided to do something different and useful for my wedding favors. I'm making refrigerator magnets. Each is made out of pre-painted wooden hearts. I'm then writing quotations on love, marriage, men and women, friends, etc. Some are mushy, some funny, some off-the-wall. This is done in permanent black ink and I'm decorating them with miniature ribbon roses in my colors, of course (burgundy & hunter green). The magnets were purchased at a craft store and I'm attaching the magnets and roses with a hot glue gun. They are beautiful! At first I was going to put our names and the wedding date on them, but I decided that people would be more likely to use them if they had sayings on them. My fiance loves them and thinks they are very creative. I'm having fun making them, too! We will have them in a basket next to the guest book at the reception. Oh, btw, they are all different. On some, I've tied a ribbon around the roses, on others just roses. The possibilities are just about endless. I'd recommend getting a few pens however, each with different points. On long quotes, it's important to use the finest point or you'll run out of room. Good luck if you decide to give it a try. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: ddkilmon@email.unc.edu (Deena Deese Kilmon 2-0043) Joanna - My friend is getting married on July 29. I am making place name holders as follows: I took a small terra cotta flower pot (.29), stuck a styrofoam ball in it, covered the ball with moss, then decorated each with dried flowers, tiny birds, butterflies, tiny gardening instruments, etc. I then glued a strip of white lace around each pot. I am going to write each person's name on a white card in calligraphy and set it on top. They look really great. I also made a centerpiece the same way with a big terra cotta pot. For the shower, I bought little baskets for everybody and I am going to put bath supplies in it or something, like maybe a little soap or some bath oil beads, or maybe bath oil that I will make myself. The centerpiece there is going to be a "teddy bear wedding". I made one last year. You just some of those small bears at a hobby shop, take some scraps lace and ribbon and dress them up. I cut out a piece of plywood and covered it in moss, and decorated it with dried flowers as above. Also, one time I filled a picnic basket with baby's breath and wild flowers, the wedding bears, and pretty picnic utensils. It was a great centerpiece! And a neat present! Well, have fun, Deena ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: jhamrick@AFIT.AF.MIL (JONNA L. HAMRICK) How about crocheted bells and angels? Using cotton thread in white or silver. The bells are stiffened with starch. They are about 3in high (maybe) would make for cute favors. I have the patterns if interested. Jonna ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: cowferm@clpgh.org (Marie Cowfer) Subject: Bridal Shower Favors--Val Hi Val, My friend just got married on Saturday. For the bridal shower we made the favors. Her colors were forest green and white. We got large votive type candles--green. We cut 2 9" pieces of tulle--one green 1 white. We put the candle in the center of the tulle and wrapped it with green ribbon--very thin ribbon. We glued on a green ribbon rose and a white ribbon rose. As prizes we gave out candle holders. Everyone commented that these were unique shower favors. They were fun and easy to make! We also made the invitations. My daughter and I are rubber stampers. We got lots of compliments on those too. Marie ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: lkaplan@BIX.com (Leonard Kaplan) Subject: Re: Favors for Weddings/Showers A friend of ours took wooden spoons and decorated them with little silk flowers and ribbons, small baskets filled with candy, toiletries, flavored teas or coffees, and booboo bunnies made from a dish towel. These were shower gifts. Wedding favors were bookmarks with a verse and their wedding info as well as the usual napkins,drink stirrers and matches. -Susan ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: kebmhc92@aol.com (KEBMHC92) Subject: Re: wedding favors We are getting married December 9 and have the whole holiday theme going (red and green, Christmas trees, etc). For our favors, we have contracted five craftspeople in the area to make different types of tree ornaments: bread-dough snowmen, little cloth angels, holly berry wreaths, and the like, with Christmas 1995 written on them. Our flower girl is adorable and precocious, and to keep her busy during the reception she will carry a basket around and hand them out to people (its an afternoon cocktail reception). They are only costing about $1-3.50 per ornament and with approx. 150 people coming, it's well within our budget. Kristin and Stuart (12/9/95 -- FIVE MONTHS!! ACK!!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: selene@eskimo.com (Selene Herself) Subject: wedding summary: the favors I always like to take home favors from other people's weddings; I keep them in drawers in various places and like to smile and remember the wedding when I find them, so I definitely wanted to give something away. Since I'd made my own invites, ordering printed napkins was out. Matches also out (no smokers). I wasn't having a seated meal, so something at each place setting wouldn't work. In my zillions of readings, I read about a German tradition where the B&G gave out large checked napkins for the guests to take home leftovers in. I thought this a charming tradition and talked to my mom about it. I looked for ready-made napkins, but they were at the minimum $1.50 each, which was more than I was prepared to spend. During a fabric sale I found a pretty peach and white striped cloth with clusters of fruit on it. It tied in with the garden theme, and on sale, worked out to about 30 cents a napkin. My mom has a Serger machine (the kind that bind the edge as they sew), so she agreed to edge my napkins. (I'd wanted our names and date on the edge from her programable machine, but was quickly educated as to the impractibility of that). I folded each of these into quarters, then folded it to make an elongated hexagon with a pocket for a spoon and fork. (Let me know if you want better instructions for this folding - it's very simple). I tied each with raffia and inserted a little peice of paper with an explanation on one side and a poem I thought kind of appropriate on the other. (Only my forester friend complained). They were on quarter sheets of paper: Front side, centered: In an old German tradition, the wedding couple give each guest a napkin in which to take home leftovers. We customarily use cloth napkins at home in order to reduce paper consumption; we hope you may consider doing the same. Either way, accept this napkin as our gift (take home a few leftovers if you wish), and think of us when you use it. Back side, with clip art: let the trees be consulted before you take any action every time you breathe in thank a tree let tree roots crack parking lots at the world bank headquarters let loggers be druids specially trained and rewarded to sacrifice trees at auspicious times let carpenters be master artisans let lumber be treasured like gold let chainsaws be played like saxophones let soldiers on maneuvers plant trees give police and criminals a shovel and a thousand seedlings let businessmen carry pocketfuls of acorns let newlyweds honeymoon in the woods - John Wright (we selected this poem over the one praising trees and ending with "maybe humans aren't the highest forms of life") I made just a few more than enough of these for everyone coming, and wish I had made more. People enjoyed them more than I thought (my mom and I both thought many people would leave them behind, but instead people wanted extras to take home [and use?]). I'll have to keep an eye out for the fabric. Since I (incorrectly) didn't think the napkins would be popular favors, I wanted something identified with us that people could take home. I remembered at my mom's (second) wedding that she had little sachet bags made of lace. I tucked this in a drawer and periodically run across it (when digging for socks or some such). My mom said the little bags were easy to make, so she did so (instructions available by email). We stuffed them with very lightly scented pot pourri, and tied them with yellow, red, and peach ribbons, and attached a tiny note I'd printed on the computer with our names and date (amazing how traditional I became as planning time went on). Then we glued a little dried rosebud and a piece of fern to the top of the knot. I'd found both of these latter during my invitation assemblage for a few dollars a package. The ribbon was 99 cents for 10 yards, the lace a couple bucks a roll, and the pot pourri on sale for $1 per bag (only two needed). These came out to about 30 cents apiece (or less), too. I made extras of these, but assumed only one per couple (not knowing too many men with sachets in their underwear :) and there were some leftover, so I will send these to some of the relatives that couldn't come to the wedding (along with a leftover program). These sat on the guest book table with the programs and guest book. I had a cousin walk round and make sure everyone had a program and ask if they wanted a sachet after people were seated. (I asked people as they said good bye whether they had signed and everyone had or did). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: rocketj66@aol.com (RocketJ66) Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas?! Date: 18 Jul 1995 12:31:35 -0400 We are giving everyone a split of Champagne. This isn't as expensive as it sounds if you don't buy splits of Moet and Chandon. We bought 90 bottles of New York State Champagne for $99. So it works out to roughly .90 per bottle. We're getting personalized ribbons at .25 each so the total cost is $1.15 per. You probably couldn't do Jordan Almonds that cheap. ;-) Cheers, Joanne (& Gregg) 8-5-95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: karenr@adtaz.sps.mot.com (Karen Ramondetta) Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas?! Date: 18 Jul 1995 18:26:04 GMT I like the idea of personalizing your favors. Have them have something to do with you and your fiance. My sister and her now husband are both doctors and so they got 100 pill bottles from the local pharmacist (for free) and filled them with heart shaped red-hots and put a piece of lace under the lid. My mom printed out labels on her computer saying something about "Take one for happiness and love, Call anytime for refills" and the perscription number was the wedding date and Dr. Lois and Dr. Ross were listed too. My fiance and I met playing ultimate frisbee (sort of like frisbee football but with NO contact). We are ordering mini discs (4.5" frisbees) with our own drawing on them for $0.70 a frisbee. They have them in any color and even have some that smell (coconut, bananna, bubble gum). We are considering having flowers printed on the frisbees with our names and date, then instead of throwing the bouquet... Let me know if you want the name of the guy that does this. Karen karenr@adtaz.sps.mot.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: favors -- bookmarks? Date: 20 Jul 1995 00:47:34 GMT We did not post the earlier note about bookmarks, but we are doing it also for our wedding in September. We ordered the bookmarks from Regency Printers (Any wedding inv printer should be able to do these.) We picked out what we wanted to put on the bookmark, (experps from our song), and the type of material the bookamrk is made of. They arived and all we need to do is put on the tassle. - Jordan & Ann jordan@implicit.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: leeschw@access.digex.net (Lee Schwartzberg) Subject: Re: Does anyone have any ideas for wedding favors? Date: 20 Jul 1995 13:48:30 GMT Our wedding had a country theme, so we set our tables with bandannas instead of napkins. We had our names and the date silk screened on the bandannas. Everyone loved them. The day was really hot, so most were being worn as headbands, by the end of the day. Since I had to rent napkins anyway, for 50" a piece, buying the bandannas for 60" a piece cost me practically nothing. One idea we were thinking about (before I thought of the bandannas) is pretty ceramic napkin rings. They're something useful, that people won't wonder what to do with, once they bring them home...and they make your table settings a little more special. I know I've gotten alot of really useless things at weddings, which usually get thrown out. So, if it can't be a useful item, then maybe you shoud make it edible? A little bundle of chocolate truffles? Choc. chip cookies? Jelly Beans in the colors of your wedding? Good luck Lee ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Joan Mueller (jmueller@uif.uif.uiuc.edu) Subject: Re: Does anyone have any ideas for wedding favors? Date: 20 Jul 1995 20:54:04 GMT Another good idea for favors are small inexpensive picture frames. The last wedding I went to had the place cards printed and placed in small silver plated heart-shaped frames. An easy way to display the place cards and distribute favors at the same time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: J. Player (73503.744@CompuServe.COM) Subject: Re: Wedding favor ideas?! Date: 25 Jul 1995 02:38:33 GMT I saw a photo in BRIDE'S of a wedding favor that was an accordion booklet with words like :Promise, Friendship, Trust, Courage on each page. You could use any four words that represent special qualities of your relationship. So my husbnad and I modified this idea so that each page had the Chinese character to accompany the word. On the front, a floral embossed and haindpainted border (by me) w/ our names and wedding date. Jean ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: katetal@blend.ugcs.caltech.edu (gofoxxy) Subject: favors Date: 5 Aug 1995 09:46:06 GMT I was looking through my 'BIG WEDDING ON A SMALL BUDGET' book (big hit by the way, worth the $10 you'll pay for it, and probably thousands more!). Anyway, I saw a real interesting idea for favors. Check it out: buy small plastic champaigne glasses put 2 or 3 almonds in each glass cover top with tulle, bringing it down o the stem of the glass secure with ribbon and a tiny silk flower. According to the author, the entire thing should run about $.39 each. Pretty nifty, huh? Let me know what you think. And also, where do you buy 150 small plastic champaigne glasses? Kate ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: ike@fast.net (Tim Eichman) Subject: Re: Favors Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 23:34:19 GMT I have my florist to thank for my favors. She is doing some wonderful freeze-dried bouquets for me and my bridesmaids...they're just lovely. But more to the point, she also does favor placecards in which she attaches various freeze-dried floral mini arrangements (I chose the fan-which is a lace doiley folded into a fan- with a little floral decor that matches my bouquets) to a placecard on which she writes the guests names in calligraphy. Two jobs that I don't have to do for the price of one! Also, she volunteered to put a thin gold ribbon on each so they can be used as Xmas ornaments since I'm having a Xmas-themed wedding. -Kathi ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: catlin29@aol.com (Catlin29) Subject: Re: Favors Date: 16 Aug 1995 17:38:26 -0400 My friend is giving votive candles ($0.59 each) wraped in tulles ($1.00/yard in Wallmart avr. 6 dozen per 5 yards) placed in 4oz canning jars ($5.29/dz) which are filled with popouri(?). We placed the ring cover (the part that screws on) around the top and placed the seal underneath as a coaster. All totaled it's about $1.50 each ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Denise Benning (pauldee@astral.magic.ca) Subject: Re: GREAT favor ideas! Date: 19 Aug 1995 03:50:51 GMT We have come up with an inexpensive and "environmental" gift for our guests. We will be giving out small tree kits as wedding favours. These kits include white spruce seeds and a peat pellet to grow the seeds in. I am planning on wrapping each one up like a tiny present. The tree theme works well with our fall wedding. After the wedding, our guests will be able to grow their tree over the winter and plant it in the spring. I ordered the kits from Ontario Forestry. They request a donation of $0.50 for each tree. Denise (and Paul) October 7/95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: christintg@aol.com (ChristinTg) Newsgroups: alt.wedding Subject: WasWedding 7/6/96?? Me too(now favors) Date: 23 Aug 1995 07:36:58 -0400 I found my favors! The wedding is still 11 months away but I stumbled across these... little (@2x2.5")lucite photo frames w/ a magnet on the back for 59cents apeice at Current Factory Outlet... we're going to put our engagement photo in them & maybe glue on a ribbon bow in our color(s)... I'm very happy I found somthing under-budget for once :) :) Another July 6 Bride.... :) ChristinTg & JamesWils July 6, 1996 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kathleen.M.Mazely@JPL.NASA.Gov (Kathleen M. Mazely) Subject: Re: GREAT favor ideas! Date: 26 Aug 1995 15:46:21 GMT In article (ilmccllch.14.0017B62B@mindlink.net), ilmccllch@mindlink.net says... >I hadn't really thought much about the favour thing; then when the subject >came up Ian said he wanted us to give something practical (which fits his >Scottish background like a glove!). So we thought of giving coasters, and we >ended up making them ourselves. snip >So, there are all our favours for less than $100. We paid for them with our >time, but it was a lot of fun and it brought us closer together. >Any other ideas for handmade favours? snip >Laurel and Ian - 9/9/95 We basically made our own favors too. Jay wanted to make napkin rings painted with a Swedish motif for favors. I was not entirely sure about it as the colors did not even complement our chosen colors.(I am not a stickler for matching, but I like to see at least complimentary colors). I went to one of the linen store clearance outlets here in town to look. I found wooden napkin rings in the colors that he was interested in(blue and white). I also found these red wooden heart shaped rings. I bought one of each and took them home. Fortunately he liked the red hearts without any prompting. I ordered 100 @ 99 cents. We then proceded to hand paint them with our names and the date, and painted in Pooh and Piglet using a stamp and paint pens. So far about 60 are finished and the other 40 are in various stages. We are putting a red metallic string on them so people can take them home and hang them on their tree. The caterer said she would use them for the napkins at the reception. Jay and I have had a great time doing it, ( making the napkin rings, that is ;) ), and it was fun to make something personal to give from us. Kathleen (marrying Jay 12/9/95) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: ambrem@aol.com (AmbreM) Subject: Re: Favors Date: 27 Aug 1995 12:38:19 -0400 I am getting married on the Queen Mary, and I really wanted little pirate chests. Unfortunately, I have not found that, so I am getting little cardboard boxes shaped like chests and filling them with chocolate gold coins. Ambre ------------------------------------------------------------------------ There's a great magazine published 4x per year called Bridal Crafts. They always have lots of ideas for favors. Bridal Crafts 701 Lee Street Suite 1000 Des Plaines IL 60016-4570 phone: 1-800-crafts-1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Anyone@ibar.com (Denise & John Castellucci) Subject: Re: GREAT favor ideas! Date: Sun, 27 Aug 1995 19:53:09 GMT Here is what we are providing for favors: 1. chocolate coins with silver foil. On one side, there is a rose and on the other side says thank you. 2. Handpainted clay pots in our wedding colors and has our names, wedding date, and location. We will plant minature rose bushes in them and have them for centerpieces and decorations...then send them along with guests. 3. small white bottles of bubbles with labels with our names and wedding date. They are wrapped in netting and tied with a bow. 4. Program for ceremony, which includes articles about us and acknowledgements. Denise (&John) 9-9-95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Doug Kiker (doukike@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu) Subject: Re: GREAT favor ideas! The best favor that I've heard of so far, and plan to do myself kills two birds with one stone. I am going to provide the guests with disposable camaras and request that they only take pictures of each other and include everyone at their table. When I get the pictures back (doubles) I will enclose the pictures of each person in with their thank you note. The way I see it, nobody is really gonna want a wallet of the bride and groom, and I'm not so into nick-nacks. My brother had a small family only wedding where they gave out silver bell Christmas ornaments that had their names very delicately inscribed on the side. That was beautiful! My folks went to a wedding where their place card was in a caramic picture frame with small flowers. Also a nice touch. (I think the card were shaped like a wallet picture, not so oblong) Just some other, and probably not so cost efficient, ideas! Jen (& Ramon, 8/3/96) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: mlh@ecegrad.ncsu.edu (Molly L. Hodges) Subject: Re: GREAT favor ideas! I am making button topiaries for the tables at the reception to give away. The town the wedding is in has a very old button factory and I'm getting bags of "rejects", that are perfect for the job. I'm making three sizes of topiaries, gluing the white, cream and pearl buttons to spray painted gold styrofoam balls and then inserting them into clay pots filled with sand and spanish moss to top it off. I'm tying each one with gold french ribbon bows. There will probably be 20 or so tables, so that means 60 or more topiaries, but I have lots of cousins who have volunteered to help. We're just doing the assembly-line thing. So I'm killing two birds with one stone, per say, by making my own centerpieces and having them as favors, as well. We've also been thinking about wrapping a few Hershey's Hugs and Kisses in tulle, and attaching a note saying, "Hugs and Kisses from Molly and Andy". Everyone loves chocolate, and this way everyone will have something to take home. Molly (and Andy) 8-3-96 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: myoung@Market.NET (Margaret Young) Subject: Re: GREAT favor ideas! We also used pots of miniature roses for centerpieces and gave them away. In addition, because it was a garden wedding, I bought 75 votive candles. I then put pressed flowers on them (from our garden) and dipped the candles in wax to secure the flowers. I then wrapped the candles in netting and tied them with little ribbons with our name and wedding date on them. When the candles burn, the flowers are illuminated. Oh, yes, I tied little silk roses on the ribbons. The favors were very popular and actually quite easy to do. I figured that some people could keep them as souvineers, while less sentimental types could burn them when the power went out. margaret ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: cboland@pinocchio.encore.com (Cindy Boland) Subject: Re: Favors We made and gave small plexiglass window birdfeeders as favors. I wrapped a small amount of birdseed in blue tulle and tied it with a pink ribbon. I put the birdseed and a small note in each birdfeeder and then wrapped them in pink cellophane and tied that with a blue ribbon. They looked WONDERFUL! They were extremely cheereful and partylike. Everyone loved them. I saw people getting ready to leave and holding onto them like they were gold. It made me feel great to see that!!! 8) Cindy (& Greg) August 12, 1995 (WOW! It's been almost three weeks!) 8) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A friend had a 'kitchen' shower. The favors were small metal whisks, with a small silk flower hot-glued to the handle (the flowers that come 10 to a small pack, only cost a few cents). For a Cousin's shower, someone made little wreath magnets - the 'wreath' was premade, I think. Small dried flowers where hot-glued onto it. its about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Another friend's favors were potpourri gathered in nylon mesh, tied with a pretty bow. This was a couple years ago, and it still smells nice! For my shower, we ended up buying very small 'gift' bags (about 1 inch or so high). We got the very thin ribbon, and the small silk flowers (come in bunches of 10 or so), and glued a flower and ribbon bow to the outside of the small bag. Inside, were a handful of mints in nylon mesh, closed with the same ribbon. We had also considered getting the mini plastic gift baskets (wrap the handle with the ribbon), or mini champagne glasses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We didn't have much time or much gumption to drag out the glue gun, so I went to a place called the Christmas Tree Shops and bought a couple of cases of glass crystal votive candle holders and boxes of candles in her colors (pink and blue). Votive candles, by the way, are tiny and squat. The holders are no more than 2 inches tall I would say. There was *no* exertion necessary and they were an amazing hit. The whole thing cost about $1.00 a favor. I don't know if you have Christmas Tree Shops, but I'm sure there are different similar type discount stores near you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ When my sister had a bridal shower for me last spring, she gave the guests pots with tulip bulbs. They were simple clay pots, and she wrapped them in netting and tied them with pretty ribbons. She also attached watering and other care instructions. Everyone I spoke with said they thought this was a wonderful idea. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I gave a shower last March for a very close friend of mine.. the shower favors (which I have received some sort of at every bridal shower I have been to) were small crocheted (spelling?) hats that doubled as pincushions for sewing. The bride was planning a victorian style wedding so the lacy-edged hats with ribbon and flowers fit right in. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I went to a bridal shower once where everyone was sent a 4 inch square (either blue or off-white) with the invitation and asked to do something creative with it...all squares would be pieced together to make a small quilt for the bride and groom. People either cross-stitched, used fabric paint, made their own 4 in. quilt patch, or whatever. Even people that didn't sew participated... One person sent back the square without doing anything, another just sewed on a pretty lace design that she purchased at a fabric store. The resulting quilt came out pretty nice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Wedding Favors - An Idea From: rc82111@mcvax2.d48.lilly.com (COLEMAN EDRICE M) I haven't been reading the "wedding favors" thread, so forgive me if this has already been suggested. I attended a wedding last month, where the favors were Hershey's kisses in a plastic champagne "glass", with netting (tulle???) around the glass, tied with a ribbon! I would guess these would be relatively inexpensive to make. They used almond kisses, as well as the plain ones. There were probably about ten kisses per cup. Their colors were fuschia, teal and white (sounds pretty loud, but was actually okay, because there were just touches of teal...), and the champagne glasses were clear or fuschia with white or fuschia, netting and teal ribbon (alternating). You could also use some other candy like mints or butterscotch, or if it was a Christmas wedding, you could use cinnamon candy and use red netting with a green bow! I think I would also want to add a little tag with the bride and groom's name, or at least write it on the ribbon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Kathleen.M.Mazely@JPL.NASA.Gov (Kathleen M. Mazely) Subject: decorating bubble vials I had a ball this weekend with my best friend decorating the little wedding bubbles. I picked up the bubbles at a party store here in town. I bought a package of tulle circles, a couple of black bows, and some tiny ribbon roses. I cut the tulle circles in to quarters and my friend cut little bowtie shapes out of the bows. Using a glue gun we glued the bow tie to the "front" of half of the vials. We bunched and glued three pieces of tulle on the top of the other half of the vials with a tiny silk rose on the top of the "veil." My veil is plain veiling with silk roses on a comb. The vials will reflect the bride and groom. They were so cute when we lined them up as pairs. I felt like Reverend Moon. ;) Hope this will help someone. Kathleen(marrying Jay 12/9/95 75 days! The invitations are ready and waiting to be mailed. I can't stand it! The anticipation is too much! :) )
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