Favors Your Guests Will Love (And Actually Take Home)

Favors are a tricky area of wedding planning.  There are not required but have become so mainstream that many couples feel obligated to gift their gifts with something extra... you know, in addition to a lovely ceremony, (free) cocktail hour/ dinner/ dancing, etc.  Because favors are just that, something above and beyond what is expected. 

Now favors are popping up at lots of pre-wedding events too which actually makes more sense to me.  My preference for favors if couples want to give them is to choose either edible items or make a charity donation.  However there are always exceptions to the rule.  I have found a few great ideas for favors outside of my typical guidelines.  Never feel pressured to buy favors, but if you are so inclined, are a few more suggestions.  Enjoy!  

#1. Wedding cake flavored vodka airplane bottles.  While this is not the perfect favor for every guest list, if your nearest and dearest love cocktails, they will love this fun idea.  Pearl Vodka's wedding cake flavor is not just for the wedding though, this would be a great add on to any pre-wedding festivity; engagement party, bridal shower or bachelorette party.

#2. Instagram magnets.  Talk about personal and useful!  Using the instagram app you can make magnets of your favorite photos!  I like this idea much better than save the date magnets which looked dated after the actual wedding has passed.  You can use engagement photos (extra points for holding 'thank you' signs) or any photos that go with your specific theme. 

#3. Personalized lollipops.  No, not lollipops with your beautiful faces on them.  This fabulous idea from I Do Crafts is to use your engagement photos to create the illusion that you and your love are holding a lollipop for each of your guests!  Confused?  Check out this post with a full explanation or just look at the adorable finished product below.  This is taking the edible favor an awesome step farther and I think your guests will really appreciate your creativity and attention to detail.

A Thousand Layers of Delicious

One of the first blogs I fell in love with was that of Petite Four Couture's A Thousand Layers.

Headed by Jasika & Alicia, PFC is a Baltimore based company set apart by their unique and stylish take on everyone's favorite bite size luxury- petit fours. These amazing ladies take their inspiration from the spring & winter fashion collections and translate high fashion into delicious mini cakes! I know. Amazing idea.

There are actually TWO best things about PFC for me as a wedding planner. One is the versatility of their creations. Edible favors are a huge trend now for weddings that I hope doesn't fade anytime soon. Favors of the past were typically candles or some trinket with the couples' name and wedding date. While those favors may have been cute and kept the wedding theme, many were left behind as guests did not have a use for a Michelle & Steve candle in their house. Edible favors are the best choice for your money and are a sure hit. More and more couples are even using their edible favors as centerpieces in lieu of expensive floral decor. The personalization and attention to detail in the PFC cakes is a beautiful way to decorate your table as well as thank your guests for sharing in your special day.

The second best thing about Petite Four Couture is the personal customer service factor. The fact that they are a small company, not some huge impersonal manufacturer enables PFC to make the best decisions for their company. Jasika & Alicia take a lot of time and spend a lot of effort to ensure they are giving their clients the best petit fours and the best service. I deal with a lot of vendors and the peace of mind of working with a vendor who is trustworthy and focused on quality is priceless.

Take a moment to check out their blog and I dare your mouth NOT to water...