Jus as such things as invitations and programs set the tone of a wedding the favors can set the memory of the wedding in the guests’ minds. There are always the run-of-the-mill favors that we’ve seen time and again: CDs of the couple’s favorite tunes; miniature boxes of colored M&Ms; bags made of netting filled with Jordan almonds. Those are great ideas, and they always look cute on the reception tables, too. But as a certified wedding and event planner it’s always nice to have a few tricks up your sleeve, and presenting a few possible unique favor ideas to your bridal couple is sure to go over well. Here are a few really cute ones we’ve run across recently.

Photo courtesy of iDIY

1. When it comes to food trends these days we’re all about going local. Is your couple marrying on a farm? Consider offering guests small packets of seeds, tied with a pretty bow so that they can remember the wedding’s beautiful setting. If the wedding is taking place at an apple orchard a jar of homemade apple butter would be adorable, tied with string, with a wooden spoon attached. (And if the labels are hand-written? That’s all the better.)

2. Beach weddings will never go out of style because there are very few things more romantic. Choosing favors for wedding guests, however, can be difficult because if there is anything a brides doesn’t want to be it’s cheesy. Candles and picture frames and dried starfish or sand dollars are all nice options, but we can think of something a bit more romantic. These corked glass vials, filled with a small thank-you note from the couple, would be a cute touch to any beach wedding. Tied with a string and a note that says, of course, sealed with a kiss, they would be sure to be a hit!

3. There are many brides these days who are choosing to Go Green with their weddings. Favors don’t always fit in with this mentality, but there are ways to show a couple’s love for the environment and their guests. Anything that grows (along the same lines as the seed packets above) is a good idea: bulbs, flowers native to the area, tree seedlings from the Arbor Foundation (our personal favorite). For the couple who wants to avoid the physical gift but still honor their guests there are tree-planting programs where saplings are planted in honor of anyone a couple wants to name. If there is good food and good drink to go around guests may be more than happy to accept a favor in their honor instead of a trinket to take home!

Photo courtesy of Smitten Sticks!

4. We also absolutely love the idea of these smitten sticks. Can you even imagine how crazy the kids at the reception would go for these? Throw in a photo booth, and guests will be in love with the idea. And we can imagine them taking home these adorable sticks to make even more silly photos. The memories for the bridal couple would be great, and the guests would have a great time with them!

It’s obvious that favors are a great way to add fun and whimsy to a wedding and that they are a wonderful way to showcase a bridal couple’s style. As certified wedding and event planners coming up with fun ideas is one of the best parts of the job! These are a few great ideas to pack away in your folder, but the sky is truly the limit when it comes to wedding favors. Try to think outside of the box and let the sky be the limit when it comes to the creative parts of wedding planning. If your bride has an idea in her head of what she’d like to try - run with it! Make her day special and fun with unique favor ideas!