Bad wedding favors ...

Ugh a ceramic swan shaped tea light holder..it was terrible..but it had no home in our home.

Hmmm we took the ones my aunt gave us but they were these large white wedding bell shaped picture frames for like a 4x6 pic but the frame was large.... with little white beads on them..very 80s (granted it was the early 90s, but still).... it was just... kinda... not my fave!

Stay away from ALL nick nacks. With the exception of a photobooth anything else that's not edible is a waste of money. I hate trinkets

Honestly, anything that fits the "trinket" category is probably my least favorite. Even when I think they're cute, I either forget them or I end up trashing them the next time I clean house. Little mementos = dust collectors (sorry, not trying to be too harsh) and never pass my "do I really need this?" test during my next house cleaning. They may look great on a favor table, but they're never as meaningful or special to guests as they are for the couple who chose them.

Edible really is the best. The less of it that gets thrown out, the better.

FWIW, before decided to make my own spice blends as favors, I almost got salted caramels from Etsy.com (featured in Martha Stewart). I must've ordered 3 samples; FH never got a single one!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70039997/fleur-de-sel-caramel-wedding-favors-in?ref=sr_gallery_3&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=salted+caramels&ga_order=date_desc&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

Those caramels are a neat idea!

The only bad favor I could think of was one wedding we went too they had mini frames with their picture in them. I thought it was cute... but they had superglued the bottom shut so you couldn't exchange their picture with one of your own. I didn't know the couple well (FH went to high school with the groom) We rarely talk to them... thought it would be odd to have this picture of a couple in my home or his.

My parents went to a wedding where wine toppers were favors- the wedding was at a vineyard and most all the guests were wine people so my parents were delighted to see that the favor was a winetopper. (they also have no idea favors don't have to be candy)

Haha~I don't recall ever getting "bad favors", but I am giving out some trinkets as well as part of the wedding favors. haha I know most of them will end up becoming dust collectors or in the trash, but they worked into the decor of our wedding so it was sort of a 2-for-1.

I'm giving them mini-white lanterns with pink floralytes, a butterfly place card holder (it can later be used as a picture/memo holder), a small glass tealight holder with a flower inside it (these are going to be used for the escort cards), and a favor box that they can fill with their own candy at the candy bar.

What I REALLY wanted to get were some really cute bloomboxes (in case you haven't heard of them before~they're flower seeds in a box that come with instructions for planting, a cute quote about flowers, and topped with a paper version of the flower that they'll be getting), but my FI said no after he saw how expensive they were

We got bubbles last week at the wedding we went to...I took them, and brought them to work {I work in a day care}

LOL, the little kids enjoyed them!

but not my idea of a good favor for a reception with mostly adults

I actually have HATED all of the edible favors I have every received. I am really picky about food preparation/hand washing etc. So since I did not see you use gloves to put the almonds, cupcake, jellybeans, etc into the favor box, I generally throw that way! I also hate candles, shot glasses, wine glasses, beer koozies and other things you expect me to put in my home that does not go with my decor!

I LOVE matches, pens, and stuff for my car or office. Therefore we are doing matches, personalized mints (from the Knot), pens, and the reusable grocery bag (without our names on it!) that goes with our theme of ingredients for a successful marriage.

Speaking of food favors, we went a wedding last summer that had a beach theme. They gave out this candy that was shaped like sea shells and star fish. I'm not a huge candy person so I just brought ours home and set it on a shelf. Next time we had some friends over that were also at the wedding they saw the candy and asked if we had tried it, we said "no" and they started going into crazy detail about how terrible it tasted lol. So apparently it was bad enough to be very, very memorable. Anyway, make sure you taste the candy before you give it out! =)

Also I hoard the trinkets , I have every non-edible favor we've ever gotten on my dresser along with a fake flower bouquet and a fake flower centerpiece...

Does anyone have any input on personalized matchboxes as favors? That is what we are thinking of doing, but I don't know if that's one of those things that people won't appreciate? I wouldn't mind getting them myself, I keep the ones from bars and hotels and stuff in the junk drawer at my house and the glove box of the car and they have come in handy a time or two in emergencies.

I agree that most trinket-like favors are a waste. While it is thoughtful of the couple, I'm likely to throw it away if it doesn't fit in with my home decor.

Oh, and I have to add that I'm not a huge fan of edible favors either. I'm always trying to watch what I eat and typically don't eat that kind of stuff, no matter how bad I want to. I'd rather have no favor than to stare at that cookie all night, wishing I could have just one bite...

I don't like anything personalized with the couples name on it that is a decoration for my home. Personalized matches, pens, mints that's all fine; but I don't really want a candle or frame with someone elses name on it sitting on my end table forever. We are donating money to St. Judes in honor of my 5 yr old cousin who has cancer instead of having fancy favors. They send you a bookmark to give to each guest that we will be tying onto a chocolate covered pretzel rod and place at each setting.

Savanna: I think that is so sweet and special for favors!

We are going to do a candy buffet for our favors. Luckily I'm getting married after halloween so I can utilize clearance candy.

I also don't like edible favors since I'm a picky eater..I do like the lil champagne bottles..once I got some coasters that were cute..hmm I feel like some things with limited general use among guests such as spices (not everyone is really into cooking), seeds (unless it was already in a lil pot), candles (guys don't really use those), coffee (not everyone drinks it)..I'd like a picture frame (like a place card holder thing you could slip a photo into, like with those double heart wire thingies, or a donation to something.

I like edible favors prepared by someone else and not in a little bag. Something like a prewrapped chocolate with customized labels is fine. But a bag of nuts? Really- you're giving me a nutsack?

I also hate things that are personalized. It's not that I don't love you, but I really don't want your name all over my house. Heck, I barely have my own name in my own house- and I live here!

The only bad one that we've ever gotten we thought was really cool at first but now it's just getting dusty. Friends were married at a vineyard where they made coasters out of the wine corks... there was a wooden outside/base and then the inside was filled with maybe 4 wine corks. It was really cool looking but it's not practical as a coaster at all - it's not flat (possibly 'cause it was a DIY project) and they're big. We've felt badly throwing it away, but their one year anniversary is coming up (actually it might be today!). Maybe after that, we'll toss them. We feel badly, but they're not getting used and the pictures mean a lot more to me than anything. As far as I know, I've never not taken a favor, though I didn't notice any at the last wedding I went to, so maybe I just missed it!

Lol Jennifer, that is smart

I found a hideous wineglass in FH's cabinet. I thought it was a hand-painted tulip from the bride, so I felt bad thinking it was ugly. But turns out it was store-bought with the bride and groom's name crudely written in glitter glue on the bottom.

A wedding I went to gave out tiny bottles of sand with mini shells, with couples name on it. It was cute, but I didn't know what to do with it.

One of my college friends did little votive holders. She painted them with blue sparkly paint and hand-painted their name and wedding date. It was really badly done and why would I want a candle holder with their name on it?

I have gotten a golf tee with the bride and grooms name on it... I dont golf and neither does the FH... I am doing a picture frame that will double as your seating chart... people are the time are getting wallet photos and now they will have a frame to put one in if there wallet is full lol

We are doing birdseed in a heart shape. Sounds funny, but our "theme" is vintage birds (not having feathers anywhere, and there will be no birds' nests). We just had vintage-looking birds on our invitations, vintage-looking bird postcards for guests to sign in lieu of a guestbook (to be put in a scrapbook), birdcage card holder, and bird silhouettes for table numbers. Thus, we are making birdseed feeders in a heart shape that can be hung from any tree/pergola/etc for birds to eat. I guess it's technically edible And if everyone leaves them, we'll have them for our own birds to eat. Both of our parents have lots of land and will hang them everywhere (away from the house...no need for bird poop all over the patios Plus, they're incredibly inexpensive.

As far as any horrible favors I've seen, the last 2 weddings had jordan almonds in little silver boxes...and they were left at every table. The few before that didn't have favors, and I didn't think twice about it.