favor centerpieces...tacky?

You could leave out favors entirely.

Just skip the favors. Most people don't take them anyways. You can do centerpieces that don't have flowers and they'll be much cheaper, like candles.

I'm definitely not doing favors. Half the time they end up forgotten, in the trash, or in the back of some closet

My thought would be that people would either a) not know to take the favors from the centerpiece since they may think it's decor, or b) they will take them as soon as they sit down and then your tables look bare for the rest of the reception.

I would just skip the favors altogether. They are not necessary.

Skip favors. They are unnecessary.

I'd say skip the favors and just look to do a nice yet cost effective centerpiece instead.

For everyone doing favors: unless they're edible, don't bother. As others have said they most likely will end up forgotten or in the trash. I was at a wedding a few years ago and the bride spent a fortune on favors. They were wine stoppers and they were nice. And they're useful. The only problem us they were engraved with the bride and groom's names and the wedding date. That ruined them. They were beautiful without the engraving, which just made them cost more than they needed to. The reason I say the engraving ruined them is because nobody is going to use a wine stopper with some random people's names and a wedding date on them.

If you are gung ho on favors, some of the pictures you provided are really cute!

I will tell you though, that a lot of favors are left behind. I mean, I went to a wedding with 130 people on Saturday, the couple bought 150 coozies, and...there were at least 75 left when we were leaving and the bride was passing out fistfuls trying to get rid of them. So people are likely to not take the favors from the centerpieces.

My centerpieces were kind of like what you posted, the DJ did a "game" / announcement for people to get the centerpieces. I know that people were either splitting up the vases at the tables or going around and taking ones that were left at tables. so if your DJ makes an announcement they will most likely get taken. ( I had 30 small bud vases and all that came home with me after were somewhere like 10 or 12 of them)

I also had a "traditional" kind of Favor which were the home made candles that i made, I had a label and a tag on the candles but if someone got it home and wanted to take the tag off you wouldn't know it was a wedding favor. I didn't get any of those left over ( I think people were taking multiple which was great).

I think if you put thought into the favors they will get taken, if you don't feel like putting too much thought/work into them then just don't do them. I spent an abnormal amount of time on my favors.

How about picture 2, but, add some flowers around the base? That would solve both your wants.

I'm making the attached for favors and as an extension of the our centerpieces. I'll still pick up glass pillar candle holders and I will be filling with flowers from Sam's Club.