Favors that don't suck?

Edible.

even make cookies (super cheap) and get some labels made with a wedding logo or something..put them in a plastic treat bag and tie with a ribbon. would look tasteful and be very tasty, too. as a guest, i would be like "SCORE! COOKIES!!"

Anything edible or useful is always a good idea. For our wedding we did bookmarks and bottleopeners at the tables, we had a photobooth (because who doesn't like pics of themselves), caricatures, pie pops, and boxed truffles just to name a few. I can attest that we had nothing left over at the end of the event.

We had planned brownies, but we will see if there is any space in our budget. I know we are doing cake charms, and since we will be Mr. and Mrs. Spoon, we are giving out the little love-themed measuring spoons as the prizes for the cake charms. if you dont know, cake charms are little metal charms you bake into the cake, and whoever finds a charm in their slice gets a prize. And they are pretty large, so that guests dont swallow them

Marilyn I like the idea of coffee beans!!

Is there something you and FH love? Or something your city/town/state is known for? For example, the cookies we're doing are a Baltimore favorite...something like that perhaps?

We did hershey kisses and hugs with a note that said "Please enjoy hugs and kisses from the new Mr. and Mrs." We had made about 30 extra but by the end of the night they were all gone.

Agreed with the ladies - edible is best!

We're doing a candy buffet - our favs! If you don't want to do a buffet - maybe candy corn, or candied apples since you're wedding in Nov?

Since we have a cocktail reception and it's adult only, we're doing shot glasses filled with one of the desserts at the dessert bar. I collect shot glasses as well. I wanted it to be something that could be used again.

We are having a photobooth and the print-outs are considered their favor

We got little tins of tea that we made labels for, tea + tin cost ~$1.50-$2 each :3

We are having maple sugar candy molded into maple leaves and then also having chocolate molded into maple leaves. so every other seats gets one or the other.

We are having a rustic/country wedding and we will be doing "the hunt is over" with our names and wedding dates, buck and doe with a heart logo on a koozie! Some may say tacky but our friends and family will love them!

We are also doing a photobooth, pictures can be favor as well. Like PP mentioned.

If you're really tight on budget and don't care for favors that are just going to get thrown away anyways you could donate money to a favorite charity and type up a nice little card saying in lieu of favors you donated money to ABC charity. Your guests should appreciate it. Also, some charities like St Judes (childrens cancer research), provides you with the little card so you really don't have to do anything extra at all.

We did jelly beans in clear boxes, tied with a black and white ribbon and a little tag that said "Thank you from Mr. and Mrs. M.". None were left by the end of the night. Lots of people were eating them during the reception.

We did a bottles of white wine and a bottles of red wine with a heart tag attached that said "Love, Megan and Gary June 16, 2012" we also did tubs of pink cotton candy for the kids and non drinkers (since I love cotton candy), and we also had a photobooth :-) we had 48 bottles of wine with 2 left and 48 cotton candy tubs with non left.

Flower and vegetable seeds for the garden with a little note

I'm doing Pashminas and Ties (I'm having a black tie affair)

Charity and/or edible is a great idea. I say and/or because I was just at a wedding where they made puppy chow for everyone, and the note on the bag had a picture of their dog and a note that said they had given a donation to a bulldog rescue in lieu of favors. I thought that was really great.

I was also considering frames for the photo booth pics because everytime I go to a wedding, I get these great pictures, but have nothing to display them in, since they are such an odd shape.

just a few ideas. I'm sure you'll think of something great!

Charity is a lovely idea, I like that.

I am a fan of edible or useful favors. For edible, I like things that are native to the area. For our DW wed weekend, we did welcome bags full of things one would put in a saddle bag of a motor cycle & maple syrup. At the table, we put boxed maple cream candies. It added to the decor of the table. We also had a candy bar.

For Cate's wedding, we did "Welcome to PA" bags for anyone who booked a room. We also did amorini(Italian candy) in boxes w/ ceramic flowers on them. Kelly King (Goskell) made lovely tags that read: Cent' Anni! & Cate & Dom. The boxes looked lovely on the tables. As parting favors, I bought seeds that will blossom from Aug - the 1st frost from American Meadows. To match her decor, I wrapped them in sage paper & put magnets w/ their monogram on the outside. Guests also left w/ boxes of wedding cake. At Italian weddings, we like to give and feed. : )

Other things I like are lottery tickets, magnets & useful things.

Marilyn, i love the coffee idea. up until this year, i never drank coffee...now i'm addicted and LOVE that idea.

we had thought of either a donation to two of our charities of choice or candy apples, but i think its is out of our budget...but coffee...that can be in the budget.