More and more brides are opting for edible favors for their wedding guests.  And why not?

Recently, the Classic Curls Heart Cookie Favors from Cookie Gift Baskets were featured in the April 2010 issue of Brides Magazine.  The perfect “something blue” for your wedding, these heart-shaped cookies truly taste as good as they look.   A delicious almond flavor-infused shortbread cookie is topped with an aqua blue royal icing and then confectionery artisans pipe on classic, elegant white lace curls.  The extra large (about 5″ across) cookies are shrink-wrapped, but you can get them wrapped in individual cello bags that are hand-tied with a matching satin ribbon for just 50 cents extra per cookie.  Cookies are priced from $4.25 and up with a minimum order of 12 cookies.

Personally, I find that my favorite cookie favor shape is that of a wedding cake.  At Gourmet Cookie Bouquets, you can find personalized wedding cake-shaped favors that are available in numerous patterns so that you can choose something that fits your style and color scheme perfectly.  Select from floral, polka-dot, striped, and classic curl designs and then add your names to one of the tiers for the ultimate personalized favor that your guests can eat.  If you prefer, you can skip the personalization altogether and go with a simple, elegant cookie cake design that features a white base and a white scroll work pattern like the gourmet cookies shown below.  Simply Stunning!

For the traditional bride and groom, a damask or flourish-patterned favor is a great choice.  For example, the damask covered candle favors in the upper left hand corner of the collage or the black and ivory flourish-patterned boxes in the middle would be a classic choice.  The boxes arrive with the matching ribbon so you simply assemble and fill them with your favorite candy, mint or trinket for a stunning presentation to your guests.  My personal favorite in this color palette are the “Timeless Traditions” black and white photo wedding coaster favors in the lower right hand corner.   The 3.5″ square glass coasters are packaged in sets of two and arrive with a white sheer ribbon and a center card that reads “For You”.  The white floral pattern on the jet black glass background is beautiful.

No matter what favor you choose, your guests are bound to be thankful that you cared enough to give them a little something to take home with them!

Image Source: Black and White Wedding Ideas from Hubpages.com

Personally, I am a fan of either personalized wedding favors because they just have that extra special touch or favors that incorporate edibles such as jordan almonds or personalized M&M’s inside beautiful favor boxes.  I love the latter because they are usually very affordable since you assemble the boxes yourself. 

So if I had to choose 3 from the above photo, these items would be my picks:

1) The adorable neopolitan striped boxes in the upper left corner that feature a chocolate stripe, a pink stripe, and a floral stripe in the middle.  They are perfectly sized to hold a good amount of candy or mints and they come with the ribbon.  You just need to fill and assemble the DIY favor boxes to present to your guests.

2) The heart-shaped measuring spoons in a pink box with a personalized hang tag in the bottom row center. Each of the spoons feature a clever little saying like A Dash of Kindness or A Spoonful of Laughter.  They are the perfect personalized pink wedding favor!

3) The chocolate and pink polka dot wedding cake candles in the center of the collage.  I love these whimsical three tier cake candles and they fit the color scheme perfectly!

Perfect for a garden wedding, the first look shown in the photograph utilizes a miniature metal watering can that is embellished with personalized ribbon (available in 27 colors) and decorative tin flowers (available in pink, orange and lavender).  Simply purchase the cans and then choose a ribbon and flower color that coordinates perfectly with your wedding.  Use a hot glue gun to create a look similar to the one shown in the photograph.  Fill the pails with a short stem cutting of your favorite flower such as a colorful Gerber daisy, rose, or carnation.

To create the second look in the photo, a silver metal miniature pail was filled with 3 colorful lollipops chosen to coordinate with the event colors, along with a ring of satin ribbon and a felt flower embellishment (available in pink, blue, green, or lavender).  You simply use hot glue to hold the ribbon and flower in place.  The little handles on the pails make it easy for guests to tote their adorable little favors home with them.

The final idea that I love is for a beach wedding.  In this case, white metal pails with handles have been filled with blue gummy whales.  The pails were decorated with blue satin ribbon and a miniature starfish that was glued in place.

No matter how you decide to decorate your pails, you can either place one at each individual place setting at the reception or display them on a table near the entrance/exit with a sign that clearly encourages your guests to take one home with them.   Pails are versatile so let your creative juices flow and you are sure to come up with a wedding favor that your guests will love!

Photos courtesy of the 2009 WeddingStar Catalog.

The upper right photo in the collage shows an affordable way to personalize your hexagonal shaped favor boxes.  Simply purchase custom imprinted favor ribbon in a color that goes with your color scheme.  Normally the ribbon can be imprinted with the bride and groom’s name along with the wedding date.  Also purchase some simple favor hang tags that say something like “Thank You for Sharing in Our Special Day”.  You can usually get about 25 of these classic thank you tags for under $5.  Tie the tag onto the box using the ribbon and consider using a little dot of hot glue to keep the ribbon in place on the box.

If you are having an autumn wedding, bring the fall colors into your favors through the use of ribbon and organic elements.  For the look in the photo, twigs from a local craft store (you could use ones from your yard too) were used along with a brown satin ribbon and gold organza ribbon.  Leaf-shaped paper cards were cut-out of green cardstock and hand-written with the word “Thank You”.  You can also find personalized leaf-shaped cards at Wedding Favors Unlimited.  They come in 4 different colors including brown, green, and red making them a great choice for fall-themed wedding favors.   You can personalized them with your names and date or your monogram.

Finally if you are looking to add a little glitz and glamour to your wedding favors, you can use crystal dazzlers, mongrams and a flashy bow like the ones shown in the photo on the lower right corner.  Kevin and Amber used their initials on the box for a personal touch that wowed their guests.  These do-it-yourself favors are a more expensive, but highly elegant option.

Photo courtesy of the Weddingstar Catalog.

To create the vintage look in the upper right corner of this collage, look to flapper girls of the 1920’s or Victorian hats worn in the 1800’s for inspiration.  This box was created using simple white feathers, ribbon, and natural floral components that can all be purchased at a local craft store.

For the splish splash beach-themed wedding favor on the lower left corner, you can create a sand surface in any pattern you choose by artfully placing on white glue and then sprinkling it with artificial sand or brown glitter.  For the sand castle, use card stock to make a cut-out and glue it to the chest after you’ve sprinkled it with “sand” as well.  You can buy miniature seashell decorations at a local craft store as well.  Simply glue them on to the treasure chest with hot glue.

If you are dreaming of a white Christmas, these snowflake adorned treasure chests might be the answer.  Simply cover the lower half of the chest in white glue and sprinkle with artificial snow to create a glimmery effect.  Then add a die-cut snowflake or snowflake dazzler.  The perfect favor choice for a winter wonderland wedding!

Favor photo courtesy of the 2009 Weddingstar Catalog.

This beach treasure chest was created using an aqua blue favor box, white “From The Happy Couple” ribbon, and starfish shaped stickers that are imprinted with the bride and groom’s names along with the wedding date.  All of these items can be purchased at Wedding Favors Unlimited. 

I suggest filling the boxes with seashell-shaped chocolates nestled on a bed of paper shred (as shown in the photo) or your favorite candies such as M & M’s in an aqua and white color scheme.

Using the same aqua blue treasure chests, you can create an elegant favor that would be great for a “Something Blue” wedding theme or chocolate and aqua colored wedding.  To create the look shown in the photo, you print out your favorite quote on a clear vellum strip and wrap it around the base of the treasure chest.  Then you wrap the white satin ribbon tying a bow around the chest in the other direction.  Use hot glue to add a heart-shaped confetti dazzler to the center of the ribbon bow and voila, you’ve got beautiful party favors for your guests.

Photos courtesy of the 2010 WeddingStar catalog.

Having a casual beach wedding?  Flip-flop themed favors are the perfect choice  for a casual wedding.  Choose from personalized lemonade packets, luggage tags, notebooks, and place card holders that all feature a flip-flop motif.  And don’t forget about the margarita or cosmopolitan drink mix favors.  Personally, I can’t think of anything better than digging my toes into the sand, kicking back on a chaise lounge and sipping a margarita on a sunny beach in Mexico.  Aaaah, wish I was there right now!

Want a more upscale feel at your beach wedding?  Favors featuring a seashell motif can have an elegant feel if you choose the correct item.    I suggest glass coasters, candles, or Adirondack chairs that can do double duty as the place card holder.  You can find hundreds of favors online that incorporate a seashell theme including several of the items in the photo below.

Personalize It!  I always think that adding your names and wedding date to a favor makes them extra special for your guests.  When it comes to personalized beach wedding favors, there are many great options including candy jars that you can fill with your favorite candy (like gummy fish for example) and then add a personalized sticker with a palm tree or flip flop design.  The margarita or lemonade packets that I mentioned previously can also be customized with your names and date.  But I have to say that my favorite personalized favor for beach weddings are the miniature bottles of sunscreen.  They come in tons of color and theme choices and best of all, their labels are printed with your names and wedding date.

Beach Wedding Favors from Wedding Favors Unlimited

The top left favor was created by taking a white floral embossed gift box and embellishing it with a white hydrangea bloom and hand-painted butterfly.  This delicate and beautiful favor will look amazing on your garden party or spring/summer wedding reception tables.

Simple green bear grass is tied in a unique pattern around a cubed gift box to create the favor on the top right corner of the photo.  It takes a bit of practice to get a grass pattern that you like, but it is well worth the effort.  What a great favor idea for the guests at green or garden weddings.

Bring some urban sophistication to a modern wedding with the sculptural ribbon design like the one shown in the lower left hand corner.  A simple white favor box is first wrapped with double-sided brown/green ribbon and then the ribbon is cut and starched to create the center portion (which is pinned to the box).   Modern. Fresh. Unique.

Travel stamps are used to create the “return to sender” favor in the lower right corner of the photo.  You can find small travel stamps at your local craft store.  Stamp your honeymoon, wedding ceremony or destination wedding location all over the gift box.  Tie with simple package ribbon or yarn for a whimsical touch.  We recommend using plain favor boxes (non-embossed) so that you can get good contact with the ink stamp.

The example in the upper right corner shows how you can mix and match favor boxes to create an elegant and unique look that ties in perfectly with your color scheme.  Best of all, this favor is affordable. The black and white favor boxes are embellished further with wedding words ribbon (faith, hope, joy, love and cherish) along with clear heart-shaped dazzler confetti pieces.  Simply use a hot glue gun to secure the embellishments in place after you’ve filled the boxes with your favorite edible candy or other small gift for your guests. 

The second DIY favor example in the lower left corner of the photograph shows a classic floral patterned favor box that is topped with the initials of the bride and groom.  You can create the initials by purchasing textured paper at your local craft store and using letter templates and an knife tool to cut out the letters.  Simply glue them to the favor box lid.  Be sure to take the favor boxes to the store with you when looking for matching textured paper.  Add a small piece of ribbon and heart dazzler for a bit of sparkle.

Add a Moroccan flair to your favors by dressing them up with some beading and gold roping that you purchase at a local craft store.  The rich jewel tones add an elegant touch to the simple floral pattern favor box as shown in the bottom right corner of the photo.  Jewels like the ones shown can be somewhat expensive so look for craft store sales and coupons to save some money.