05 - Favor bottles and instructions
I admit it, picking the perfect favors for our weirdo beach wedding was one of my favorite things about planning. I love giving gifts AND I loved using it as a way to enhance the shark theme of our wedding. So I thought I'd help ya'll out by writing a series of posts on finding the perfect wedding favors. Now, of course, with anything on Offbeat Bride, it's all optional! Favors are not by any means necessary, but they can be fun if you find the right stuff.

By far my favorite wedding favors have been the edible ones. Mostly because they don't add to the cluttered mess of my apartment, the last thing I need is more stuff. But the very best part about edible wedding favors is that yummy treats can appeal to almost everyone. Here are a few of my favorites…

Wedding Favours

Jellies and jams and honey. This is a great option if you are a.) any good at preserving; b.) having a wedding on a farm; or c.) are cursed with a bee infestation. Plus little jars of sweet stuff are adorable and easy to decorate. If you find that you aren't blessed with the talent of preserving, Amazon offers pre-canned jams and jellies and all the supplies.

[related-post align=”right”]Having a beach wedding? You can make your own bottles of sea salt. I once threw a wedding shower for a girl friend who was getting married on the beach so I thought that “sea salt” favors would be appropriate — I followed this Martha Stewart tutorial for making rosemary sea salt — it was a hit.

Chocolates! The great thing about chocolate (you know, besides the yumminess factor) is that you can easily shape your chocolate favors to match your theme — for example these Lego chocolate favors.

Old Fashioned Candy Table

Host a candy bar. This is easy, a total crowd pleaser and also visually stunning. Purchase bags of m&ms, jelly beans, rock candy, salt water taffy, Hershey kisses, lollipops, etc., set 'em up in pretty candy jars and then provide bags for your guests to fill with their favorite candies.

Cupcakes. This is easy if you're serving cupcakes instead of a wedding cake… get ahold of small, individual boxes or cellophane bags and send guests home with their own cupcake.

While we're still talking about sweet things, what about caramelized or chocolate covered apples.

Fortune cookies with custom fortunes. I love the fact that this favor is not only yummy, but can also be interactive!

Pettersson's Celebration Ale

Home-brewed wedding beer. If there are any home-brewers out there this would be perfect. Take inspiration from OBT member Angie's home-brewed beer favors.

Bags or boxes of loose tea, perfect for “tea party” wedding favors. I've also recently become obsessed with Jasmine lotus balls since I saw something about them in Sky Mall (no joke) and I loved that Tribe member Essie gave them out at her tea party wedding.

Mints. Easy-peasy and you can always use the ever popular “mint to be.” Plus you can find or decorate tins to match any wedding aesthetic, for example these Nintendo mints, pirate mints, and mints in modern colors.51Utk2TRK7L. SL500 AA300 PIbundle 3TopRight00 AA300 SH20 alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Location specific treats would be great for destination weddings or as a way to stimulate the local economy. Having a wedding in Canada or New England? What about maple syrup. A wedding in Seattle or Hawaii? Give your guests great local coffee! San Francisco wedding? What about Ghirardelli chocolates?

If you're having a fall wedding and you're decorating with pumpkins, think about seasoning and baking the pumpkin seeds to give as your favors. Home-made with love and tasty!

Any of you treat-savvy Offbeat Brides out there have any more suggestions? Leave 'em in the comments!

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