Wedding Blog
Wedding favors. Just invoking the words makes the hair on my beastie arms stand up on end. I have emerged from many a Chinese wedding with doodads that I didn’t know what to do with but felt bad for chucking: a small gold paperweight with the bride and groom’s names, wallet-sized pics of the happy couple, an acrylic medallion etched with the couple’s likeness… Chinese weddings are a veritable crap-bag — I mean, grab-bag — of useless tchotchkes.
An example of a typical Chinese wedding favor.
Haven’t you always wanted an acrylic swan mini sculpture?
I was thus determined not to have favors. Maybe a candy or cookie buffet, but no tchotchkes. But when I revealed this awesome cost-savings plan to my mom, she balked.
Given my mom’s reaction, one would think that sending guests home tchotchke-free was like asking them to pay for their own meal.
So, I did what any bride in the last two months of her wedding planning would do: I folded, like a cheap umbrella. Behold our wedding tchotchkes: pairs of key chains. I have to admit that while I’m still a little horrified by the idea of having favors, I actually find the key chains kind of cute. The bride has tres adorable pigtails, the groom is wearing the traditional Chinese character for “double happiness”, and when you put the two together, they “kiss” (by means of a magnet that attaches one to the other).
Of course, the best thing about these key chains is their price. We were able to order these from a company in Hong Kong for less than $1.25 per pair, which is a pretty sweet deal.
Are you going to give out wedding favors? What’s the most useless/awkward favor you’ve ever received?
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Share this post: Reluctantly In Favor of… Favors
Those are really cute! I’m stll undecided about giving favors for my wedding.
Ok, those are adorable. I think the most useless favors are some swan like item wrapped in organza with the couples names on the ribbon. Just not for me.
Those are cute, I love keychains and I know I’m not the only one. I don’t know if we’re going to do traditional favors. We’re having a cookie bar, and are probably going to use those as favors, but may do something more if the budget allows for it.
Those are wicked cute and I personally would actually use those. (:
I am having M&Ms in my wedding colors in cellophane bags with our monogram stickers. This way, they will be eaten and no one has to feel guilty about throwing anything out.
These are really cute! could you please share where you purchased these from?
Awww, those are cute! as far as tchotchkes go those, are pretty good.
I honestly can’t remember most of the ones I have gotten because I haven’t kept them! I have a few CDs I never listen to full of love songs, a really cool tea pot I never used and eventually chucked (I live in a tiny apt!), and some candy/cookies that I sometimes eat, sometimes chuck.
We ended up with a candy buffet and it was a hit!! Awesome pics, the guests had fun with it, couldn’t be happier. I was worried it was a played-out idea, but as it turned out, most of my guests spent far less time looking at wedding magazines/blogs and most had never seen one before. Score!
ooooh, favors. The coasters emblazoned with the couple’s engagement photos and the date of the wedding was probably the most memorable, only because I remember a friend and I going, “Love her. Love him. Don’t want either one of them staring back at me while I drink my coffee…”
I think they’re cute, but if you’re going to spend money, either let me use it or eat it, and personalize stuff is bound for the trash can.
We’re doing huggers/koozies/whatever you call ‘em, sans our names. We’ve collected quite a few from other weddings and events over the years, and we never really considered doing anything else.
Oh, and i heart your keychains. those WOULDN’T be bound for the trash.
We are having caramel apples. I hate the idea of spending money on something no one is ever going to use. Some useful favors I’ve gotten in the past: a pen(always comes in handy), glass coasters, and a heart shaped cookie cutter. Useless crap: wedding bells, pictures of the couple, notepads with the couple’s name on them.
LOVE IT!
I’m with you on the wedding favors, most I just don’t know what to do with it…unless you can eat it. 
but those key chains are too cute not to find a useful place for
those are REALLY cute keychains!
one of the more useless favors i’ve received is a candle…in the shape of wedding cake. it’s collecting dust. but i DO use the matches it came with, so not a complete loss.
IF i do favors…they will be chocolate. yum.
Haha, ohh, I have received a number of crapbag favors… especially from Chinese receptions! But love the keychains, I would use them! But please don’t engrave them with your names and wedding date…? hehe
I love those, can you share where you ordered those from?? THank you !!
We’re doing kind of wedding favors. We are giving green bracelets from the American Cancer Society (hispanic Cancer Awareness). Along with a note about donations made in each guests names. These are important, because my mom passed away from cancer in 2005, Since most everyone at my wedding knew my mom, I hope they will be okay.
@BeeLove! and @anita: We ordered them from a store on the 3rd fl. of Kam Do Plaza (”the wedding mall”) in Hong Kong. I don’t know the name of the store in English, and they don’t have a website, but if you ever find yourself in Hong Kong, the wedding mall is full of these, ranging from $1-$3.50 US.
@Mrs. Emerald: They’ll be engraved with our images, of course! Hahaha. Just kidding. No engraving. We want people to be able to regift them if they don’t want to use them. ;-P
@lobstergirl: THAT’s a favor worth giving.
For favors I really want to do packets of seeds and theme the tables based on the seed ppl will get - FH thinks dudes won’t want seeds, but really what favor will dudes want?
The most useless favor I’ve received is was the soup we got from FH’s step brother’s wedding… especially since I thought it was white chocolate - bleck!
Your keychains are SUPER CUTE!
Awww, those are really cute!
I love a wine stopper Mr. MagPie and I received at a wedding a few year ago. Yes, it has a heart atop it, but it’s also really useful!
Awww, those are really cute!
I love a wine stopper Mr. MagPie and I received at a wedding a few year ago. Yes, it has a heart atop it, but it’s also really useful!
Oh, and @AliCherri1: Might dudes want a food favor of some sort? Perhaps chocolate in the shape of the fruit or vegetable or flower represented by the seed packet the gals receive?
I think these are super cute! We are going for M&Ms in some sort of DIY packaging in honor of our first initials.
Okay, those are so cute. And you know, everybody can always use another key chain - even if you just use it for your spare keys. We have a whole stash of spare keys (for friends’ houses, my folks’ house, all the cars) all with their respective key chains, many of which are not near that cute.
I think my least favorite/most useless wedding favor of all time is either the custom beer cozy (tossed after a week of rolling around on the floor of the car) or the oh-so-cheap heart-shaped pillow (tossed after a few months of being chewed on by our dog). Although I do have memories from when I was much younger of plastic fake-gold rings, little scrolls, tiny bride and groom figurines, I won’t include those because at the age of about 8 I thought they were fabulous.
I have been decidedly against favors for the wedding, having had my share of organza wrapped bubbles, chocolate bars, {insert figurine here} with some sort of sticker/bow/box with the Bride and Groom’s name and date on it. Honestly the only ones that want that stuff might be the moms. So I opted to give to a charity instead through http://www.idofoundation.org which is fabulous!! Instead of 100 $1-$2 doo-dads that my guests will likely chuck, I can donate $100-$200 towards a worthy cause.
(Having said all that…I want your keychains…)
Oh how I envy you being able to do all shopping in HK! Those keychains are adorable! I saw something similiar as refrigerator magnets. My sister kept them in their cellophane wrapper and stuck them on the fridge! LOL. Do you happen to see any cheap mini martini shakers at the HK Wedding Mall??
@MMWedding: OMG that’s such a cute idea!! It’s personnalized without being egocentric! LOVE IT! (PS I might steal that for the “Rehearsal Dinner and a Show”
My hunny was absolutely, no question about it, against favors until I introduced a free (almost!) and personal suggestion. We met at a horse rental stable so we are giving away “lucky” horseshoes that were worn by the horses at that stable. The only thing that will cost is the little tags I’m making for them and the raffia to tie them with!
The worst thing I ever got was a coin that the bride’s father had made with a picture of the couple engraved on it - but the poor bride looked AWFUL - like a puffy version of herself. I still have it though, somewhere. I feel bad throwing it away!
The keychain is really cute! I hate getting favors that are useless and you can’t really throw away. We’re probably going to have cookies. You can eat the cookies and then recycle the box!
That is way too cute! i wish i could have a pair.
those are really cute! if you had to fold then you picked a good one to fold on.
We are filling little chair placecard holders w/ personalized m&ms. Double duty–no tchotchkes. Your posts are hysterical–you are quite the writer/humorist. Is there a little Jewish mixed in w/ the Chinese? I just dumped out a bazillion personalized shot glasses & hideous mini-frames.
I am totally against favors, except when we were thinking of having an ourdoor wedding in the summer (!) and maybe getting some bottled water for our guests.
I remember in the early 90s (?) seeing wedding favors of those fake plastic champagne glasses, tied with ribbons with the couple’s names. They are so awkward; I remember them always tipping over. My grandmother has a million of them in her china cabinet.
I felt the same way about not wanting to give our guests useless trinkets. We are having a destination wedding in December and thought it would be nice if our guests had something personal they could bring back not only as a remembrance of our wedding but of their trip.
So we decided to get the clear Christmas tree ornaments that can be filled and personalize them with our wedding date, etc. Then we are going to give them out with a note that tells the guest to fill it with whatever means the most to them from the trip; sand, something they found shopping, whatever they want. That way it can hang on their tree each year and a reminder of our wedding and a great trip.
I bought packets of poppy seeds–the orange cali poppy is one of my favorite flowers. I took the packets of seeds (no more than $3 a pack on ebay and over 3,000 seeds per pack!), repackaged them into small sealable bags I got from JoAnne Fabrics, placed those inside an organza bag and am going to make little cards on how to plant and care for the flowers. Useful AND cute/favorful.
I’ve gone to a ton of weddings… probably five a year for the past twenty years. This weekend, I got chocolates and a box of matches as the favor… I love both these treats. Because I can use them up! When I was little, I remember getting hand crocheted mini bags of mints which I thought were fabulous bags for Barbie. I loved the yummy little cookies in a mini box. I like being sent home with flowers! But flower seeds and other stuff tends to miss the mark. I like personalized matchboxes and cocktail napkins… and even ribbons… You can save it for the scrapbook… But for the most part just send me home with a snack:) But I think these are a sweet treat, especially when it’s a cultural thing!
hahahaha. hc, your posts always crack me up! i love hong kong and i dig kitsch! these are very cute!
They’re cute _and_ functional, and not so personalized that others can’t use them; therefore they’re a good favor. You’re so lucky!
@AliCherri1: Ew — soup?! LOL.
@Suzanno: You’re so right about the 8-yr-old thing. I still remember hoarding plastic figurines from some distant relative’s wedding when I was young.
@MightySapphire: The Idofoundation favor idea is wonderful.
@Jeffreysgirl4ever: That’s a lovely idea — and so personal!
@SomethingBluer: LOL - isn’t it amazing that someone actually thought you would WANT that?!
@adias.angel: I love the ornament idea. I was madly searching for those DIY ornaments for the weddingbee ornament exchange in Dec. and couldn’t find them.
@ms tofu: I love your alias. No - I don’t think I saw mini Martini shakers, but only b/c I wasn’t looking. That mall is full of favors — I’m sure they’re there somewhere, waiting for you to find them!
So cute!!! I have some little stuffed bears that I totally made Mr. Cupcake get for me for our first Valentine’s day together — they are from Hallmark and they have magnetic lips so they kiss when you put them together (and her cheeks light up red!). So, I’m a sucker for magnetic-kissing-things
Our photo booth photos served as our favors…. definitely more money than I would have usually spent on favors, but it also served as entertainment and was well worth the money!
@Miss Hot Cocoa: That’s too bad you couldn’t find the ornaments. They have them at all our local craft stores in Michigan. 
I LOVE them; simply because, I would actually add it to my keychain. They’re too cute.
Those keychains are adorable. I’m all about doing edible favors, as I think they will be the most appreciated and least likely to get chucked.
So cute, and the boy looks like he’s wearing a kippot on his head! Perfect!!
very cute key chains! do they sell them in NY?
This always ends up in my wedding conversations! I do love those keychains tho 
We are having a dessert buffet, so we’re just going to leave boxes or some kind of container out for people to take stuff home with them. That way we’re not left with a bunch of sweets, and we don’t have to waste extra money on favors!
Miss HC you crack me up! Those keychains are super cute.
My favorite favors are always edible ones-cause I am a pig, uhm I mean junk foodie. We are doing fortune cookies dipped in chocolate. Fortune cookies sourced in HK by FI grandma..hand dipped by us.
@lhm11271983: That’s so true — I hadn’t thought of that!
@anne: Probably, though I’d imagine they’d be more expensive in the states. Try Chinese invitation shops.
@PrettyKitty: Yum! I might still order some fun punch flavored fortune cookies for the out of town bags.
everyone always says they get crap favors, but so far ive gotten candy & glass photo coasters (which i put a photo of my FH in) all pretty practical.
if i do any, it’s going to be mini-tequila or candy
I have been blessed to never have an useless favor. All of the weddings that I have attended have been edible or gone towards a charity. Food favors are always the best, and I like the charity idea.
If we choose to do a tchotchke favor, the FI and I are going to write handwritten notes to everyone thanking them for coming. At least it’s personal!
how cute are those keychains! i would definitely reuse them. picking out the favor was the one and only thing my husband had to do, and he decided on being practical. everyone recieved a mug with our name and the date. i’m not sure how many people will use it, but he tried.
Miss. HC, my husband and I have the exact same key chains. We love them! They are so cute; I think your guest will like them.
By the way, I had no idea that they “kiss”. Will have to try it when I get home tonight!
I LOVE them, they are SOO cute.
I’m also Asian, we are giving out personalized chopsticks with our names and dates on them. Now mind you, most of our guests are not Asian, so I’m sure they’ll get a kick out of them.
Those are cute favours for a Chinese wedding - I’m serious. I’m Chinese also and have been to my share of Chinese weddings…in fact I think I got a swan like that at one wedding I went to. I also remember the old days of getting little pieces of sweet fruitcake wrapped in a doilley (sp?) that even I as a little girl wouldn’t touch.
For our wedding, we said no way to favours of any kind - we made a donation to the BC Cancer Society in memory of my late father instead and had the full support of my mom on that. The Society printed little tent cards with the details of our donation. We double-dutied the cards by printing the names of our guests on the outside of the tent cards and stamped their table numbers beside their name.
LOL I thought only Mexican weddings had the glass swans, hearts, figurines, etc. I have yet to decide on favors. I too want something that wont be tossed after a couple of days rolling around the car. I am thinking of giving small bamboo sticks and maybe with a little note explaining that the bamboo is considered to bring good luck. Ough, who the heck invented favors? I too tried to just eliminate them and was met with “WTF” looks from my mother and FMIL.
Those are ADORABLE, and I love the idea of keychains! I tend to throw out most favors (while feeling terribly guilty all the while). But keychains are always useful, and when they’re as cute as those, I’m sure people will appreciate them.
Because of the clutter issue, I was determined to give away either edible favors or nothing. But then I became enamored of the idea of lavender sachets. In my defense, not only are they useful but you can just throw them in a drawer and forget about them!
Those are really cute! Better than the favors I’ve seen around here, that’s for sure. If the girls get their hands on those I definitely see them being part of their permanent toy rotation and will probably end up tied to a plush leopard or frog with a series of rubber bands. That may sound lame but it is THE HIGHEST honor A or K can bestow on a toy they have been given.
The worst must have been a wine bottle stopper with this fake plastic crystal heart on stop. Now, I’m hardly a high roller, but it just looked CHEAP. I would have rather had 5 personalized M&Ms or something. I’m pretty sure my fiance’s is still sitting in his back seat in the box.
We’re not going the tangible favor route. I was positively sold after the wine bottle stopper wedding. The venue staff came through and threw EVERYTHING on the tables away while people were dancing, and I saw dozens of favors get tossed. The thought of throwing away that much money made me cringe because I am so miserly. Instead, we’re donating money to an animal charity, probably a local no-kill shelter.
Your keychains are a cute compromise for a wedding favor. The little girl one is precious.
Edible is the way I’m going for favors. We’re getting married in a pecan orchard and giving away mini pecan pies for favors. We’re from the south, so I think these will be a big hit.
I struggle with this too, on one hand I want to be practical and just forget about it, and then everytime I see something cute and adorable I just succumb. I already bought my favor at AmericanBridal.com because I got a really good deal on some wedding favor boxes. I decided to just add assorted color jelly beans that I purchased at Smart & Final and finish it with personalized satin and organza ribbons. I’m glad that I am not the only bride that is going thru this, its good to know that I am not as crazed as my user name implies…
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Mrs. Hot Cocoa, Boston/Los Angeles
Age and Occupation: 31, JD/PhD Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Medical Student
Engagement Date: May 30, 2008
Wedding Date: March, 2009
Blogging Since: April, 2008
Venue: Ritz Carlton, Marina Del Rey
About Me:
I am a professional student by day and an amateur cupcake taster, bargain shopper, and wedding planner by night. I am obsessed with NPR, the Food Network, paper, dance shows, Anthropologie, post-structuralist theory, Weddingbee!, "The Office," and celebrity gossip. When not procrastinating from my dissertation, I spend time catering to Jellyby, our overly anxious shih tzu, and getting to know Mr. Hot Cocoa. We have only been dating for fifteen years, so it's like I'm in love with a stranger! From the East Coast, we are planning a Jewish-Chinese Extravaganza in L.A., where we both grew up.
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