8 Wedding Favors for Foodies

I'm brainstorming for a couple having a beautiful, Southern fall wedding in Alabama and wanted to share! They are both foodies too, so I'm dedicating this post to one of the types of favors that guests most appreciate - food! Read on for fun wedding food favor ideas!

(Southern) Foodie Favor Idea 1: Grits and Bear It

photo: Martha Stewart

Well, y'all, I love this foodie + Southern favor idea. Placing a special recipe along with them makes it extra special. Get bags below at Bliss Weddings Market.

(Southern) Foodie Favor Idea 2: I Need S'More

From Atlanta based Etsy-r Miss Pickles, I love these s'more favor hang tags that guests young and old will enjoy... I imagine your guests going home after a night of dancing at your bash and popping their s'more kit in the microwave for a late night snack!

(Southern) Foodie Favor Idea 3: Personalized Wedding Favor Cookbooks

photo: Lulu.com

Ok... this one technically isn't edible, but creating a mini cookbook based on either one of your cultures, your favorite foods, or a tie in with the theme of the big day is such a fun, and personalized idea. It may inspire cooks and novice chefs alike to get in the kitchen! So fun paired with a mini cooking utensil like a whisk, or simply tied with a pretty ribbon. Look to Mimeo.com or even a local printer for printing. Or if you're able to do luxe favors (or a fun welcome bag stuffer), larger hardbound books on lulu.com, which also has booklet sized offerings as well. Getting special family recipes to include is so special, too!

(Southern) Foodie Favor Idea 4: Hot Stuff

Aside from all the fun 'hot stuff' references, hot sauce is a condiment that's wedding worthy! Cute custom labels or tags tied with ribbon around the bottle's neck complete the look. Top photo, Pain is Good, mini sauce from Hotnbottled.com, next photo with custom labels from George's Barbecue Sauce, last photo, Alabama based W.D. Richards Signature BBQ Sauce.

(Southern) Foodie Favor Idea 5: Jammin' On

photo via OnceWed.com

Perfectly styled graphics and fabric make this pot 'o jam irresistible! Bonus points for locally sourced versions.

(Southern) Foodie Favor Idea 6: Hello, Cupcake.

The couple I'm speaking with also loves cupcakes! While they're going the cupcake route for the cake, tying this into the favors could be fun. I love the idea of printed recipe cards with a favorite recipe tied to measuring spoons... and better yet, with custom packaged heart shaped candy sprinkles for them to make their very own love-cakes at home.

From T-B, L-R: Beau Coup Cupcake Mix Kit, Heart shaped measuring spoon photo by Mimi and Karl, Pink toned plastic spoons from Catching Fireflies, and cupcake magnets from Amazon.com.

(Southern) Foodie Favor Idea 7: Hey Honey

photo: the knot

Again, with these jars like with the the jam in #5, it's the styling that really makes it pop. Why not use locally sourced honey? Check Honey Locator to find one in your area.


(Southern) Foodie Favor Idea 8: Tea Towels...the best for last!
No matter your guests' tastes... flour sack tea towels with personalization to tie into your wedding are going to be used an appreciated by all. Some suggestions for personalization include having them monogrammed, cross-stitched, or stamped with fabric-safe paint. You may also find a local screenprinter that will work with you, too.

Sources: Blank Flour Sack Tea Towels, Tree Initial Carved Stamp, Modern Trees Stamp

Have fun with your favors... they're truly a token to help thank your guests, and the more creative and useful they are, the better! What fun foodie favor ideas do you have? I'd love to hear them!

Big Heart...

I big heart (literally) these adorable tanks (arrow heart tank top) from The Wedding Chicks. I'm a girl who loves monograms and personalization but so, so much more in the modern craftista format. Also given that there's a giant stack of wifebeater tanktops (hmm. I really wish there was a better name for those... especially when writing a wedding blog!) in my closet, I'm an insta fan of this.



...and! Additional 'big heart' to their free, customizable downloads. These are so adorable for a shower or your welcome bag tags. Choose a color, you and your honey's initials, and they'll email you a printable template that matches their kickin' tank. Merci, Wedding Chicks! How very fun.


xoxo.
deanna

7 Creative Wedding Program Ideas

I rounded up some fun program ideas fit for the creative couple! Read on for the deets!

From T-B:
1. Embellishments: Even if you have a standard sized program, it's easy to add a little extra with embellishments like jute ties, grosgrain or stitching. (the Knot.com program gallery)

2. Fan It Out: For an outdoor ceremony, fans are a fun and kind treat for your guests... and can be made extra special with ribbons and pencils alongside a couple focused word search. (game fan tutorial, floral fan - Etsy)

3. Scroll On: I especially find it a nice touch when ribbon is attached to the scroll to prevent ribbon bits from straying during an outdoor ceremony. (cream, Antonia Rose Printing, yellow, Intimate Weddings)

4. Start Spreadin' the News: This playful program is a fun touch for a casual day! (Five Plus Zero)

5. Boys Have Cooties: The good 'ole 'cootie catcher' is another fun take that's sure to bring a smile as guests wait for the big moment! (Camies Paperie)

6. Grommets Away: Each program page fans out and 'retracts' to make a sleek silhouette. (My Something Borrowed - top; Aylee Designs - bottom)

7. It's in the Pocket: I love Craftster Queen Martha's individual pocketfold invites, which nix the need for someone passing out programs, too! (pocket program, Martha Stewart)

8. Carry On: I'd be remiss to not include this sweet personalized program basket that fits a rustic, outdoors theme! (program basket, NH Wood Creations)

4 Favors to Get Growing!

Inspired by the fact that today is National Go Outside Day, here's some inspiration for favors that'll get you growing!

1. Certified Organic Basil Seeds (top left) paired with mini terra cotta pots... plus a recipe card for your grandma's basil infused tomato sauce? Genius, we say!

2. These sweet seed favor kits (top right) in vellum envelopes would be fun paired with escort cards.

3. Brightly colored with five punchy color choices make these seed treats from Botanical Paperworks (bottom left) will come up wildflowers... and the seeds are all a part of the paper, so guests just plant the entire 'seeded paper.' Fun for even the green thumbless guest!

4. From the Knot.com, these adorable lucky bamboo fit the bill for a Asian or modern wedding, complete with hangtag.

Unique Save the Date Ideas!

Weddings are a super fun time to express your personality, and unique save the dates can be one vehicle to do so! The save the dates do not have to echo the colors, theme or mood of your actual wedding, though some brides prefer that they do. Some creative ones have popped their way into my mailbox lately, and I wanted to share their ideas with you, as well and provide some more resources!


The Magnet: Ok, yes. The magnet save the date has been in rotation for some time in weddingland, but with good reason. They're pretty darn good at doing their primary function of.. well... reminding people to save the date since they'll be looking at it every time they reach for a glass of milk or a glass of chardonnay.

Those little magnets are also working their tails off to stick your five year old cousin Nicki's abstract art on the fridge... and since the only people at your wedding will be your friends and family, they probably actually do like having your mug plastered on their fridge.

We love the selection on vistaprint.com where you'll be able to upload a fully custom design or pick from theirs (though you might have to dig a bit to find a non-cheesy one); or aptly named Magnet Street has a broad selection too.


Pets: One of my bride friends and her fiance wanted their dogs to be a part of their wedding but wanted to leave out the part on their big day where Charlie swallows the rings and slobbers on the bride's shoes.

They opted to take a fun photo of their four legged pets holding (ok... it's actually really tough to get dogs to hold stuff. So technically they were hanging around their necks) cute save the date messages. Use a program like picnik.com to add fun text or make your photo black and white.

Custom Art: Another fun bride to be got an artist friend to do an ethereal illustration of them, which is perfect if you and your other half want to do a modern take on the standard photo. Helps to have artsy friends, too. Or offer the artist to put their website on your save the date and website and see if they'll give you a discount! Another fun idea? Getting a graffiti artist to do your save the date. There are a lot of talented art students (Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta or the Art Institute of Atlanta are good places to start) that would have fun with this project, too.

Custom Silhouettes: Not too sure about having yall's faces scattered in mailboxes across the country? Etsy.com has a ton of custom silhouette creators which make a mod save the date. We like these from happythought on Etsy.

Photo Booth Strips: Under five bucks and an adorable idea. For some reason people always look amazing in these pictures, and they'll capture such a fun mood, too! Go to Dave and Buster's or The Local on Ponce.

Unleash Your Inner Graphic Designer: One of our favorites is the Pop Art photo tool to channel a bit of Warhol into your save the date!

Ecards: So everyone except Granny Marlene may be online... but you can always selectively send (or, heck, visit her instead. She'd love it.) via snail mail. Sites like Paperless Post are gaining popularity, and they have a ton of cute designs to boot. You can also obsessively check to see who's opened them, too.

You Have, Like, 5 Minutes: If you've got a short lead time 'til your wedding or don't have a job where you can pseudo work while you covertly plan your big day, then use a site like Pingg.com which ingeniously lets you send an ecard OR they'll send one in the mail, too! The invite above is an example from the site. The Postal Pingg service stamps, mails and addresses hard copies of your cards to your recipients.

Do you have a fab save the date idea or a question that you'd like shared on Bliss: Atlanta Weddings? Email us at info (at) lovelysoiree.com!