Favors to Avoid!
I just came across this... not sure how much of it holds true, just thought, I'd share it:
Favors to Avoid
Then there are the favors that are popular with brides and grooms, but much less popular with guests. If any of the items below are on your 'must have' list, you may want to reconsider.
Origami cranes
Folding one thousand cranes for good luck started as a charming Japanese custom, and it still makes sense for couples in which one partner is of Japanese ancestry. But the crane trend spread… and spread… and spread… until it seems like every third bride is spending her evenings frantically folding cranes. The origami crane that avoids an early flight into a wastebasket is likely to spend its life nesting in the back of a drawer. If you must do origami, be innovative! Surprise us with frogs, or light houses, or some shape that supports your wedding theme.
Scrolls
Although computers have made it easier for couples to mass-produce scrolls bearing their favorite poem or a generic message of thanks, no technology has yet made it easier for guests to find something to do with these scrolls after the wedding. Few of us feel moved to frame someone else's favorite saying from The Prophet, so into the back of a drawer it goes!
Engraved wine glasses
If my husband and I had held onto all of our one-off engraved wine glasses from speech tournaments, office holiday parties, and other people's weddings, we might have a rather mismatched set by this point. But it was much simpler to just buy a set at Target. While most people will use a mug that doesn't match the rest of their dishes, when do you use a single wine glass? And a wine glass with someone else's wedding date on it…
Anything with engagement photos
Your mom, your sister, and your best friend from kindergarten may want a refrigerator magnet showing your engagement photo. Your new spouse's boss's husband, on the other hand, will probably make fun of your egotism in handing out pictures of yourself. While your friends may be delighted to receive a wallet-sized version of one of your wedding photos for their album, they don't necessarily thrill at seeing your smiling face every time they go to pour a glass of milk.
Generic pre-printed thank-yous
It doesn't matter that it's a thank-you for attending rather than a thank-you for a wedding gift… generic, non-personalized thank-you messages are still considered to be in poor taste. Thank people for coming when you see them in the receiving line (or while 'doing the tables') and during the toasts. Write enthusiastic thank-you notes for the gifts. But skip the mass-produced one-size-fits-all messages in favor of classic favors, inexpensive candies, or no favors at all.
Favors to Avoid
Then there are the favors that are popular with brides and grooms, but much less popular with guests. If any of the items below are on your 'must have' list, you may want to reconsider.
Origami cranes
Folding one thousand cranes for good luck started as a charming Japanese custom, and it still makes sense for couples in which one partner is of Japanese ancestry. But the crane trend spread… and spread… and spread… until it seems like every third bride is spending her evenings frantically folding cranes. The origami crane that avoids an early flight into a wastebasket is likely to spend its life nesting in the back of a drawer. If you must do origami, be innovative! Surprise us with frogs, or light houses, or some shape that supports your wedding theme.
Scrolls
Although computers have made it easier for couples to mass-produce scrolls bearing their favorite poem or a generic message of thanks, no technology has yet made it easier for guests to find something to do with these scrolls after the wedding. Few of us feel moved to frame someone else's favorite saying from The Prophet, so into the back of a drawer it goes!
Engraved wine glasses
If my husband and I had held onto all of our one-off engraved wine glasses from speech tournaments, office holiday parties, and other people's weddings, we might have a rather mismatched set by this point. But it was much simpler to just buy a set at Target. While most people will use a mug that doesn't match the rest of their dishes, when do you use a single wine glass? And a wine glass with someone else's wedding date on it…
Anything with engagement photos
Your mom, your sister, and your best friend from kindergarten may want a refrigerator magnet showing your engagement photo. Your new spouse's boss's husband, on the other hand, will probably make fun of your egotism in handing out pictures of yourself. While your friends may be delighted to receive a wallet-sized version of one of your wedding photos for their album, they don't necessarily thrill at seeing your smiling face every time they go to pour a glass of milk.
Generic pre-printed thank-yous
It doesn't matter that it's a thank-you for attending rather than a thank-you for a wedding gift… generic, non-personalized thank-you messages are still considered to be in poor taste. Thank people for coming when you see them in the receiving line (or while 'doing the tables') and during the toasts. Write enthusiastic thank-you notes for the gifts. But skip the mass-produced one-size-fits-all messages in favor of classic favors, inexpensive candies, or no favors at all.
