Need suggestions for favors

Hi!

My fiance and I are butting heads about what to give out as favors for the wedding. He is not from NY and said that where he's from they don't really do favors, they print out scrolls that says thank you for coming and something nice like a poem and place them at each setting. (I think he's basing this on just the weddings he's been to - I'm sure others in his country do favors) I think that we should give something! However, we will be having between 200 and 250 guests so I don't want to spend alot on favors. ONe thing is to donate $ to a charity and print out said scroll saying that we donated $ in their names. I can't really remember now if I've been to a wedding wehre the only favor was a piece of chocoate in a nice wrapper (I think one wedding that was it). Does anyone have any suggestions for a nice, inexpensive favor that won't break my budget and will make my (sometimes stubbon) finace happy? Thanks!
Mary

We are giving away packets of wildflower seeds. Definitely not breaking the budget (less than $2 per pack) and not something guests will just throw away either. We ordered from www.bellaterra.net

OH, I really think giving to charity will work!!! He get's his scrolls, on which you could put a saying or poem and thank you in addition to the donation info, and you get your favor...

and, the world get's a donation to make it a better place

I like the charity thing too. Because alot of guests will be transported by bus to church and reception hall and back and I son't want anyone leaving favors on the bus and then the driver has to collect them, etc.

My real problem is getting him to want to do that or any favor at all! He keeps saying he thinks it's a waste of time. He doesn't get the whole 'when in rome' concept (he's from another country) and also doens't get the 'just becaues a wedding you were at did ______' that all weddings should or are like that either. EVeryone does things different - you can't say 'all weddings do it this way' just becasue he's been to a few that did it a certain way.

Even his dad, when found out about how we don't have 'afters' here in NY (that's when where the recpetion is just the dinner and cake....no dancing during it...after cake people you know but didn't invite (co-workers, neighbors, etc) come and you party the rest of the night away). I told him how receptions are done here and he said 'that's stupid'. Oh I was ready to go off on him but considering it was my first time meeting him I shut up. I don't think he meant it as rude as it came out but hey - every country has their own way of doing things and besides, we wouldn't be able to afford a hall for 8 hours!!! Geez!!!

OOps sorry for the rant! I like the charity thing. I like the piece of chocolate thing too - but I'd want to get nice wrappers - I don't know what to do. Ugh. Thanks for the suggestions though!

MAribelle...you have FM!!

Maribelle, where is your FH from?

My FSIL went to a wedding last weekend, the bride was russian the the groom was columbian. As there favor she put a mini bottle of vodka and a mini bag of columbian coffee and put them in a velum bag and tied, and then wrote paragraph about each on the back. It was very cleaver and looked so pretty in the bags

He's from Ireland. Yes I like that idea too with the vodka and coffee - he just thinks anything other than what he is used to is stupid. grr.

if he doesnt want favors.. buy those mini frames(aveilible at most dollar stores)... and you put the placecards in them.. Its cheap, and he may not even notice!