There’s nothing I don’t like about this idea: place cards on cookies (I am an admitted cookieholic, though). Not only does it take more paper out of the wedding stream, it doubles as a delicious wedding favour. And, with the right bakery, they can be nut-free, gluten-free, organic, or adapted to any need you may have.

(Place card cookies from Sweet Impressions)

Edible place cards can be made out of different foods, including chocolates, candies, cookies, mints and so on. Forgo the wrapping, or use an eco-friendly wrapping for the placecard/favour.

Sweet Impressions is a Winnipeg, Canada, based bakery baking organic cookies; they also offer vegan options. They wrap their baking in biodegradable cellophane and ribbons and they will soon be operating out of a peanut-free facility.

Hmm… stomach’s rumbling… wonder if there are any cookies in the house…

I attended a wedding recently where I refused to take home yet another wedding favor. I think the bride and groom are great people, and I was honored to be invited to the wedding, but I just don’t need more stuff. Especially themed stuff that would otherwise go straight in a closet and into a garage sale. Although, refusing to take home the favor brought up another conundrum - would the favor be used by someone else or thrown away?

Make a donation your wedding favor

Pool all the money that would otherwise be spent on favors and make a donation to a cause that’s close to your heart. The favor part of the budget can range from a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars - this can make a big impact on local, national or international charities.

One of our local homeless shelters says a meal costs them $2.62. Take $250 of the wedding favor budget and you’ve bought dinner for 96 people. Or $250 could buy 10 backpacks filled with school supplies for children.

Let your guests know where the favors are going by making an announcement at the ceremony, and maybe on the invitation. Put the money to work, rather than towards another tchochke, knickknack or bauble.

Sugar coated almonds are an ancient wedding symbol, dating back to the Ancient Greeks. In the 15th century, Italians offered 5 sweetened almonds to newly engaged couples - the 5 almonds represent the five wishes for the couple: happiness, longevity, wealth, children and health. Wedding favors do not need to be elaborate and expensive - celebrate your wedding with a centuries-old symbol.

While sugar coated almonds are traditional, I must speak up for the chocolate lovers: if you like chocolate covered almonds, go for it. No rules against that, plus there are lots of good resources for organic chocolate-covered almonds.

The classic presentation is 5 almonds wrapped in tulle, but use your imagination here - tulle isn’t very recyclable or biodegradable. A small recycled-and-recyclable paper box or bag comes to mind.

Simple, inexpensive and classic - who could ask for more?

Check out your local natural food store, or these online resources:

Santos Natural Food Store - Australia
The Mapled Nut Company - Vermont
Sunspire.com - California

Get your guests started on saving electricity and energy by giving a compact fluorescent light bulb as a party favour.

Compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFLs) have several advantages over traditional incandescent light bulbs, including longer life, lower energy consumption and they generate less heat. CFLs use up to 75% less energy and last up to 400% longer than traditional bulbs. They are especially good if you have light fixtures that are hard to get to, like in a stairwell. The cost of CFLs is coming down dramatically, and, in bulk, bulbs can be found for as low as $2 each. CLF to contain tiny amounts of mercury, so dispose of them properly and take the appropriate precautions if they break (if your guests are traveling a lot, you may want to consider something else).

When presenting the bulb as a wedding favour, you can dress the bulb up in a nice box (with a lot of padding for travel) or put a bow around the bulb. Include a card (on recycled paper, of course!) explaining the benefits of compact fluorescent ligh bulbs. You can present the idea of the bulb as “our friends and family light up our lives” or “lighting the journey into the future” - what does light mean to you?