Weddingbee boards

We're having a Sunday brunch ceremony and reception in New Orleans in May. I'm trying to consider favor options and am wondering what folks would like. I haven't gone to many weddings, and generally found the favors awful, so feedback from others is very appreciated. Our wedding isn't overly formal and will have a 1950s/garden party/library/southern theme. I'll probably put bows/tags/something cute on whatever we decide. :)

Option 1 -- http://www.brucefoods.com/mystOre/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=177&idcategory=3

Option 2 -- http://www.amazon.com/TABASCO-brand-Pepper-Sauce-Miniature/dp/B002HNNFCS

Option 3 -- http://thefreewedding.com/articles/article%20images/seeds.jpg

Option 4 -- http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.271692817.jpg

Option 5 -- http://www.twigandthistle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DIY_Bookmark_2.jpg

yay! glad to see some hot sauce voters! :)

for folks who chose the wildflower seeds, i'd also be intersted in the rationale, since that one was (until just now) much higher than the others. :)

Edited to include the MoB's suggestion: $1 lottery ticket!

@Aure: Very good point! Not everyone is into hot sauce... weird, but true. ;)

Some more background info on the choices:

We like the hot sauce idea because I am *obsessed* with Louisiana brand hot sauce and pretty much put it on everything. Plus, the small-but-regular sized bottles are priced so reasonably that it wouldn't just be a single serve, like the Tobasco (although those microscopic bottles are *cute*). I also like the idea of food favors so it's something people can actually use. Plus, for all of my family, it'll be a destination wedding, so it's almost doubling as a souvenier in my delusional bride brain.

The original plan was the flower seeds. I like how sentimental it is and I also felt like it was "useful" (although not everyone will have somewhere to plant it, and not everyone will want to). Again, this idea fit with our budget, although it would be just one more DIY project on my list, which I'm really hoping to avoid.

I *love* the charity thing and would prefer this if I were a guest at someone else's wedding. Much of my career has been spent in non-profits, so it makes sense. The challenge for me would be finding something both meaningful and palatable to all of our guests... nothing would please me more than to give a donation to Planned Parenthood or the Sex Workers Project, but I know that is *so* far from an option and really wouldn't be appropriate for many of our guests. But I also don't want to do something generic, like the American Cancer Society or Susan G. Komen. We have a few charities listed as registries for people who would prefer to make a charitable contribution than give a tangible gift -- maybe we could choose one of those? We have a library fund at our graduate school, the University of Alabama Acts of Kindness for tornado relief, and an animal wellness and welfare foundation established in the memory of a dear family friend.

The bookmark seems a little insignificant to me, and although it's a nice connection to the library stuff, I just can't imagine people actually using it? If we could get them inexpensively, maybe it'd be a nice "bonus" favor (like our fans, which are more of a necessity for an outdoor cereomony and reception in New Orleans in late May).

The lottery ticket is cute and might have the biggest bang for the buck, but I think some of his family might be opposed to gambling. Add to it the fact that it's a Sunday wedding, and a few people might really be bothered by it?

They're all going to have *some* element of DIY to personalize/package, although I think the flower seeds would be the biggest "project." The rest are more just packaging for the most part.

Have I answered my own question without knowing it?? :)

@ladyartichoke: i really like the more sentimental/symbolic touches, too. :)

Thanks, everyone! Unfotunately, the lottery card has been nixed. It's something that apparently FI's family will be really uncomfortable with, as they don't like gambling, especially not on a Sunday. Didn't even really occur to me, but I'd like to avoid any unnecessary drama.

Hot sauce and charity are pretty highly ranked and I'm thinking maybe we could do both? Do the hot sauce bottles, but on the tag also say that there's been a donation made? @Aure: As a non-hot saucer, is that something you'd like as a guest?