I wasn't intending to give wedding favors originally because our wedding venue was going to provide chocolates for everyone as favors (2 pcs per person in a nice little box with the name of the hotel embossed). BUT I stumbled upon a sale today for MoltenBrown (its the english equivalent of Loccitaine) products where I can get 5 30ml shampoo / body lotion/ air spray for about $3.50 (so each bottle costs about $0.70) and my friends gave me an idea, to give each guest 2 bottles (I have about 320 people coming to the wedding).
What does everyone think of the idea? The fiance is interested because it's quite cost efficient but is worried as to the practicality of it. Like our grannies and the elderlys are not going to know what MB is and will see them as shampoo. Has anyone received something like that before? If we do get it, it will be on top of the favor that our hotel supplies (which is already calculated in cost). For me, I am not sure about spending $250 on 2 boxes of things which I am not too certain of whether people will like. And I am not an advocate of wasting resources on earth (which is why we didnt want to start wtih favors generally)
While I personally would love to receive something like that, there are a lot of people with sensitive skin and allergies who might end up just throwing them away. You also run the risk of possibly offending people who might think you feel their hygiene needs a little help. Crazy, but I have heard people say that before!
Are you doing gift bags for out of town guests? If you really can't live without this kind of deal, you may wish to include it in the gift bags instead of as table favors. Otherwise, I kind of see it as an unnecessary expense, since your favors are already arranged.
You don't need 2 favors, even if one is "a good deal".
Honestly - I like bath products, but I don't think many guests would appreciate it. Honestly, how many men would be excited to get body lotion? I think the best options for favors are things that can be eaten as this appeals to almost everyone and doesn't cause unnecessary waste.
It would be a great idea for a gift for your shower guests though! Throw in a nice face cloth/hand towel and some soap and you would have a perfect little tag-home bag of goodies!
Due to the nature of the business I work in, I was lucky enough to score free 2 oz bottles of Aveda shampoo, conditioner, lotion & bodywash which I will be wrapping in organza bags for favors. Since my FI did not feel the men would enjoy this, we will be giving the guys a sleeve of golf balls with our logo and date on them instead. In addition to these, guests will be receiving a picture frame which holds the escort card.
I initially was not going to take the product since I did not feel people would want it, but after speaking to friends and working in the personal care amenity business EVERYONE loves little bottles of product. It's something about them. I'm sure your guests will be taking the bottles in the hotel, and trust me the product you would be gifting to them is much better than those they swipe in the hotels.
I think it would be a waste. Go with the chocolate and leave it at that. You're right about some people not knowing MB and it's a kind of personal preference what body wash/lotion you wear, so it's likely to just get tossed aside.
I'd love it but I agree most Americans aren't aware of MB products so wouldn't get that these are "nice" they might just think they were from the hotel and if you already have favors don't spend another dime on them. Put that $250 towards something else or save it for something non-wedding!
Ask yourself, if the cost was two or three times as much, would you still be really into the idea? From what you've said, I'm guessing probably not. Thus I agree with what others have said...just because it's a good deal doesn't mean you have to do it!
True, we all lift the little bottles of stuff from the hotels. I usually end up putting them in a basket in the guest bathroom, or giving them to the kids, or donating them to an organization that sends them to soldiers in Iraq. The one exception is the Aveda, which I keep for myself. And yes, I do stay in a number of hotels that give you the fabulous rosemary-mint Aveda, or equivalent products - get away from Best Western and Holiday Inn, and you'll find that little bottles of upscale product are not that rare.
However much I do compulsively lift the hotel stuff though, I agree that most of your guests would probably be less than thrilled. First off, the guys (probably about half your guests). And then there will be a certain percentage of the women who use only a specific product, or have allergy issues, and so won't appreciate it. I would go with something different - as pointed out again and again, it's hard to go wrong with food.
Our daughter was married in April. For favors in addition to a candy buffet I wanted to give small bottles of lotion. A couple times a year Bath and Body Works comes out with new scents and sells the little bottles for $1.00. They happened to be the same colors, pink and green, as our daughters wedding colors so that was perfect. What we did was put them in the ladies restroom in a cute basket with ribbon and a sign telling our guests to help themselves to a lotion. It was a hugh hit, they loved it. My only regret was that I didn't buy more because they were gone before the reception was over. I had bought 72 of them and we had around 200 people thinking that around half of them would be women and not everyone would go to the restroom. Just a little something extra if they happened to go in there. It was great because only the people that wanted them took them.
since the chocolates are already included in your costs, no need to splurge on the extra favor, no matter how great a deal. if you really want to get some, use in a bathroom basket or as little gifts to the bridal party.
Thank you everyone! :) That helped me make my decision. I definitely didn't think about the issue of how people may get offended that I am implying something about their hygiene or more importantly, allergies!!! Yikes. :)
Hi bees!
I wasn't intending to give wedding favors originally because our wedding venue was going to provide chocolates for everyone as favors (2 pcs per person in a nice little box with the name of the hotel embossed). BUT I stumbled upon a sale today for MoltenBrown (its the english equivalent of Loccitaine) products where I can get 5 30ml shampoo / body lotion/ air spray for about $3.50 (so each bottle costs about $0.70) and my friends gave me an idea, to give each guest 2 bottles (I have about 320 people coming to the wedding).
What does everyone think of the idea? The fiance is interested because it's quite cost efficient but is worried as to the practicality of it. Like our grannies and the elderlys are not going to know what MB is and will see them as shampoo. Has anyone received something like that before? If we do get it, it will be on top of the favor that our hotel supplies (which is already calculated in cost). For me, I am not sure about spending $250 on 2 boxes of things which I am not too certain of whether people will like. And I am not an advocate of wasting resources on earth (which is why we didnt want to start wtih favors generally)
So what would you recommend? :)
posted by littlebigfoot08 13 posts 2 months agoWhile I personally would love to receive something like that, there are a lot of people with sensitive skin and allergies who might end up just throwing them away. You also run the risk of possibly offending people who might think you feel their hygiene needs a little help. Crazy, but I have heard people say that before!
Are you doing gift bags for out of town guests? If you really can't live without this kind of deal, you may wish to include it in the gift bags instead of as table favors. Otherwise, I kind of see it as an unnecessary expense, since your favors are already arranged.
posted by CarolineG 284 posts 2 months agoAs much as I love a good deal, I have to agree with the pp on this one.
posted by Soon2BeMrsC 72 posts 2 months agoYou don't need 2 favors, even if one is "a good deal".
Honestly - I like bath products, but I don't think many guests would appreciate it. Honestly, how many men would be excited to get body lotion? I think the best options for favors are things that can be eaten as this appeals to almost everyone and doesn't cause unnecessary waste.
It would be a great idea for a gift for your shower guests though! Throw in a nice face cloth/hand towel and some soap and you would have a perfect little tag-home bag of goodies!
posted by MsB 212 posts 2 months agoDue to the nature of the business I work in, I was lucky enough to score free 2 oz bottles of Aveda shampoo, conditioner, lotion & bodywash which I will be wrapping in organza bags for favors. Since my FI did not feel the men would enjoy this, we will be giving the guys a sleeve of golf balls with our logo and date on them instead. In addition to these, guests will be receiving a picture frame which holds the escort card.
I initially was not going to take the product since I did not feel people would want it, but after speaking to friends and working in the personal care amenity business EVERYONE loves little bottles of product. It's something about them. I'm sure your guests will be taking the bottles in the hotel, and trust me the product you would be gifting to them is much better than those they swipe in the hotels.
Hope this helps!
posted by eml181 12 posts 2 months agoI think it would be a waste. Go with the chocolate and leave it at that. You're right about some people not knowing MB and it's a kind of personal preference what body wash/lotion you wear, so it's likely to just get tossed aside.
posted by KateMW 483 posts 2 months agoI agree, the chocolate seem sufficient. Perhaps you can buy the bath/lotion products as part of your bridal party gifts.
posted by pinkparfait 71 posts 2 months agoI'd love it but I agree most Americans aren't aware of MB products so wouldn't get that these are "nice" they might just think they were from the hotel and if you already have favors don't spend another dime on them. Put that $250 towards something else or save it for something non-wedding!
posted by BaghdadBride 205 posts 2 months agoAsk yourself, if the cost was two or three times as much, would you still be really into the idea? From what you've said, I'm guessing probably not. Thus I agree with what others have said...just because it's a good deal doesn't mean you have to do it!
posted by chelseamorning 208 posts 2 months agoTrue, we all lift the little bottles of stuff from the hotels. I usually end up putting them in a basket in the guest bathroom, or giving them to the kids, or donating them to an organization that sends them to soldiers in Iraq. The one exception is the Aveda, which I keep for myself. And yes, I do stay in a number of hotels that give you the fabulous rosemary-mint Aveda, or equivalent products - get away from Best Western and Holiday Inn, and you'll find that little bottles of upscale product are not that rare.
However much I do compulsively lift the hotel stuff though, I agree that most of your guests would probably be less than thrilled. First off, the guys (probably about half your guests). And then there will be a certain percentage of the women who use only a specific product, or have allergy issues, and so won't appreciate it. I would go with something different - as pointed out again and again, it's hard to go wrong with food.
posted by suzanno 1,955 posts 2 months agoHi All,
Our daughter was married in April. For favors in addition to a candy buffet I wanted to give small bottles of lotion. A couple times a year Bath and Body Works comes out with new scents and sells the little bottles for $1.00. They happened to be the same colors, pink and green, as our daughters wedding colors so that was perfect. What we did was put them in the ladies restroom in a cute basket with ribbon and a sign telling our guests to help themselves to a lotion. It was a hugh hit, they loved it. My only regret was that I didn't buy more because they were gone before the reception was over. I had bought 72 of them and we had around 200 people thinking that around half of them would be women and not everyone would go to the restroom. Just a little something extra if they happened to go in there. It was great because only the people that wanted them took them.
posted by melkel 1 posts 2 months agosince the chocolates are already included in your costs, no need to splurge on the extra favor, no matter how great a deal. if you really want to get some, use in a bathroom basket or as little gifts to the bridal party.
posted by missm 483 posts 2 months agoThank you everyone! :) That helped me make my decision. I definitely didn't think about the issue of how people may get offended that I am implying something about their hygiene or more importantly, allergies!!! Yikes. :)
posted by littlebigfoot08 13 posts 2 months ago