I am after opinions from people who are not going to my wedding as I would like to keep some elements of surprise :-)...
I think I have now found wedding favour boxes which are in keeping with my 'theme' which is AUTUMN / RUSTIC.

http://www.ukweddingfavours.co.uk/shop/diy-kraft/

however, I'm not sure what to put in them. which do you think is better (or please suggest something else if you have a great idea!)
1) Flower seeds with a note for people to take them home & plant and remember our day when the flowers grow and bloom
2) A selection of sweets and chocolate to reflect mine & my partners ridiculously sweet tooth
3) A marble
Five pence
an eraser
a rubber band
a piece of string
a candle
and a little kiss printed on a little hart shaped piece of card

the tag to read

HAPPY BAG
AN ERASER SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE MISTAKES DISAPPEAR
FIVE PENCE SO THAT YOU CAN NEVER SAY YOUR BROKE
A MARBLE SO THAT NO ONE CAN SAY THAT YOUVE LOST YOURS
A RUBBER BAND SO THAT YOU CAN STRETCH YOUR SELF TO YOUR LIMITS
A PIECE OF STRING TO TIE WHEN THINGS ARE FALLING APART
A CANDLE TO SHEAD SOME LIGHT ON THE SITUATION
A KISS TO REMIND YOU THAT SOMEONE CARES

Depending on what we decide for the favours I may need to review the size of the boxes but you get the gist!
Thanks for your help
x

I had sugared almonds in mine - I am sure there was a reason for that but can't remember as it was so long ago !!!

Oooh that's a lovely idea. I think flower seeds would be nice but chocolate or sweeties more practical as some people might not plant the seeds?

I had a little swatch of red gingham fabric with shrimps and bananas sweeties wrapped inside, and to tie them up into little parcels was a piece of elastic with a tag attached that said 'Eat me' because I'm a fan of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and it kind of touched on the whimsical feel of our wedding.

OK, a couple of personal observations...

As a guest at a wedding I'm happy to see my friends/family getting married - I'm happy that you're happy
I like a chance to see other joint friends, and those of your relatives I know
It's fun to see the choices you've made dress, location etc and I'm feeling pleased that you want me/us to share your day with you

I don't want you to buy me anything - you're paying for the wedding venue, the food, the photographer and I benefit in all the ways I've mentioned above PLUS I get chance to wear something I feel good in :)

I'm always very happy to take some extra photographs if you want me/us to, I'll blow some bubbles if it adds value to your visual experience, I never say no to cake and I never say no to taking some of the small flower arrangements on the table (if that's ok) and the kids have always loved a free balloon or a few sweets BUT

I genuinely don't want you to buy or pay for anything else - I appreciate the sentiment, and I do realise that some of what you wish to include in your box has little or no monetary value but it also has little meaning to me either.  The contents are really all about you and your husband and this is just as it should be on your very special day so I'd be much happier to know you've spent your money on yourselves or the things that you both want, or more photographs or an extra bottle of champagne for your room later

I do hope that hasn't made me seem ungrateful and I hope it doesn't sound too negative. I genuinely think that wedding favours are an unnecessary expense for the bride and groom and most guests really aren't that bothered.  That said, one thing I thought a lovely idea at a friends wedding was that every name place had a small photograph, or drawing, of the guest on a piece of card.  On the reverse of the card was a hand-written note from the bride or groom to say "Thank you for coming to our wedding" with some additional thanks or note of appreciation that was unique to each person like "Thanks for being the sort of Aunt who never forgets my birthday" or "Thanks for coming to all those bridal fairs with me" or "Thanks for helping my Dad with his speech" or "I couldn't have got through my exams without you to hold my hand".  It must have taken some planning but it really got the tables talking and it was a lovely touch although it made the brides mother, and some of the rest of us, cry again!! 

> I don't want you to buy me anything

I'm in total agreement - I actually wrote a reply a while ago when this was first posted  - but deleted it as I ddn't want to sound too negative :( And DAB - you are so much more eloquent :)

> On the reverse of the card was a hand-written note from the bride or groom to say "Thank you for coming to our wedding"

Lovely :)

My son and DIL had no 'favours' at their wedding, it was still a wonderful day :)

Thing is, if you are keeping costs down as I was it is cheaper to make favours and put them on the table than it is to put big table decorations on.  With the favours and some feathers I bought cheap off the net and minimal flowers the room looked fantastic, without them it would have looked bare.

That said I just put 5 chocolate balls in each.  There is significance behind the number and it is supposed to be coloured sugared almonds but I can't remember the reason.  I like what you have got in there, I would be tempted to just add chocs if you feel you need to add something.  I got a big bag of gold foil wrapped choc balls from a website called confetti and they were just quids, 5 each for a hundred or so people.

I'm another in the 'nothing' camp, I'm afraid. Have been to enough weddings to know that these things take an awful lot of thought from the wedding couple, but a large amount will end up left on the tables at the end of the day and a lot more will go straight in the bin when they get home.

Again, not being bah humbug - love a wedding and to celebrate with the B&G, but I think these things have become so commercialised and are unnecessary.

M.

I love your idea of seeds, but I do think many people will not bother taking them with them.

I had silver metalic chocolate dragees in dinky little favour boxes at my wedding, like these. I also had some silver wedding themed foil confetti on the tables, a centre flower arrangement and disposable cameras on the table for each guest.

People had great fun with the cameras. There wasn't any chocolate dragees left, allthough some people did leave them, other people had them (my boys who were 3 & 4 yrs old at the time did a good job of muching thier way through many!)

Go with the sweets/chocolates, if there are any left you & hubby can scoff 'em, unless there are kids in attendance that beat you too it :)

None of my favours were left although a lot of people kept them in tact as a souvenir, many were also scoffed on the day.  If people want to keep them intact the chocs would be better

The nicest wedding favour I've ever had (and the only one I've still got) is a tiny wooden love spoon with a paper rose tied to it. They didn't come in boxes they were handed out by the bride and groom (I think, it was a good wedding so the memory is hazy :) )

> The nicest wedding favour I've ever had

And the tackiest I've had is a Lottery ticket :(

Imagine if it had been the winning numbers thought!

> Imagine if it had been the winning numbers thought

Then I would feel obliged to give the money to the happy couple :) :)

Do appreciate people taking the time to reply and I respect your thoughts that the couple shouldnt feel they have to give presents HOWEVER, we would like our guests to have a memento of our day and a souvenir to keep. That why i asked you to tell me which you thought was best to put in a favour box.
Thank you to those who thought people may not be bothered to plant seeds (even though it was a nice idea) . That is definitely something to think about.
x

> we would like our guests to have a memento of our day and a souvenir to keep.

In that case perhaps it could be something that adheres to Morris' principles:  William Morris advised, 'have nothing in your house that you do not know to use, or believe to be beautiful'.

Could your box and contents be tweaked to ensure that they are too beautiful or too useful to throw away?  Maybe use a more substantial box that could have a second life in their home.  You could give the type of marble with a magnet on the back so it can also be used as a fridge magnet.  Or, perhaps give candle and candlestick, or string and string dispenser, seed and planting pot, and just give one item to each person at the table.  Everyone could have the whole text as a label on their parcel/cracker/box but just receive one element.

Alternatively, how about putting your string, elastic, marbles, seeds etc in a bowl on the table for people to take only if they want to - or simply as a talking point.

Another good item to keep would be a photo frame so they can keep their favourite wedding picture of the day (either of you or themselves!).  You could use proper photo frames for the place setting cards, you could also add the instructions or other information about the favours you've left on the table to the name text.  You could also combine the options and choose the type of box that has a photo frame in the lid...

My daughter bought each guest one of the cancer charity pins and just layed them out with a chocolate heart then all the money for the pins was a donation to the charity.