Thankful Thursdays # 3 (Thanking the guests)

So normally I would blog about something I'm thankful for on a Thursday.  Well, today.  I'm going to blog about *what* I am going to thank our guests with: our favors...or rather, I should say, our main favor.  The reason I say the *main* favor is because we will also have the printed photos from the photobooth for our guests to take home as favors as well as the little escort card favor boxes of M&M's and jellybeans along with the flip flops that some will take home.  But these little pretties will be placed at each guest's place setting in a ribbon wrapped red colored chinese takeout box like so:

Burgundy colored frosted takeout boxes purchased from http://www.papermart.com/

The little favor tag you see on that box will be in similar colors but with this design and wording on it:

Favor tags to be provided by Serendipity Designs

Obviously, our new last name will be Beever.  And I thought for weeks about what I wanted on the favor tags.  I am not a huge fan of having the bride and groom's names and wedding date on tags at the wedding.  Afterall, don't your guests know who you are and isn't the fact they're there at all proof that they know what day it is?  If you have something else on the tag and also your monogram or names/date then I think it's adorable...but just the name and date - nothing I'm super fond of.  Of course, I am using that for our GOBO lighting so I'm not totally opposed to it :)

I have seen cutesy little things like a box of candy with a tag that said "Hugs and Kisses from the new Mr. & Mrs."  Super cute for sure...but I wasn't giving Hershey's Kisses and Dove's Hugs as a favor. 

I wanted it to be a 'thank you' of some sort, or a "We're so glad you're here to celebrate with us."  But unfortunately, that little square favor tag doesn't leave much room for many words due to the size and graphic on it.  The graphic by the way, is again taken from our wedding invites to incorporate throughout our event.  The colors suck on a computer screen...they'll be in the pretty aqua/turquoise and cranberry colors shown above, not the teal and maroon showing up on your monitor probably.

So "The Beever's Blessing":  I love alliteration!  And as firm believers in our Christian faith, we wanted to bestow a blessing on our guests as a thank you.

Numbers 6:24-26:  A wonderful blessing from the Old Testament that reads:

The Lord bless and keep you and may His face shine upon you,

The Lord be gracious unto you and turn His face towards you and grant you peace.

I will be reciting this little blessing during my speech at the reception so that the many friends and family who do not know or read the Bible will know why it is on there.

And the favors inside?  I think they're a perfect representation of my guy (a handyman, flooring contractor and all around Mr Fix It by trade) and myself (an anal, OCD, overly organized, totally practical type-A personality type). 

Keychains from AmericanBridal and I got a 5% online discount!

That is what they originally looked like.  You can get them in a heart shape or circle shape (we opted for circle, didn't want them to be too girly for the men at the wedding).  And inside there is a 5 foot tape measure!  So the tape measure represents Mr Fix It and the keychain *AND* tape measure combined represent my practical side.  :)  A multi-tasking favor?  YES!  What girl hasn't ever been out somewhere and wished she had a tape measure on her?  Especially all you DIY'ers!  And you know a man can always throw something like this in a glove box and find a use for it at some point in the future!  And the coolest thing about them?  Only $1.00 each!  Woo-hoo!

They say "Love Beyond Measure" on that little sticker on them.  But guess what?  That pink sticker with the little heart on it is God-awful in my opinion!  So that was gonna have to go.  So thanks to my baby sis (and MOH), she took a sticker I sent her and recreated a new label for us to put on the keychains.  Here is what the finished product looks like in our wedding colors and with our graphic on it:

This is the best shot I could get.

But here is a computer generated version of the graphic up close:

We opted to alternate colors so that each couple can choose who wants the red or who wants the turquoise one.  I love them!

So, there they are.  I finished putting the 200 labels on them a few nights ago and once we get a few weeks out from the big day, I'll have all my BM's over to help me stuff them in the little takeout boxes and wrap the ribbon around them and attach the favor tag.  That will be a fun task! 

So, have you shared your ideas for favors at your wedding yet?  Are you even planning on offering favors or is that something you feel is unnecessary or not an important part of your budget?