Bride-to-be Blogger Kathleen: Escort Cards as Favors?

I’ve been toying around with ideas for escort cards and wedding favors and so far, it’s been quite annoying. I am having a strong internal battle with myself over this tiny, itty-bitty aspect of the entire day. My eyes open in the morning and immediately I’m thinking to myself: “Should we give out favors or should we make a donation to a charity in place of the favors? Or should we have our escort cards double as a wedding favor? Will people be upset if they don’t receive a wedding favor? What if we give out favors and everyone leaves them on the tables at the end of the night? Have I just fed my dog Coco Puffs instead of dog food?” When will it end?

I feel like the escort cards and wedding favors have become the most creative aspect of the entire wedding. I’ve seen so many ideas that my brain is going to explode: Elaborate displays of numbered lollipops; mini pies on a stick; music CDs; funky paper pin wheels (which I saw at a friend’s wedding and am really digging, pictured); mason jars holding vintage skeleton keys … the possibilities are endless. How is an indecisive girl like me going to choose?

I really like the idea of using the escort card as a favor, but I also like the idea of making a charitable donation. I guess we could do both, but how can I blend the two without breaking the bank—and without limiting the level of creativity? I’ve seen people use chalkboards for the seating display, but I think my fear of someone rubbing off the information would overcome the practicality of it.

Anyone have an out of the box idea? For either favors or the escort cards—or combining the two?

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