Is this a stupid idea?

[loolooskiptotheloo]

We're getting married on our own and having a big party with a hog roast/BBQ instead of favours, was thinking of two big buckets of wrapped lucky dips (where people put their hand in to choose a present) is that really lame, will people think wtf?!

Sounds great! Really fun & different!

What would the lucky dips be?

Do you need to do favours at all? I'd just scrap the idea and concentrate on making it a really good party.

Agree with overmydeadbody

People are getting a free party - they don't need to go home with a present

We didn't bother with favours. I couldn't be bothered and I couldn't remember what any of the favours were at other weddings I'd been to. I don't think people expect a small gift and I find them a hassle to take home.

One thing that I have seen at a friend's wedding was a lovely little note on the back of our place card basically introducing the person next to you and saying something of interest or something you have in common with them to get you talking. Not sure how you'd incorporate that if it's not a place card meal - just thought I'd share!

Sounds cute :)

I think favours are a waste of money and your energy. I'd just buy more booze.

Watching this with interest, am debating what I do and don't provide at mine, budget very small, determined not to borrow. I had just been thinking sugar almonds as they are very reasonable per kg. i'm not convinced people really care, my mum thinks it's important though. Mind you the last wedding I went to there were mini bottles of port etc. i went to the loo and found staff had cleared our table so we didn't even get them! Felt on friends behalf as that was not cheap.

Certainly different what sort of gifts are you thinking ? We didnt bother with favours. Just bought special gifts for best man, my Dad , witnesses etc

I wouldn't bother with favours.

They are a faff and nobody cares about them.

Big party with hog roast sounds great.

I'll be there :o

We're not providing the drink, except pins on tables and first drink at the bar. Wasn't sure on type of gifts, maybe some scratch cards, miniatures, chocolates, fudge etc and perhaps some 'funny' gifts, face paints, those conundrum toys, a mini magic 8 ball, a rubix cube... Oh maybe it's a waste of money, thought it might get people talking as its not a sit down meal as such and no ceremony (for them) was thinking if ways to break the day up a bit, maybe over thinking!

Sugared almonds are the worst, most pointless favours ever.

I'd rather have another drink paid for than a bit of tat out of a bucket, though. If you were paying for more drinks I'd say it was a great idea. But otherwise just save your money and don't bother.

I personally wouldn't bother with favours but the way you are doing sounds like good fun :) Go for it.

I don't think people will expect favours, it's quite expensive and you might be hurt unintentionally at the little bags of almonds left when they go home! You can buy packs and make them yourself though. If there are dc there, it's quite sweet if they go round giving them out, but it depends on if you need to find a role for them.

Your do sounds great btw. Unknowst to us, a relative filmed the reception and got people to say something to us, advice, how they knew us etc. they sent the DVD out to all the guests and us:)

Thanks everyone, won't bother then, we've got live music so that should be a 'thing' plus will probably cut the cake at the party (and my dad will probably end up doing a speech) plus it's at a farm so there are things for the children to do, just have this irrational fear that people will be hanging around with nothing to do.

It sounds like fun.

It sounds like a fun idea, but the sorts of things you're considering to wrap as gifts will soon mount up cost wise. I wouldn't be surprised if it was around £200 or thereabouts....a £1-£1.50 'silly toy' all add up. Plus, most will just get abandoned or binned come the end of an evening (esp if they don't fit in a woman's clutch/bag!)

Save you cash and spend it elsewhere. Sounds like a fun wedding though, love a hog roast! Congratulations, have a great day.

It's a party - people will be chatting, dancing, drinking, mingling.

You don't need to give them fiddly knick-knacks to talk about :o

It sounds really fun. :)

TobyLerone, thank goodness a voice of reason. My mum is 'helping' me but stuck firmly in the 80s!

If there are a lot of people there and they are 'hanging around with nothing to do' they need to look at their own social skills!! Don't stress about it.

It sounds like a lovely day - enjoy it!!

The only decent favours I've seen were buckets of penny sweets on each table.

Truly sugared almonds are HIDEOUS. God knows why people have those awful objects in netting. Waste of £.

Like place card idea.

:o Tubegirl.

I got married in Jan. We sprayed some plant pots silver, decorated them with lace ribbon and planted brightly coloured primroses in them. We stuck sticks in them with 'take me home' written on them. Table decorations and favours in one :)

Our wedding was a very informal one, though. That idea might need to be fancier for a more formal occasion.

Tubegirl - favours aren't essential - no matter what your Mum says However, if you want to do something to keep her happy & yet not break the bank but not horrible sugared almonds how about bubbles in the shape of champagne bottles - they are very cheap and either fun or taken home for the kids, or little organza bags (cheap as chips on eBay) with a couple of chocolates in? You can 'make' the chocolates yourself by melting dairy milk in the microwave and pouring it into silicon moulds in the shape of something 'weddingy' - it's really simple, they look good and it's cheap! :)

But if your Mum wont harumph until the end of time if you don't do them, then don't!

Thanks everyone, saved me £200 and given me a bit of a reality check, I'm just going to carry on planning the type of party I'd like to attend and enjoy it

"I'm just going to carry on planning the type of party I'd like to attend and enjoy it"

Perfect! :)

Perspective gained!