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Favor help...Opinions needed!

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fatafelice

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Well, I just found out that I have a 2 hr. delay this morning for schoo (YAY!). But since I have already gotten up and showered, I now have some time to kill. Sure, I could grade papers or something, but wedding stuff is more fun!

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Since I don''t really have much else to do for the wedding at this very moment, I have been thinking about the favors. I may end up DIYing something, so I am trying to give myself plenty of time. I was considering not having any favors, or simply making a charitable donation, but I really like the idea of there being something to welcome/thank the guests at their seats. I don''t want to spend a ton of money, though, so I have been trying to figure out a few options. I am having a difficult time making a decision, so any opinions are welcome!


To begin, I have been inspired by Martha''s nest favor. In fact, I have a whole bird motif going on throughout the wedding, which was inspired by this image, months ago. That particular nest has proved impossible to find, but I have a few other acceptable options. If I can get the first one at the wholesale price, I am going with that one, as it is less expensive, but also closer to what I want. Otherwise, I will go with nest #2.



psnestfavors1.jpg
 
Now, the bigger dilemma...What to put inside the nest? I don''t really care for jordan almonds, so those are out. And unfortunately, Easter candy isnt really out yet, so I am not sure exactly what my other "egg" options will be. I found a few things last spring, but now they are not being offered, though one would assume that they might be again once spring rolls back around.

Here are the "fillin''s" I am currently considering. Which one would you like best as a guest?

1. DIY Martha chocolate eggs: I like these the best in theory. Pros: Need only one per guest, dyed any color you want, filled with yummy chocolate truffle goodness. I was even thinking we could write the names on them for seating "cards." Cons: It would be a lot of work to make about 125 of these!

2. Purchased chocolate eggs: I am not sure what will be available for these, but I have seen "seagull eggs" and "quail eggs" in chocolate with a praline filling...Pros: No work involved, the best visual appeal (I think), and yummy chocolate (I assume). Cons: Hard to find. So far the only ones I have found are in Endland or France -- which also means they will be costly.

3. DIY flower seed balls: You can make these yourself from clay and any seeds you want. Once spring rolls around, you just toss them on the ground and water, no planting neccessary. I found ones you can buy first(see below), but when I searched some more, I found directions on how to make them. Pros: unique, garden-related (I like gardening), inexpensive. Cons: labor intensive, not as appealing looking as yummy chocolates (though I do like that they sort of look like eggs).

4. Purchased seed balls: FI thinks it would be worth the money to not have to make them, but I am not so sure. Pros: no work, otherwise same as above. Cons: Much more costly than the DIY version.

psfavorfillers1 copy.jpg
 
Hmm... I like the purchased chocolate eggs the best... but I don''t know that if I saw them in a nest I would know it was ok to eat them! Are you going to wrap them in tulle or something?

Oh, and I saw Cadbury eggs at my CVS on Friday. It may be too early for the bulk of Easter candy, but you can find some!
 
I like the idea of #1 or #2 best. #2 would be my preference, but you might need a backup in case you can''t find them.
 
Sumbride: Hmmmm...I hadn''t thought of people wondering whether or not to eat them! I wasn''t planning on wrapping them because I want them to look as natural as possbile. And I am only looking for candies that have an outer candy shell, so being in the nest shouldn''t affect them. I will have to think about it, though.

FacetFire: Number 2 is my preference now as well, but FI likes the seed balls the best. Plus, I am worried that I won''t be able to find them or they will be too expensive. There are some other eggs (like the cadbury ones that Sumbride mentioned), but they are multi-colored, that I could use as back-up.
 
i've seen those exact martha nests, but i can't remember where.

i found these but i know you don't want the almonds...

oh, and this one is 10% off till april.
 
ah, here it is, but again, the almonds
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link
 
here''s another nest. 75 cents per. without almonds.

link
 
Jcrow: Well, one of the bridal sites lists a picture of the Martha-style nest, but when you click on it, there is a different picture with that more grassy nest. Since I am going with a woodland-y theme, I like the darker twig nests better. I was thinking about getting the ones they had at Williams Sonoma, even though they were more pricey, but they seem to have sold out.
 
Definitely #2! Here's my reasoning: #1 seems like a lot of chocolate to eat at once, and if it'll take a ton of time....eh.

Edible favors are definitely the best to give, IMO. But with #2, people can have just one at a time, or a few, and since they're individually wrapped, they're portable (take home for later!).

ETA: My fellow bird bride! Seen any other cute bird stuff lately?
 
I like the Wedding Things one (almonds not included), but it is really small. If I can get the ones I posted at the wholesale price (I have a friend with a tax number), then they will only be about .50, which would be perfect. And they are 4" across, which I think will be a nice size.
 
what about these candies? link
 
you could always make chocolate nests! Here's one recipe that uses shredded wheat, but I seem to remember making them out of pretzel sticks as a kid. That would make them bigger than the shredded wheat... and not be shredded wheat!
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eta: I think they were chow mein noodles that I used, not pretzels!

Chocolate Nests
Block of cooking chocolate (Milk or Plain)
Shredded Wheat
Sugar Coated mini eggs
Small cake paper cases.

Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. The chocolate now needs to melt so you can either put the bowl in a low oven, or rest the bowl over another bowl of hot water, and leave until all the chocolate has melted.

Once melted give the chocolate a good stir and start to add some of the crumbled Shredded Wheat, add enough to give a twiggy effect to the chocolate.


Spoon enough of the mixture into one of the paper cases to make a nest shape, leaving a hollow in the middle, big enough to place about 4 mini eggs in. You can either put the eggs in straight away and they will stick to the hardening chocolate or wait until the nest has set. Remove the nest from the paper case when the nest is finished.
 
Date: 1/29/2007 10:56:29 AM
Author: EBree
Definitely #2! Here''s my reasoning: #1 seems like a lot of chocolate to eat at once, and if it''ll take a ton of time....eh.

Edible favors are definitely the best to give, IMO. But with #2, people can have just one at a time, or a few, and since they''re individually wrapped, they''re portable (take home for later!).

ETA: My fellow bird bride! Seen any other cute bird stuff lately?
Do you mean the ones in the chocolate nests, wrapped in celophane? I love those (except the red ribbon), but the site that used to have them doesn''t anymore. Maybe closer to Easter...

Otherwise, the eggs would just be free in the nest -- I was thinking 3 each.
 
Date: 1/29/2007 11:00:15 AM
Author: jcrow
what about these candies? link
I *love* malted milk balls! But I really want only white, blue, or natural colored eggs. I wish I could find those in single colors!
 
I thought about making the chocolate nests, but FI isn''t a fan of doing too much work!
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I do like the idea of using shredded wheat, though! Other recipes I have seen use chinese noodles or coconut.

If I did go that route, I would have to wrap them in something...celophane?
 
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hum, maybe pick out those colors only?
 
Date: 1/29/2007 11:08:02 AM
Author: jcrow
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hum, maybe pick out those colors only?
Oh, no you don''t!!! I have already had a time-consuming, detail-obessessed bride moment (see: save the dates) and I am only allowing myself one of those!
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Date: 1/29/2007 11:06:19 AM
Author: fatafelice

If I did go that route, I would have to wrap them in something...celophane?

They really aren''t that hard to make... You melt, stir and form. I bet you could knock it out in an afternoon, especially with somebody helping!

As for wrapping, cellophane bags would be perfect.
 
Jcrow: How did you find those candies at white asisle?! I looked all over that site the other day and didn''t see them!

Sum: I will have to talk to FI about it. Maybe we can do a trial run...
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Date: 1/29/2007 11:13:18 AM
Author: fatafelice

Date: 1/29/2007 11:08:02 AM
Author: jcrow
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hum, maybe pick out those colors only?
Oh, no you don''t!!! I have already had a time-consuming, detail-obessessed bride moment (see: save the dates) and I am only allowing myself one of those!
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haha!!! mine was the invites . . .
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how soon before easter do you need these?
 
Would gold eggs work?

Willy Wonka Golden Eggs

p.s. Are you able to share where you can get nests for $.50? I''m curious!
 
Date: 1/29/2007 11:20:08 AM
Author: fatafelice
Jcrow: How did you find those candies at white asisle?! I looked all over that site the other day and didn''t see them!

Sum: I will have to talk to FI about it. Maybe we can do a trial run...
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i googled it. maybe it''s an old page or something. maybe call and see?
 
just a thought, but what about light blue colored m&m''s? they sell them not personalized but all one color at the party stores. i know they wouldn''t be almond shaped, but i think they''d still work.
 
on a side note: i noticed somewhere else you were working on ceremony songs. what are you ideas on those?
 
Why not burn CD''s and give to your guests. Include songs near and dear to you and yours. The nest idea is cute. You must be an elementary teacher. High school here.
 
Jcrow: Well, I still haven''t managed to book someone to play for the ceremony, so that is first priority. I have been corresponding with a mountain dulcimer/fiddle player duo, but I haven''t heard back from them recently. I really want to have an Appalachian sound, so I think they will be a good choice, but it might make ceremony music a bit of a challenge. Plus, I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to music...
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dmamsquared: I like the CD favor idea, but since FI and I are not huge music buffs, I don''t know if it would be the best choice. Don''t get me wrong, we like music, we just don''t focus on it as much as other people might. Plus, FI''s brother just got married and they did CD favors, so we would like to be a bit different. On a side note, I am trying not to take it the wrong way that I "must" be an elementary school teacher based on liking a bird''s nest favor. Not that it should make any difference concerning my favors, but I teach intermediate Language Arts/Reading.
 
My bad. "Grade papers" is secondary. Elementary "mark papers" (in red). At least they tend to in my parts. I was held up at school for 10 hrs, so i was feeling a little loopy. I did not mean to offend. The nests are a cute idea for Eastertime wedding. Allow me to redeem myself by making this suggestion. Chocolate truffle eggs are also out there. Extraordinary candy from an extraordinary couple.
http://www.amazon.com/Amorini-Chocolate-Hearts-Silver-14-Ounce/dp/B00076R93I/sr=1-29/qid=1170115588/ref=sr_1_29/104-7548286-1504740?ie=UTF8&s=gourmet-food

By Appalachian do you mean Blue Grass? Check that spelling. No spell check for that.
 
Ebree: I apologize for not responding sooner, but I somehow missed your post! I don''t think I have any new bird stuff, but I will check and get back to you!
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Those gold eggs look delicious, but I don''t think they would work, since everthing else is very "natural." I may order some for myself and my BMs, though!
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As for the nests, I would love to share with you, but I am a little anxious about posting it on here, just in case they suddenly have a big run on those puppies and sell out. Irrational, I am sure, but the power of the lurkers is a little frightening sometimes! LOL. I am going to try to order mine this week, and once I have, I promise I will post the link for you. It is a Canadian company and that is the wholesale price, but I am sure you could find someone with a tax ID (including your florist!) to order them for you.

dmamsquared: No harm, no foul; I just wasn''t sure how I was supposed to take that!
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I am sorry that you got held up at school; I know how that goes. Where are you teaching? Most people around here say "grade," but I don''t know very many elementary teachers. I tend to make a lot of comments, but I try to stay away from the red ink to keep morale up!
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Alas, none of them actually ended up getting graded today, so I am sure tomorrow, I will have to stay late. Thank you for the link to the chocolates. They are very cute and I may use them for a shower I am throwing. Oh, the music...I meant Appalachian (spelled correctly, I promise), not blue grass, though they are certainly similar. Appalachian "mountain music," a regional folk music, has a distinct sound. The mountain dulcimer is an instrument that contributes to that and is very popular in Asheville, where we are getting married, which is why we want to incorporate it.
 
Ebree: Okay, I think I do have some things I haven''t posted before!
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First, I am having stoneware crocks made (my late father collected stoneware, so it is in honor of him) for half of the table arrangements. I haven''t worked out the details with the pottery company, but hopefully the bird design on them will look something like this:

d9_1_b.jpeg
 
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