The best part: they're relatively cheap to make! Each favour can be made for around $2 a piece; for my sister's wedding (where the guest list is close to 250!), one of these options will cost less than $500 for the entire event.
The trickiest part of these favours is the packaging. Several require a glass bottle, which can be expensive, but buying small 2-oz. bottles from wholesale sellers online is actually quite affordable. I looked at SpecialtyBottle.com and SKS Bottle and Packaging, and both have options for small glass bottles under $0.70 a piece.
Favour ideas:
Herb-Infused Sea Salt from Martha Stewart Weddings: Use rosemary, lavender, or Herbs de Provence for this long-lasting and useful favour. All you need is kosher sea salt, dried herbs, and an airtight container - combine, warm over the stove for a few minutes, cool, and you're ready to go. I found bulk sea salt for less than $2.50/lb. at SaltWorks and natural herbs at Frontier Co-Op.
Lavender Honey from The Herb Gardener: Another simple recipe: just infuse the honey with dried lavender, heat, and cool. Honey can be expensive, but I found natural clover honey for less than $5/lb at Anna's Honey.
Herb-Infused Olive Oil from Martha Stewart Weddings: Like the other favours, this is a useful gift that will last some time and can be used by anyone. Add a few snips of some dried rosemary (or your favourite herb mixture) to olive oil, and you're done! This looks beautiful in the bottle too.
Homemade Tea Favours: Creating your own unique tea blend for your wedding (or a bridal shower!) is a wonderful option for a different and special gift. You can buy bulk, whole-leaf black, green, or white tea and dried herbs from grocery stores, or online sellers (Mountain Rose Herbs, Mighty Leaf, and Frontier Co-Op, to name a few). Try a lavender-infused Earl Grey tea, green tea with mint, or a rose white tea. Then bind up the mixture in loose-leaf disposable tea bags (you can find many bulk options on Ebay and Amazon) and tie with string and a cute label. Voila!
Mini Potted Plant Favours: This is such a precious and unique idea for a natural wedding. I'd recommend picking a type of cactus, since they're pretty much indestructible, even if the new owner doesn't have time to take care of a plant. You can get mini cactuses and plants from sellers like Cactus Limon or SanPedroCactus on Etsy for less than $1.50 a piece. Pot the little plant in either a tiny glass jar or terrarium, or come up with another unique method (wrapping the roots in a mini burlap sack and tying with twine, planting in a mini pot and wrapping with brown paper, etc.). Another great idea for this favour is to also use it as a place or escort card at the reception: label each plant with the guest's name and table number, and then they can take it home as a favour after the event!
