And what's weird there is that didn't start until recently, too, or at least I thought. I never went to a birthday party as a kid and brought home anything other than a craft or leftover cake. But these the favors are outrageous. It's a really expensive part of the party, no matter how cheap you go.

When I was a kid, standard was a goodie bag with a few pieces of candy and maybe some plastic jewelry or hair thingies or a toy car or something little like that.

That sounds awesome, but also like a lot of work!!

Seriously.

When I was a kid, standard was a goodie bag with a few pieces of candy and maybe some plastic jewelry or hair thingies or a toy car or something little like that.

Yeah, that sounds about right to me.

There was one year when, if you wanted to be really cool, you'd give out packs of Garbage Pail Kids cards in your goodie bags. A few years later, it was slap bracelets.

We not only did almonds, they were leftovers from someone else's wedding - they ordered way too many and gave us the unopened boxes of silver and gold nuts which I wrapped in purple netting. Extra funny to me because I am allergic to almonds.

Personalized conversational hearts are brilliant. I do have a wedding favor that I've kept lo these many years since my friends got married - it's a bottle cozy made up to look like a tux and with their names and wedding date silk-screened on. it lies around in my kitchen in case I want to keep a beer cold and does remind me of that couple whenever I chance upon it.

I *LOATHE* goodie bags. Like, flames on the sides of my face loathing. No parent I know wants more cheap plastic tiny toys in their house, so I have no idea why that ever became a thing.

The coolest wedding favors I ever got were when my college roommate got married, she and her now-husband had each of the tables decorated with things that reminded them of a favorite book. All of us college friends were at the Harry Potter table, so I brought home a wand and another friend got a tiny Sorting Hat.

No parent I know wants more cheap plastic tiny toys in their house, so I have no idea why that ever became a thing.

THIS. And depending on the parents, some of it gets out of hand. Sara went to a "party" recently where the other girl's parents took their daughter and five of her friends out to dinner, then to Claire's to GO SHOPPING. On them.

I guess cause I'm a bit older, when I was a kid, gifts were for the person having he birthday. Guests got cake and usually ice cream. To tell you the truth, this is the first I've heard of the birthday guests getting anything. Wedding favors were not unknown in my youth, but not standard either.

Of course I attended a fair number of California hippie weddings. Outdoors, flowers in their hair, BarBque or some sort of grains & nuts & beans stew depending on type of hippie. Homemade wedding cake - no tiers. Groom in jeans, bride in flowing flowered dress. Or bride in T-shirt and mini-skirt. Or seaside wedding with everybody including bride and groom in bathing suits. Beer and champagne and pot smokers moving discreetly to an inconspicous area where cops could pretend not to notice.

I had a good idea for favors, but definitely thought they would be more trouble than they're worth. Like a $5 favor could cost you $500 and then the guests get what, a $5 favor?

Though I do use the three beer bottle openers from a wedding at a brewery.

My beer-loving friends who got married at a summer camp gave us little flashlights and beer cozies, but I have long since lost both. They were great at the time!

then the guests get what, a $5 favor?

$5 of chocolate is still chocolate! t /one-track mind

I am currently assembling the dance party playlist and wondering if "It's Raining Men" is too ridiculous. (Or too gay. I'm already putting "Born This Way" and "We Are Family" on it, and that's heading down a rainbow path. Which is fine, because some of our friends, who are queer, are going to be at the wedding. But is "It's Raining Men" a bridge too far? More importantly, do I care? And I kind of think the answer is no.)

I'm currently loading it up with Jackson 5 and Elvis (Presley, not Costello). It ain't a Lang wedding without Elvis.

I cannot for the life of me come up with a song to dance with my dad to. He told me to pick it, and nothing is sounding right. *Possibly* "You've Got a Friend In Me" (yes, from Toy Story), but it's a little weird, rhythm-wise, and neither of us are good dancers.