There are as many different wedding styles as there are brides, and the favors should reflect the wedding. The possibilities are endless -- the hardest part is deciding which favors to use!

I definitely had a tricky time deciding on what to give away to my guests. I wanted to show my appreciation for them without going overboard. And I wanted to make sure the favors were useful. One thing to keep in mind with wedding favors is that a lot of times they get tossed shortly after the wedding, so it’s important to make them something that guests will want to hold on to. Make them keepsakes, make them practical, or make them edible.

In the end, since my wedding had a bird theme, each guest received an origami paper crane in the wedding’s colors, chocolates with our names on the wrappers, and a keychain with a bird on it. If I were to go back in time, I’d jettison the keychains, because I don’t think many people held onto them.

With that in mind, here are a few favor ideas for some popular wedding styles:

• Timeless: Jordan almonds, votive candles, scented soaps
• Modern: M&Ms with your names on them, picture-frame coasters, custom-printed fridge magnets
• Beach: Pretty seashells, flip-flops, beach totes embroidered with the wedding date
• Outdoor: Packets of seeds tied with ribbon, miniature flower pots, paper lanterns
• Quirky: Hot sauce bottles with personalized label, Pez dispensers, cocktail mix packets
• Destination: Luggage tag sets, local snacks or other edibles, travel-sized lotion or soap
• DIY: Handmade snow globes, handmade bookmarks, jars of homemade jam or preserves