White Favors

Pastelitos de boda (literally, "wedding cookies") are a traditional dessert at Mexican weddings. Made with walnuts, pecans, or almonds, they're a sweet way to thank guests for sharing the day. To give as favors, tuck two into a tiny clear box along with a note imprinted with a fitting sentiment or your wedding date. Type on a computer, print on colored vellum, then cut the messages into tiny strips.

Assembled in the shape of a three-tier layer cake, store-bought boxes hold individual slices of the groom's cake, ready for the guests to take home. Tucked between the white boxes are ranunculuses, sweet peas, hyacinths, and lilies of the valley.

These pressed-sugar boxes were personalized with piped-icing designs.

Representing the union of two lives, a monogram is a natural for any reception. Here, gold dragees compose a single initial, set against a background of white.

Dragees have a long history at weddings, and a paper compote in the center of each table lets your guests be a part of the tradition. Construct the compote from a single piece of paper folded accordion-style, and fill with the sugar-coated almonds.

As a centerpiece for the party and favors for the guests (perhaps at a shower), orchids are presented in terra-cotta pots painted white and arranged on a saucer -- a butterfly-shaped tag on a thin wire holder hovers over each plant.

Beautiful boxes can be as much a part of the gift as the favors themselves: Long handmade boxes hold small cookies. Fabric lilies of the valley fasten tall sacks. Untie the ribbons, and "kisses" open into the shape of flowers. The couple's first initials are inscribed on the bottoms of paper pyramids. Easy to assemble, ready-made boxes tied with ribbons hold dragees.

Clever wrapping makes memorable favors. Clear cellophane adorned with slim silver paper and metallic cord holds marshmallows.

A snowy felt square tied with a patterned ribbon threaded through holes punched in the corners makes an envelope for scented soap.

Metallic string secures a monogrammed tag and a tiny foil leaf to a transparent box filled with crystals of rock candy.

All-white treats are just right for a wedding. For do-it-yourself favors, place stacks of glassine bags around a table, and let guests choose from glass containers of rock candy, coconut jelly beans, tiny marshmallows, vanilla taffy, white-chocolate mints, and more.