We get asked all the time: “What do I include as Wedding Favors”? Honestly, our response is simple: they can sometimes be a waste of time & money. Our best advice is if you cannot consume, reuse or put a beverage in it, do not bother. Trust us, we are the ones collecting your items at the end of the night, and favors are consistently left behind (unless they’re really good!), and you might not want that many momentos leftover from your wedding day. Below is more insight on what we’ve seen.
Koozies
We all have that bin in our house that is filled with random koozies you’ve collected over the years. People are still liking these, and get to add it to their bins/bars at home. They are a fun way to show off your personalities, a cute saying, your pets, etc. We have nothing against them either! Pro tip: not every single one of your guests will want or take one, so order 60% of your guest count for these. This way, you’re not left with a ton of your own koozies!
Consumable
This is a big hit for Wedding Favors! Guests love to eat and drink, so let them take home a little treat to remember the special day. If it’s ok with your venue, provide your favorite bakery’s sweets, or a small bottle of wine from your family’s vineyard. It’s a great way to make the dreaded Wedding Favors personal to you & your spouse. This couple had macarons in their wedding colors displayed for guests to take on their way out that evening!
Sustainable
We have been seeing more couples including sustainability into their weddings. This can be done with seeds to plant, floral or something reusable as Wedding Favors. These succulents were the perfect addition to “let love grow” after the special day! Pro tip: see if favors can also double as place cards, like these did! That’s less you have to provide and doesn’t require extra tables to be set up.
Custom
This could be the most expensive route, but getting something that everyone recognizes made in a custom way. The most popular ones we see of these are Yankee Candles, Coca Cola bottles or M&M candies with your names or faces on them. Another ‘custom’ item you can think of is the personalization on your photobooth strips, if you’re having one. Guests usually display these in their homes and will always remember the fun they had at your wedding!
What not to include
We are saying this out of love, but DIYing (anything, really) Wedding Favors might not be the best idea. Our best advice when providing some thing off the above list is “would you use/display it in your own home?” Just because it was cute on Pinterest or cost effective on Oriental Trading doesn’t mean you need to include it. We’ve seen times where they provide little votives with the couple’s name and date on it, or an entire set of coasters and guests just don’t take them because they don’t want to use someone else’s items in their own home.
Bottom line with Wedding Favors? Make sure it’s worth it or just skip it. If you’re going to spend money on them, make sure it’s something you would want to receive from someone else!
