wedding favors

Feel Inspired: Fun Ideas for Your Wedding Favors

From taking off work to driving considerable distances, guests must often put in a lot of effort to attend a wedding. This is why many couples offer wedding favors as a gesture of appreciation. Though not a requirement, giving out favors can add another personal touch to your big day and provide your guests with something extra to feel excited about. Find inspiration for your own favors by looking over these approaches and discover the right fit for your event.

The Keepsake Approach favors

You and your partner are not the only ones who will want to look back and remember your big day. The people who come to celebrate your union may also want to cherish the moment for as long as they can. One way to encourage this is by creating favors that act as keepsakes. A small token of affection with pertinent details like your names, the date of the wedding, or a romantic phrase can be a perfect choice. 

Keepsake favors are some of the most popular choices for couples because there are endless ways to go about creating unique mementos. Whether you use coasters, wine glasses, magnets, or an item that holds personal significance to you, this approach gives you the chance to get creative and deliver a favor guests will hold onto for years to come.

The Snack Attack

There is no shortage of food at most weddings. Still, you may want to give your guests an additional treat as the event comes to a close. This is your chance to showcase your personality by providing whatever snack you love to eat when you’re hanging around at home, whether it be something sweet, salty, or savory. What’s more, you can use this as an opportunity to highlight a local business or a close friend who likes to cook or bake. 

The snack you offer as a favor does not need to be eaten immediately, either. If you’re hosting your event in the winter, for example, you can give out glass jars filled with cocoa powder and marshmallows. This allows your guests the chance to make some hot chocolate for themselves when they feel like sipping on something sweet on a cold night.

The Personalized Method Favors

If you have some additional money in your budget, you have the chance to go the extra mile with your favors by creating personalized items for each guest. One option worth exploring is hiring an artist to paint small portraits of the attendees in advance, then place each picture on a table in the reception venue. This creates a stunning decoration that showcases your family and friends in a colorful way and gives them something fun to take and display at home. 

Customizing small items with the names or initials of your guests can also prove worthwhile. Monogrammed handkerchiefs or notebooks with engraved nameplates might cost a bit more, but the gesture can show your guests how much their presence means to you.

The Practical Angle

Giving out favors can also be a practical decision. If you think your guests will cut loose and spend the night drinking and dancing, consider offering a “recovery kit” as a gift. Include essential items like a bottle of water, packet of ibuprofen, and anything else that might help beat a possible hangover. Other practical gifts can include a travel sewing kit, small bottles of shampoo or body wash to use in the hotel rooms, or gift cards to a nearby coffee shop for a morning energy boost.

Giving out favors to guests might not be the most pressing aspect of your big day, but it can prove to be one of the most rewarding. Think about what your loved ones will appreciate most, and come up with small gifts that highlight how much they matter to you.

Gifting Your Guests: Wedding Favors, Welcome Bags, and More

Wedding favors continue to be a popular way of saying thank you to wedding guests and bestowing them with a keepsake from the ceremony.

Wedding favors continue to be a popular way of saying thank you to wedding guests and bestowing them with a keepsake from the ceremony.

When you’re hosting a wedding, one of your goals is creating an enjoyable and meaningful experience. If you’re like many nearlyweds, you want to convey your appreciation for your guests’ willingness to celebrate with you. Many couples give wedding favors as unique mementos, but welcome bags have also gained popularity. If you’re not sure how to thank your invitees, read on for some guidance and ideas.

An Introduction to Wedding Favors

SBS TV’s Sarah Ward explains that wedding favors may have originated in Europe. Aristocrat families would give their party guests bombonieres, or lavish gift boxes filled with sugary treats. Eventually, the tradition became commonplace and the gift boxes were filled with sugared Jordan almonds.

Are wedding favors absolutely necessary for your event? It depends on who you ask. Wedding Wire Canada’s Alice Prendergast insists that you shouldn’t cut favors from your budget. Meanwhile, The Spruce’s Jessica Bishop argues that you should only include them if you have the time and budget along with ideas for a meaningful parting gift.

In Prendergast’s guide to wedding favors, she advises selecting inexpensive items and keeping total expenses to between 2% and 3% of your event budget. Couples should also let their wedding themes dictate the favors they choose. Children and adults can receive the same types of favors unless you plan on giving out alcoholic food or drinks.

How Favors Have Gotten an Upgrade

Traditional wedding favors include Jordan almonds or physical keepsakes such as bottle openers, wine or shot glasses, or coasters. Yet couples are now rethinking the concept, opting for items that aren’t just trinkets that take up space. Food is always a popular choice, especially since guests can snack on these delicious goodies while traveling back home. WeddingbellsBaily Spagat showcases bite-sized edibles like chocolate candies, petit fours, and cake pops. For those seeking different choices, The Knot presents examples such as mugs filled with coffee beans, mini maple syrup bottles, and even warm cinnamon donuts passed out at the end of the reception.

In another piece for The Knot, Libby McCarthy stresses the importance of giving practical gifts. Avoid monogramming these items, since this will limit your attendees’ options for using them. Keep in mind that it’s perfectly fine to use monogrammed wrap or packaging. Candles, luggage tags, photo frames, and potted plants are excellent examples of non-edible items you can send home with your guests.

Welcome Bags and Other Alternatives

Some couples offer welcome bags instead of favors or provide both items to their guests. Brides writer Jenna Milliner-Waddell lists several essential staples to include in your welcome bags:

  • Water bottles
  • Sweet snacks
  • Local maps and information
  • Seasonal items such as hot drinks or sunscreen
  • Your event itinerary

For destination weddings, Alice Prendergast suggests including thematic packaging along with locally sourced snacks and keepsakes. While you’re at it, don’t forget to slip in a sheet of emergency phone numbers. With a little imagination, you can adapt and apply these ideas to welcome bags for a locally hosted wedding.

Of course, you’re not limited to favors or welcome bags. The Knot’s Lauren Kay discusses experiential favors as an emerging trend in 2019. These are bonus events scheduled during your wedding weekend as an extra “thank you” to your friends and family. Kay mentions examples such as short boat cruises, hikes, or special classes, but many group activities can be turned into fun get-togethers.

Little Ways To Express Gratitude

Providing party favors for wedding guests has been a long-standing custom. Yet like any other tradition, people modify it to suit their preferences and values. Welcome bags are another wonderful option to make your friends and family feel appreciated. With a practical focus, these gifts are now more convenient and guest-friendly.