Wedding favors have been a staple in weddings since, well, forever. It is a small token that says “thanks for being a part of our day” a small item off memorabilia from your special day. For the most part, wedding favors follow the overall trend of the wedding. For instance, a boho wedding might have personalized seed packets. While an elegant traditional wedding may give away candles.
Some Unique Wedding Favors
In our experience as a wedding venue, we have see a variety of unique wedding favors like,
- Little jars of honey
- Home made jams & jellies
- Original Coca Cola & Peanuts
- Tiny Pies
- Decorated Cookies
- & the ever popular, koozies, just to name a few
If you’ve been to a wedding recently, maybe you have taken on of these cute token home with you as well. After all, everyone loves a “goodie bag.” Here’s the thing, favors are fun and cute and all the things but there is an extremely important detail you should consider when picking what type of favors to give away at your wedding. Your guests. Yep, that’s right! Wedding favors are, after all, for your guests so its important to consider them when picking out what to give. Recently, we attended a wedding that had the cutest little tins of mints with a small sign that said “mint to be.” While I’ll admit, it was cute and catchy, almost no one took the mints home which meant the bride wasted money (and probably a small chunk of it) and was also left to deal with them when the wedding was over.
If you’re planning a wedding, take time to consider your guests and their habits. Favors ultimately fall into 3 categories.
Types of Wedding Favors
- Keep Sakes
- Wedding Day Gift
- Perishables
Examples of keep sake wedding favors are personalized blankets or towels, bottle openers, lighters/matches, key chains, etc.
Wedding Day Gifts are favors that are used on the day of the wedding and can also be kept as a keep sake if desired. Examples of these are personalized wedding koozies, etched beverage glasses, hand sanitizers or even small baggies of dried flowers for the send off.
Last but not least, the category of perishables. Obvious examples are candies, pies, honey, jellies, wine shooters, seasoning blends, coffees, hot sauce, etc.
What do your Guests Like?
When thinking of your guests, its sometimes very clean they type of things that would appeal to them. For instance, if you come from a long line of barbecuers and you’re marrying into a family of cajuns, tiny bottles of hot sauce is sure to be a hit. Unfortunately, its not always that easy! More often than not, guests embody a large variety of likes and interests so choosing a favor that will appeal to all is tricky. Don’t worry, it can be done! Perishables are almost always a sure fire way to satisfy all of your guests. Choosing a perishable type of wedding favor such as a decorated cookie, miniature pies or more kit can also save you money in day of desserts. it is a great way to offer variety without having to break the bank!
Choosing the Right Wedding Favor
So now that you know the 3 main categories of favors and you’re thinking about your guests, and what they like, how do you choose the right wedding favor to give away? Deciding on the right wedding favor can have more to do with budget than with guests interest, and we know that. While it is important to choose a wedding favor that will suit your guests, ultimately so that it doesn’t go to waste, it is also equally as important to not exceed your budget in the mean time. Thanks to pinterest, there are fresh new wedding favor ideas popping up daily. If you’re looking for affordable wedding favor ideas, check out our board here!
At the end of the day, regardless of what you choose and how many you buy, there will be leftovers. The best piece of advise we could give to any bride when choosing the right wedding favor is pick something your guests will like AND a favor that you can reuse, repurpose or enjoy yourself. This way, when its time to clean up, the leftover favors are happily added to the “keep” pile and your hard-earned money and thoughtful gesture doesn’t go in the trash.