Wedding Favors & Gifts

A few weeks back, I asked the question on my Instagram feed: “Do you expect to receive a favor or a gift when you attend a wedding?” And I got some great feedback from my followers!

When you’re planning a wedding, sometimes it can feel like you’re bleeding money. No matter how much you budget and promise to stick to your numbers, something always seems to come up! Did you think about tipping your vendors? Did you calculate in sales tax? What about flowers for the church?

So, let’s talk about one of those sneaky little things that can creep up on you at the last minute – favors & gifts. Any research into the topic can leave you scratching your head and asking: are they really necessary? I mean, you’re already providing appetizers, a delicious dinner, dessert, and alcohol – all in a fabulous, gorgeous atmosphere with dancing & music – do you really need to give every guest a gift as well? Sophisticated wedding etiquette will also tell you that you should be providing your out-of-town guests with welcome gifts! All together, favors & gifts can add up and have a hefty price-tag, as well as take up a lot of your precious wedding-planning time!

Are favors & gifts a necessity?

Let me relieve a tiny bit of your panic & stress and say: no, favors & gifts aren’t truly a necessity.
For the most part, my generation of guest doesn’t even expect to receive a favor. I can also tell you that for all the weddings I photograph, at least 50% of the favors are left behind by the guests. No matter where you put them: at their place, on display as your guests are leaving, they are more often than not left behind. I promise, it’s not because your favors are unwanted or unappreciated, they are simply forgotten about!

What are some alternatives to favors?

So, if you’re in the midst of wedding planning and you simply cannot spend another cent – my suggestion to you is to go without. Yes, you may ruffle your Great Aunt Martha’s feathers because she is expecting a favor, but I promise, it will be okay. Most of your guests probably won’t even notice that they aren’t taking a favor home.

Maybe you’re getting a lot of pressure from family to have some sort of favor though. A really simple way to do something and not have to worry about throwing 73 favors away at the end of the night is to make a donation toward a cause that is near & dear to you & your fiance’s hearts. A simple sign on each table or even just one on the table with the guest book lets guests know that a donation has been made in their honor in lieu of favors. And everyone walks away with warm fuzzies.

What are some popular favors?

Still have family turning up the heat that you need to give each guest a favor? There are some budget friendly favors out there, you may have to get a little creative!

Some of my favorites are:
-seed packets
-matchbooks
-and absolutely anything edible!

My parents have a large glass dish that is overflowing with matches from weddings that they’ve attended. They literally will never need to buy a match, forever! Seeds to plant flowers are always a hit – the question is, do they make it home & into the ground? Hopefully they do!

Here’s the best favors though: anything edible! Favors that you can eat always go over, hands down, the best! If your guests don’t eat them right then & there, it’s fun to have a snack on your way home from the wedding, or to have the next morning!

What has been your experience with wedding favors & gifts? Have you come across any that were so unique & perfect for the wedding?
Share your stories with me in the comments below! I’d love to hear your experiences!