Wedding Favor Ideas

Coming up with ideas for wedding favors, and then actually getting the wedding favors done, is a seemingly small element of wedding planning when you’re trying to find the right wedding dress, reception venue, caterer, and photographer, but it can quickly turn into a big deal if it’s been left to the last minute!

Some couples intentionally give wedding favor planning a backseat in favor of more “important” things, but it’s also important to remember this seemingly small way of honoring and thanking your guests for their attendance and being a part of your celebration.

But what if you are factoring time in for wedding favor planning and have a desire to honor your guests with something memorable to take home, but you can’t think of any wedding favor ideas? Or maybe you have some ideas, but they’re either too generic or too complex.

To help you out, here is a list of some wedding favor ideas to help you get started:

Do-It-Yourself Wedding Favors

If you’re the crafty and creative type who would like to honor your wedding guests with something personal and unique, consider do-it-yourself wedding favors. You might need to enlist some help from your bridal party, family, and friends. The options are almost endless for what you can put together, but here are some ideas for what you can use as containers, fillers, and packaging. Check your local dollar store/craft supply store for supplies.

Containers:

miniature versions of cups, mugs, shells, baskets, boxes, vases, tin pails, jars, gift bags, soap dishes

Fillers:

homemade chocolates, homemade candies, mints, heart candies, seashells, bath salts, soaps, candles, coffee, tea blends, hot cocoa mix, plant seeds

Packaging:

ribbon, tulle, cellophane, charms

Themed Wedding Favors

If you’re having a themed wedding, consider incorporating matching themed wedding favors! For example, for a beach wedding, you could incorporate seashells and starfish into your wedding favors, like a seaside tealight candle set or candleholder set, or seashell bottle openers. Other themes around which you can base your wedding favors include Asian (e.g., fortune cookies), vintage (e.g., engraved letter openers or embroidered handkerchiefs), and Christmas (ornaments).

Personalized Wedding Favors

Some couples are fond of giving their guests personalized wedding favors. “Personalized” usually means the couple’s names, wedding date, or photo (or a combination) are engraved or imprinted on the favor. Ideas for personalized wedding favors include:

• personalized chocolate bars
• personalized pens
• personalized bubbles
• personalized CD (e.g., your wedding music)
• personalized golf balls
• personalized photo frames

Edible Wedding Favors

Edible wedding favors are a favorite for many couples, and also quick and easy. Chocolates (e.g., homemade, gourmet, flavored, Hershey’s Kisses Rosebud Roses, M&Ms in wedding colors), candies (e.g., gourmet jelly beans), homemade cookies with attached recipe, hot cocoa mix, tea blends, and coffees are popular and simple choices.

Candle-Based Wedding Favors

Candles are also always classic and trendy for wedding favors. Try to avoid the same-old boring and plain candles and opt for ones that come in unique and interesting colors, shapes, scents, and containers (for example, a heart-shaped candle in a funky container and in one of your wedding colors). Ideas for candles:

• votive or tealight candles
• colorful, scented candles
• taper candles
• candles placed in decorated and/or personalized terracotta pots

Practical Wedding Favors

Using practical wedding favors is a great way to honor guests as well as give them something they can actually use on a regular basis. Ideas for practical wedding favors include:

• bookmarks
• magnets
• photo frames
• soap
• cookie cutters
• keychains
• salt & pepper shakers

Wedding Favors for a Cause/Eco-Friendly Wedding Favors

Still other couples like to give their guests wedding favors for a cause (advocacy) and/or eco-friendly/“green” wedding favors. Ideas here include charity donations, flower seeds, other plant seeds, vegetable seeds, tree seedlings, and favors made from recycled products and/or natural materials.