With many expenses to consider when planning your big day, wedding favors may be the last thing on your mind. While you aren’t required to provide them, you’ll likely find that wedding favors are the perfect way to show appreciation for your loved ones as you tie in the theme of your wedding.
Below, we’ll cover a detailed list of unique wedding favor ideas to help spark your imagination.
When Should You Start Planning Wedding Favors?
Following your engagement, it’s never too early to start brainstorming ideas for creative wedding favors. However, ordering them very early in advance — such as several months before your wedding date — can present some risks. For example, perishable favors can start to spoil when ordered too early. As you move further into the planning process, potential adjustments in your wedding theme or decor may also require changing the favors.
On the other hand, you shouldn’t wait until the last minute to purchase your wedding favors. If you wait until the last couple of weeks, they likely won’t arrive in time. In that case, you’ll have to throw together some last-minute substitutions or omit the wedding favor idea altogether.
As a general rule, wedding favors should be in your possession at least two weeks before the wedding day. To ensure your favors arrive on time, be sure to check the estimated order processing time and shipping time listed on the company’s website. If you’re making DIY wedding favors, be sure to give yourself ample time to make them.
How Much Should You Spend on Wedding Favors?
While couples typically spend an average of $1-3 per guest, the price of your wedding favors should ultimately depend on how much you’re willing to spend from your budget — favors can be as lavish or as simple as you please.
If you’re looking to save as much money as possible on wedding favors, here are four tips to help you stay within your budget:
- Price companies and products: Certain companies may offer more discounted prices for wedding favors compared to others. If you’re eyeing a particular item on a website, you may be able to find one that’s the same or cheaper from another company. Conduct some research and price comparisons to seek out the most cost-effective options.
- Consider budget-friendly options: Simple yet elegant wedding favors such as jam or jelly jars, coasters, tea bags, candles, succulents, soaps or food items can be more budget-friendly options. Plus, they’re super fun and creative!
- Make your own: DIY wedding favors can be an excellent money saver. Making your own wedding favors can often be less expensive than buying premade ones, and you can choose from numerous ideas. Whether it’s homemade bath salts, decorated bottles of champagne or mini jars of honey, the possibilities are endless.
- Buy bulk wedding favors: When purchasing wedding favors — and most items for that matter — ordering in bulk is typically the most inexpensive option. Many stores will offer discounted bulk pricing, which allows you to save money while ensuring you have plenty of wedding favors to go around.
What to Keep in Mind When Choosing Your Wedding Favors
When selecting the perfect favors for your wedding day, here are some important tips to keep in mind:
Keep It Personal
Try choosing personalized wedding favors that are meaningful to you and your partner. Consider something that captures your personalities or something you both enjoy. For example, personalized bottles of your favorite wine, gifts inspired by your favorite date spot, homemade goodies from a family recipe or mini bags of coffee or tea.
Tie It Into the Theme
When planning favors for your big day, you can use the specific theme of your wedding to gather some ideas. For example, a glamorous Paris-inspired theme might include mini boxes of macarons or French chocolates as wedding favors. For a more rustic style wedding, you might consider giving your guests jars of Southern jams or jellies.
Think about planning wedding favors based on a particular season. If you’re having a winter-themed wedding, mason jars filled with hot cocoa mix and mini marshmallows would be ideal wedding favors. On the other hand, jars of honey may be more appropriate for summer, while maple syrup typically pairs nicely with fall. For a spring wedding, you might consider pressed flower-inspired favors.
Additionally, try to select appropriate colors for your favors to keep the theme consistent.
Read Reviews
If you’re planning to order your wedding favors online, it’s critical to read reviews before purchasing them. Checking out product reviews from other customers can help you determine whether it’s worth buying the favors from that website or you should look elsewhere. If a particular item has mostly positive reviews, it’s more than likely a safe bet.
Try It Before Buying
Depending on where you order your wedding favors, you may be able to test out the item before buying it in a larger quantity. If possible, order a sample before buying it in bulk to ensure it smells good, tastes delicious or functions properly.
Remember to allow some additional time before the wedding to do a trial run for your wedding favors — you may want to order your sample no less than a month out from the wedding to give yourself plenty of time.
Order or Make Extra
Like many other elements of wedding planning, it’s always important to have backups when it comes to wedding favors. Make or order some extras just in case — you never know if you may end up needing them. A few could break in transit or get lost, some guests may grab extras at the wedding or you may end up having a few last-minute RSVPs.
Think in Advance About Presentation
When planning a wedding, remember that it’s all in the details. Taking the time to make the presentation of your wedding favors unique and special can go a long way — even if you’re just handing out small or simple items.
Think of creative ways to package your wedding favors. You might consider personalized tags or themed wrapping to enhance the presentation. Additionally, think of a good spot in your venue to display them, such as a designated table near the entrance or exit.
30 Unique Wedding Favor Ideas
Do you need a stellar idea for wedding favors that will highlight your theme and wow your guests? Check out this extensive list of homemade wedding favor ideas for some inspiration:
1. Foodie Favors
You can’t go wrong with edible goodies for your wedding favors. No matter what idea you come up with, foodie guests will surely enjoy bringing home these wedding favors to snack on. Here are some ideas for inspiration:
- Cookies
- Cake pops
- Candy or chocolate boxes
- Truffles
- Gourmet popcorn
2. Olive Oil
Olive oil can serve a variety of purposes, making it a practical and versatile wedding favor for your guests. Homemade or infused olive oil can be extra special and delicious. Add your choice of infusions such as fruit peel, dried chilis or fresh herbs to flavor the olive oil to your liking. Attach a printed tag to each bottle to share the recipe with your guests!
3. Cocktail Kits
Cocktail kits are wonderful gifts for your guests of legal drinking age. There are a variety of ways to decorate and personalize these kits to complement your theme. Pick a cocktail, select the necessary ingredients and think of a creative way to package them. Remember to purchase the appropriate amount of ingredients based on your expected guest count.
You can incorporate any desired flavors, such as mango, pineapple or strawberry. Below are a few ideas for cocktail kits your guests can make at home:
- Margaritas
- Cosmopolitans
- Strawberry daiquiris
4. Wine Stoppers
Personalized wine bottle stoppers can be great wedding favors for your guests to take home. You can order them in colors that accent the desired theme or season. Below are some wine stoppers to give you some favor ideas:
- Plastic Black Essentials Bottle Stoppers
- HOST bottle stoppers with handles
- Rabbit wine bottle stoppers
- Houdini wine preserving stoppers
5. Jam or Jelly Jars
Mini jars of homemade jam or jelly are charming and creative gifts for your wedding guests, especially if your wedding is more rustic-themed. They can incorporate any fruit flavoring you please — strawberry, grape, blackberry, raspberry, peach and more. Decorate your jars by wrapping the lids in some fabric, tying them with ribbon or string and adding a printed sticker or label with a recipe or cute thank-you note.
6. DIY S’mores
S’mores wedding favors are unique, creative and delicious gifts for everyone to enjoy. Be sure to pick up the appropriate amount of graham crackers, chocolate bars and marshmallows to accommodate your guest count.
To make these wedding favors, stack and assemble your s’mores, place them in plastic favor bags and secure them with twist ties or ribbon. Complete these favors by attaching personalized labels with a clever pun or statement of gratitude.
7. Bottle Openers
Bottle openers are creative and useful wedding favors for your guests. You can order these in specific colors or designs to accent your wedding theme. Whether it’s a classic two-piece corkscrew, a winged corkscrew or a soft touch corkscrew, there are a variety of styles, designs and colors to inspire your bottle opener wedding favors!
8. Maple Syrup
Consider giving out adorable mini jars of maple syrup for your wedding favors. These simple yet elegant gifts are especially ideal for an autumn wedding. Similar to the jelly jar idea, you can cover the lids in fabric, wrap the jars in colorful ribbon and attach a sticker or tag to each one. For these design features, consider using warmer tones such as red, orange, brown or gold to integrate an autumn color palette.
9. Personalized Wine Bottles
Wine wedding favors offer a variety of creative possibilities, making them excellent gifts for your guests. Personalized bottles of wine can incorporate customized features such as printed tags, special engravings or themed stickers.
You and your partner can create these gifts using your favorite brands of wine and engraved bottles with your names. Whether it’s bottles of your favorite red, white or sparkling wines, these will surely serve as special keepsakes to treasure long after your wedding day.
10. Loose-Leaf Tea
Tea is a simple yet delightful wedding favor idea. Tea bags are typically mess-free and easy to package, making them convenient and excellent gifts for your guests. Select your choice of tea or include an assortment of flavors. Then, choose a creative way to package it. You can place them in mesh drawstring party favor bags, use personalized paper packaging or place them in mini teacups.
No matter the season, tea is a classic and tasteful favor for any wedding. You can also use different flavors to complement the theme or season — lemon and strawberry for summer or spring, pumpkin or apple spice for fall and vanilla or mint for wintertime.
11. Hot Sauce
Spice up your wedding day with some personalized bottles of hot sauce! Use customized packaging, string or ribbon and colorful labels or tags to tie in your theme and design them to your liking. Making hot sauce at home with fresh, seasonal ingredients can be even better than buying it from a store.
If desired, attach the recipe to each bottle, add a tag with your names and wedding date or include a thank-you label with a clever hot sauce-inspired pun. The creative possibilities with this gift are endless!
12. Honey Jars
Decorated jars of honey are great gifts for a spring or summertime wedding. Grab some string or ribbon and brightly colored fabric to wrap the lids. Then, print out some personalized tags or labels to craft these delightful honey jar wedding favors!
If you’re having a wedding in one of these warmer seasons, we recommend using softer tones such as baby blue, pale pink, light green and lavender. Floral fabric patterns can also be great for spring and summer.
13. Custom Coffee Gifts
Both you and your coffee-loving guests are sure to get a kick out of customized coffee wedding favors. Here are a few ideas to give you some inspiration:
- Paper coffee cups with lids, sleeves and personalized labels
- Personalized mugs with your names and wedding date
- Mini packets or decorated boxes of coffee grounds with your flavors of choice
14. Shot Glasses
Consider gifting some personalized shot glasses to your guests. You can have these glasses engraved with your names, initials, date of your wedding or a brief thank-you. Try ordering shot glass sets by the case to save money on your wedding favors.
15. Wine Glasses
Wine glasses are simple yet timeless gifts for your wedding guests. Order these in bulk and personalize them to your liking by adding your names, initials or the date of your wedding. You can even order plastic wine or champagne glasses as a more affordable option.
16. Pressed Flower Gifts
Perfect for a springtime wedding, pressed flowers offer a variety of beautiful and artistic wedding favor ideas. Here are some pressed flower favors to consider:
- Framed pressed flowers
- Floral coasters
- Plates, bowls or glasses
- Decorative boxes
17. Succulents
For lush green and earthy wedding favors, consider gifting mini succulents to your guests. Create small personalized boxes or pots to store these plants. Don’t forget to include notes with care instructions, too. Succulents can also make wonderful centerpieces for your reception tables.
18. Air Plants
If you’re looking for another plant-based idea, air plants make creative and unique wedding favors for your guests. Store these in mini pots and attach personalized tags for a charming and thoughtful gift.
19. Seeds
If you and your fiance enjoy gardening, mini packets of seeds may be the perfect wedding favors for your big day. Store these packets in mini flower pots or customized paper packaging for adorable gifts.
20. Candles
Custom candles make lovely wedding favors for your guests, and there are a wide variety of ideas to consider. A supplier can incorporate your choice of favorite scents to accent the season or your wedding theme. You can decorate the lid with a personalized sticker or tie the candle with string for a rustic look.
21. Bath Salts
With a variety of scents and colors to choose from, bath salt wedding favors will surely be a crowd-pleaser. You can purchase these salts or make them yourself and pour them into mini personalized jars or tubes.
22. Custom Soaps
Homemade soap is another wedding favor to provide a pleasing aroma for your guests. You can decorate small boxes to package the soaps or simply tie the stacks with sturdy string. Don’t forget to add some personalized tags, too.
23. Essential Oils
For another relaxing and thoughtful gift to pamper your guests, consider essential oil or incense wedding favors. These can incorporate scents of your choice, such as rosemary, lavender, lemon or peppermint.
24. Bath Bombs
Are you inspired by the bath salts idea but want to take it a step further? Try creating some bath bomb wedding favors. Find a recipe for homemade bath bombs or purchase some of your own, then package them in mini mesh drawstring bags to secure their scent.
25. Fun Favors
Fun and playful wedding favors are a creative way to bring out the inner child in both of you. Guests of all ages are bound to enjoy these gifts. Here are some fun and unique wedding favors you might consider:
- Temporary tattoos
- Worry dolls
- Personalized decks of cards
26. Luggage Tags
If you and your partner are frequent travelers, custom luggage tags may be the perfect wedding favors to give your guests. These can serve as functional gifts for your guests while expressing your love for adventure at the same time.
You can print or order these tags in your desired colors or designs to help highlight your wedding theme. Include blank lines for guests to write their names, addresses and any other pertinent information. On the bag of each tag, you also might consider adding a travel-related pun or a small thank-you note for attending the wedding.
27. Handmade Coasters
Personalized coasters make excellent wedding favors. You can easily match these coasters to the season or theme of your wedding. Here are some ideas:
- Constellation coasters
- Tree cookie coasters
- Cork coasters
- Sand dollar coasters
- Photo coasters
28. Lottery Cards
Though it’s a rather unique idea, lottery tickets can be fun and creative wedding favors for guests. Try packaging them in paper envelopes with customized stickers or labels.
29. Sunglasses
Are you planning a summer wedding? Consider giving out pairs of personalized sunglasses as wedding favors. These gifts are fun, simple and perfect to accompany the season.
You can order them in an assortment of fun colors or patterns to accent your theme. Customize these shades by engraving the arms or attaching personalized labels, then place them in a large basket for guests to grab on their way in or out.
30. Ornaments
Personalized ornaments make easy and excellent wedding favors for your guests, and they’re especially ideal if your wedding is close to Christmas! Here are some ideas for ornaments you might consider crafting:
- Puzzle piece ornaments
- Snowflake ornaments
- Mini wine bottle ornaments
- Tree cookie ornaments
Wedding Favor FAQs
Now that you have some unique ideas for wedding favors, let’s answer some commonly asked questions from our customers.
Are Favors Necessary at a Wedding?
There’s no rule in the magical wedding guidebook that states you must have favors at your wedding. However, favors do a great job connecting with your guests and thanking them for coming. They’re also a fun way to commemorate the occasion. At the end of the day, guests will be more focused on the happy couple than the gift they take home — but it can still be a sweet addition.
Is It OK Not to Have Wedding Favors?
Yes, it’s acceptable not to have wedding favors, though they’re a nice touch. Ultimately, it’s your wedding and you should be in charge of every detail. If you’re concerned about the cost, rest assured that wedding favors don’t need to be extravagant. They can be as simple as a piece of your favorite chocolate or a flower from the reception centerpiece. Favors don’t even have to be customized as long as they display a touch of the couple’s unique style.
What Should a Wedding Favor Be?
Wedding favors are a fun way to incorporate another detail of you and your partner’s interests into your wedding theme. Are you both travelers? Try a luggage tag. Wine enthusiasts? A wine pourer could be a great idea. Chocolate connoisseurs? Buy candy bars with your names and wedding date on them. Get creative with it! Overall, guests will prefer something practical and personal.
In place of physical favors, brides and grooms have used the money they would’ve put towards gifts and donated to a charity of their choice. You can make one large donation from the favor fund or place a donation in each of your guests’ names. Either way, a donation favor is an excellent opportunity for couples who are passionate about giving back.
What Is the Average Amount Spent on Wedding Favors?
There’s no estimate on how much should be spent on wedding favors — your budget is up to you as a couple to decide. For food items, the average might be around $5 per person. If your budget is smaller, you can spend around $2-$3 a person. Some couples even spend approximately $10-$20 per person if you prefer something more extravagant. Whatever your budget, it’s possible to find something doable that guests can take away from your wedding and enjoy.
Purchase Alcohol Wedding Favors From Marketview Liquor
We hope this sizeable list of wedding favor ideas will help inspire excellent gifts for your wedding guests. At Marketview Liquor, we can help provide the perfect wines or wine-related gifts to create lovely wedding favors for your big day. Visit our gift center or browse our selection of wine accessories to start gathering ideas today!
