Weddings Favors That Won’t Go to Waste

One of the things that makes your wedding day so special are the guests who come to celebrate with you and your partner. You want to thank them for coming and taking part in your big day. Wedding favors are the traditional way of thanking wedding guests for coming! We love seeing all the creative ways that couples chose to thank their friends, family, and guests.

However, you’ve probably heard horror stories of brides who spent hundreds of dollars wedding favors only to see guests leave them behind on the tables. Heck! We have actually seen this happen on a wedding day! You want to make sure that you choose wedding favors that won’t go to waste on your big day. Here are a few ideas to get you started. 

Consumable Food Items

Who doesn’t love a donut or warm gooey chocolate chip cookie? Your guests will be dying for a quick snack after an evening of celebrating and dancing, so wedding favors that are consumable food items won’t go to waste. These gifts might not even make it to the car. 

You can set up a candy bar with to-go containers and let your guest create their wedding favor with their favorite candies. Hot chocolate bars are great for any guest. Donuts and cheesecake bites have become popular desserts. They’re the perfect size for a snack or to tackle a sugar craving. 

And don’t forget to check with your wedding cake baker. Many wedding bakeries can create little treats outside of traditional wedding cakes.

When you add a consumable food item to your wedding favor, it’s a good idea to keep a few bags or boxes nearby in case there are extras! That way, your guests can take a few items home with them.

Hangover Bags or Kits

If you have an open bar or offer spirits, some guests might not feel their best the following morning. This makes a “feel better tomorrow” bag a wedding favor that will go home with your guests. 

Some companies make hangover bags or kits that you can order online. These come with all the standard items, but the price point might be more than you want. 

If you have the time, you might consider making your hangover bags for wedding favors. You buy small baskets or solid colored small lunchboxes to store the items. You want to add the following:

• A small bottle of water
• Package of Advil or Tylenol
• Granola bar
• Breath mints
• Trial-size face wipes
• Trail size Shout wipes for stains you missed last night
• Roll of Tums
• Lip balm
• Trail-size lotion

Making the bag yourself allows you to customize it with your favorite items.

Blankets

If you’re getting married in the fall or winter, you might consider blankets as a party favor, especially if your wedding is outdoors with heaters. You can find blankets in various materials, sizes, and price points. You might consider offering your guests their choice of colors and materials so they get a wedding favor they’ll use for years. 

If the wedding is indoors, you can leave the blankets on a table and encourage guests to take a blanket to stay warm in the car on the ride home. If you expect your guests to use the blankets during the reception, you need one blanket for each guest, but if the guests pick them up at the end of the night, you probably only want one blanket per couple. 

Local Treats in Jars

It’s always important to support your local businesses and the economy. Picking out your wedding favors is a great time to show a little patronage to your local companies. Take an afternoon with your bridesmaids and visit the local shop for ideas. You might find moonshine, scented candles, homemade jellies, and jams, or honey. It’s a good idea to talk to the shop owner to see if they can handle large orders and give them as much time as possible to prepare the goodies.

Once you select a treat in a jar, you can jazz up the jars by printing out circles with your wedding date on them and gluing them onto the top. If you want something simple and elegant, you can tie ribbons around the jars’ tops that match the wedding’s color scheme. Whatever treat you choose, you want to select something practical that people will want to sample and use when they return home. 

Caricature Drawings

These humorous drawings remind everyone of being on vacation, having a good time, and relaxing. Everyone loves having their caricature drawn with their head five times larger than their body while they wobble on a surfboard or roller skates. 

You can hire a local artist to come to your venue and draw the caricature during the downtime of the wedding. Your guests can take a break from dancing to have their drawings done. If you do a cocktail hour, this is a great time to have the drawings done for your guests. They’ll take their drawings home and keep them as a fond memory. 

Personalized Cups or Mugs

With this wedding favor, you can use it during the wedding reception, and then your guests can take it home. If you go with mugs, you can hand them out with after-dinner coffee or later in the evening when everyone needs a pick-me-up. Personalized cups are great for mixed drinks, tea, sodas, and other drinks 

When designing your personalized cups or mugs, you can go for a simple and elegant design or create your own! You could opt for something special to you, such as the partners’ names and the wedding date. There’s always the option of something cutesy on the mug. It’s a good idea to order mugs or cups that come in individual boxes to make it easier for your guests to carry home or pack in their suitcases. 

Photo Bus

Consider a photo bus if you’re looking for a fun and unique wedding favor! Nothing is more fun than popping on silly outfits and taking your picture. During cocktail hour or when there is a gap of dance time during the reception, this is a great opportunity for guests to mingle with each other. Guests should include the bride or groom in the photos to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Professional Wedding Photographer

No matter what wedding favors you choose, your friends and family will love sharing and celebrating your special day with you. You can start with these ideas to provide favors that don’t go to waste, but your friends and family enjoy them after the party. 

Here is a pro tip! Ensure your wedding DJ or wedding coordinator announces to your guests that there are favors! This is especially true if your favors are not physically on the tables. It’s easy for guests to overlook these items and forget them on their way out after your epic exit. Sending guests home with a treat is a great way to end the wedding reception.

As a professional wedding photographer, I have seen (and taken home) some amazing wedding favors. We love all the personalized ideas that our crafty couples come up with. If you need a wedding photographer for your wedding day, please consider Erin Morrison Photography. I would love to be a part of your day and partake in all your cheesecake bites 😉