Wedding Favors...Are They Worth It? (+Ideas!)

Claudia Catherine Photography

​A question we get asked a lot is, “Should I have wedding favors?” If you’ve ever asked yourself this question and want to know our honest thoughts on whether or not you should purchase wedding favors, keep on reading!

What Are Wedding Favors?
Wedding favors are little gifts a couple gives to their guests to thank them for coming to their wedding. The tradition has been around for centuries, with couples across Europe gifting their wedding gifts with little boxes of candy, sugar-coated almonds, or chocolates – all of which were rare luxuries at the time. Today, while some still offer more traditional favors (such as Jordan almonds), favors have overall evolved into personalized gifts or trinkets to give guests something to remember the wedding day by.

Are They Worth It?
Now that we know what favors are, we come to the more important question today: Should you have them? “Should” ultimately comes down to you – do you want to, is there an expectation to do it, etc. So maybe the better question is, “Do I need to have wedding favors?” Our answer – no!

Wedding favors can be a unique way to thank your guests, or to show off your personalities or wedding vision. However, over the years of doing hundreds of weddings, we have noticed far too many favors left behind – untaken, unused, or dumped. Half of your favors might not even get touched. Some guests love them, some are neutral, and some couldn’t be bothered by them.

Over the years, fewer and fewer couples have opted for having wedding favors. Of the more consistent ones we’ve seen, koozies, fans, and bags of candy are probably the most common, alongside wedding programs (if you count programs as a favor). As far as favors go, none of these are actually horrible options. However, we do have a few guidelines or suggestions on how you can do it better. That way, you’re not left with a whole bunch of favors at the end of the night and one more thing to worry about after the wedding is over.

Favors We Recommend:

• Something personal that your guests will actually appreciate. Think of thank you notes as their name card, or watercolor portraits of guests with their friend or significant other.
• Something they can have right away and don’t have to worry about bringing home. This usually comes in the form of candy or snacks, such as “His and Her” favorites, or a goody bag at each place setting. 
• Something you’re okay having lots of left over after the wedding. This could include candles, honey jars, or sample bags of coffee. If guests leave them behind, these types of favors don’t go to waste. You can use them yourself!

Favors to Avoid: 

• Extra trinket items they don’t actually need (or want). This could be keychains, bottle openers, coasters, or more.
• Wasteful items! Program fans, custom cocktail cups, or items that they’ll use for the wedding itself and then leave behind. They might be nice in the moment, but you’ll be left cleaning up and taking home the majority of them – or even just tossing them in the trash. If you want any of these types of favors, we recommend limiting the amount you get. You don’t need one for each guest since they won’t all use them. Instead, maybe opt for half of the guest count.
• Bulky favors are definitely something to avoid. Not only are they a lot to transport to your wedding (and back home), but they will probably require a more involved setup, which is just one more thing you have to think about. And the bulkier the item is, the less likely your guests will actually keep it.

​We hope that gives you guidance as you think through favors! And while we aren’t necessarily going to recommend favors, we also aren’t really going to stop you from doing it. If you’re excited about a favor idea, go for it! We have seen some ideas we really like that guests also enjoyed. At the end of the day, it’s your wedding, and if you want to show appreciation to your guests with a favor, then do it!

---

​Want more wedding planning tips and ideas? Check out some of our other blog posts!

View More Wedding Planning Tips