Planning a wedding can be stressful, but one of the more fun tasks is deciding what kind of party favor you want to provide for your wedding guests. Every couple is different, so most will search for unique wedding favor ideas. Your party favor can reflect something personal about you and your spouse, a symbol of how you met, or it can go along with your wedding theme.
With so many details of planning your wedding, this element should represent the two of you and is a symbol of who you are together. Of course, you want your guests to like the favor you provide, and making sure it’s useful (or edible!) is a great way to do just that.
Once your wedding is a few months away, you’ll want to start considering which wedding favors will be the right gifts for your guests. There are so many wedding favors to choose from that some couples start to feel overwhelmed.
The first step you’ll need to take when choosing your wedding favor is to determine your budget. According to a 2019 survey of over 27,000 newlyweds, the average cost of favors is about $400. Once you figure out your budget for wedding favors, you can choose the type of gifts you’d like to offer, whether they’re cute keepsakes, edible gifts, plants, or something else.
Keep reading to get 18 unique wedding favor ideas that your guests will remember long after your nuptials! As you’ll see, some of these favors are simple and easy to do yourself, and some will take time as you’ll need to have them printed and ordered ahead of time.
1. Matches
A book or box of matches is a popular item for weddings. They offer a simple, cost-effective solution, and you can have plenty on hand for all your guests. You can work with a graphic designer to provide custom artwork to have applied.
Alternatively, the company you order them from may have templated options for you to choose from so that you don’t have to pay a designer.
Have fun with the messaging; here are a few ideas:
- “A Match Made in Heaven”
- “Perfect Match”
- “Come on, baby, light my fire”
- “Your presence warms our hearts”
Whatever the message, you can make it as personal as you like.
2. Candles
Candles are a popular option; you can offer them with matches if your budget allows. Or you can provide a candle to guests as a stand-alone gift. You can design this gift in dozens of ways, from very simple to more intricate designs.
Your photo can be added to the lid of a metal tin with your messaging all around the sides, or you can offer candles in Mason jars with lids. For a rustic-themed wedding, offering jarred candles in earthy scents like vetiver, rose, or moss makes the perfect final touch.
Another idea is pillar candles with your messaging printed on the candle itself. Messaging can also be printed on cardstock, wrapped around the candle, and taped.
3. Drinking Glasses
One clever gift to offer your guests is a wine glass. You can purchase specialty glasses in the color of your wedding theme that either match or are miss-matched. You don’t need anything printed on them, though that is always an option.
You can place them on a table with a sign that says, for example, “Choose a glass and use it today, then take it home with you as a reminder of this special day.” Gifting a glass to your guests accomplishes a couple of things; you will have a beautiful and unique gift for your guests, and your crew won’t have to wash wine glasses!
4. Specialty Mugs
Like the glasses, you can offer these gifts to your guests to use at the reception and then take them home. Or, you can fill them with candy, nuts, or something unique to you. You can have mugs personalized with your names, wedding date, and a personal message for your friends and family.
5. Breakfast
Now here’s a wedding favor that guests will actually want to take home! Eagle Bluff Events posted this wedding favor idea of breakfast cinnamon rolls on their Instagram Reels, and we love it! The stickers on each cinnamon roll container read, “A sweet ending to a new beginning” and the bride and groom’s names.
For a cute and thoughtful wedding favor, consider placing breakfast pastries (like these cinnamon rolls) out for guests to grab as they leave. Baked goods won’t create clutter like candles, fridge magnets, and tiny picture frames do. Your guests can enjoy a roll for breakfast the next morning (or on their way home!)
6. Tile Trivets
Trivets are always a good gift as most people cook, and for those that don’t, they can be used under a plant or simply as a decoration.
There are a couple of ways you can design this gift. First, you can create the trivet’s face to have your names, wedding date and any other unique messaging you would like to add. Or, you can find a beautiful decorative tile or a set of tiles and then have your message stamped on the back.
7. Bottle Opener
Bottle openers are useful to most people, and there are dozens of designs from which to choose. You can find them in all metal and metal/wood combinations. They come in all shapes and sizes and have room for messaging. There’s a good chance your guests use bottle openers every week, so they’ll remember your nuptials every time they open a cold one.
A bottle opener is a wonderful gift that your guests will use for years to come!
8. Hand Fans
If you have an outdoor wedding in the summer heat, hand fans are a great wedding favor to provide for your guests. Fans offer another bonus, in that they can serve as the perfect photo booth prop.
Fans come in hundreds of options, from paper fans with your messaging to an elegant Sandalwood fan or cloth fan. Your guests will appreciate this gift on a hot day!
9. “Dancing Shoes”
a.k.a. flip-flops! Your guests will most likely be dressed up and wearing heels and dress shoes. What better way to support them in dancing comfortably than by providing baskets of flip-flops for them to have so that they can take off their dress shoes and dance the night away comfortably?
Offer the flip-flops in large baskets or a large trunk with a sign encouraging guests to put on their “dancing shoes.” Flip-flops come in all colors, so you can find them in a color that will accent your theme.
10. Herbal Soaps
Providing herbal soaps to your guests makes a simple but delightful gift. For example, you might wrap a ribbon or band of card stock around a bar of herbal soap and attach or imprint your message. You can also add sprigs of herbs under the ribbon to add a special touch to your presentation.
11. Succulent Plants
Succulent plants are a delicate and wonderful gift for your guests, and there are many ways to preset them to show off your unique style. Succulent plants can come in little clay or plastic pots that you can tie a card around with a ribbon with your unique messaging and directions on how to care for the plants.
You can order shot glasses with unique messaging for a doubly special gift and have your succulent plants set inside for your guests to take home. Another idea is to offer the plants to your guests in a small Mason jar or a tiny decorative flowerpot.
12. Other Live Plants
Plants make an excellent, unique gift to provide your guests and a great way to personalize your offering. For example, if you both like to cook, perhaps you offer live Basil, Oregano, or Thyme plants. If you’re into symbolism, you might choose Rosemary for Remembrance, Daffodils for Passion, the Wax Flower for Lasting Love, Patience, and Enduring Wealth, or the Sunflower for Happiness.
Tree saplings are also an excellent option, and you can choose from Japanese Maples, Fir Trees, Black Walnut, Dogwood, Fig, or Apple saplings…the list is almost endless. A tree makes a wonderful wedding favor because when you visit your friends and family, you can check on the growth of your “wedding tree.”
13. Seed Packets
Seed packets are a delightful gift to offer your guests, and you can choose your favorite flower, a wildflower mix, herbal, succulent, or vegetable seeds. Seeds are typically seen as a symbol of growth and harmony, making them the perfect meaningful wedding favor.
The packaging can be customized with your information and messaging, and you won’t break the bank! You can choose any seeds you’d like, but it’ll be especially touching to select a type of flower that was used throughout your day.
14. S’mores Kits
For a sweet treat, you can create S’mores “kits” where you put all the ingredients together in a decorative plastic baggie or wrap them in a way that your guests can see the uncooked treat inside. You can include your message on the wrapper or on a ribbon that ties the wrapper together.
15. Hot Cocoa Mix with all the extras
Who doesn’t love a delicious mug of hot cocoa? You can find pre-made plastic cones with the cocoa mix in the bottom, a layer of chocolate chips, crushed peppermints, and mini marshmallows. You can wrap and deliver this mixture in several ways – in a coffee mug, plastic cones, layered in Mason jars, specialty jars, or even glass tubes with corks on the top!
16. Chocolates and Chocolate Bars
An illustrated label makes a chocolate bar wedding favor so much more sophisticated. Several companies offer personalized wrappers with your favorite chocolate, so you can get as creative as you like with your messaging. Whether you offer dark or milk chocolate is up to you, but the bars are sure to be a hit for all of your guests with a sweet tooth!
17. Trail Mix with Chocolate
When choosing a trail mix type of food for your party favor, there are several ways to mix things up. You can include your favorite combination of flavors and create a bag of the mix for everyone. You can have a sign that says something like, “Jesse and Mike – a perfect mix!”
18. Big Cookies
There are many gourmet cookies that you can find and wrap up for your guests. You might present the cookies to your guests in decorative plastic bags with ribbon, little cookie boxes wrapped with a ribbon, in little paper bags or cones.
All these options are good, and you can add your message to the containers or hang a tag from the wrapping with your information included. There are many ways to present these options and keep with the theme of your wedding.
Unique Wedding Favor Ideas
After your ceremony went off without a hitch and your reception was a major hit, you might find it hard to believe that your wedding day is over. After the epic celebration you just threw, your guests probably feel the same. For the best ending to the perfect day, make sure to send them off with something to remember the celebrations by.
Most of the wedding favors we listed here are very simple. You’ll be happy to know that the majority of memorable wedding favors are often both easy to make and easy on your budget. You can thank us later!
We’d love to help you plan your wedding day, your way, at Rough & Ready Vineyards!
Have you been looking for picturesque wedding venues in Northern California that are affordable and flexible with packages, vendors, and bar requirements? Maybe you want a relaxed and easy weekend, so you can enjoy every memorable moment with everything in one location. Learn more by choosing an option below:
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on October 15, 2020, and has since been updated.
Mardie has been a successful businesswoman since 1981. The Rough & Ready Vineyards was created out of Mardie’s desire to contribute to the community. Mardie's vision to serve the community is rooted in her love of Nevada County, and it provided her with the opportunity to revitalize an old Ranch property into a breathtaking wedding venue.
Her innovative mind and commitment to environmental accountability contribute in a positive way to our community and the surrounding area. With the Rough & Ready Vineyards, Mardie seeks to create the best wedding experience for our clients and their guests, creating memories that will last for generations.
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