Wedding favor ideas are a critical part of your wedding. Wedding favors are a small gift that you and your partner give guests as a thank-you for attending your wedding. They usually come in the form of personalized gifts, such as a small piece of jewelry or a photo frame. The flowers are also a reminder for your guests of the happy day you all shared.
The History of Wedding Favors
Wedding favors have been around since the 16th century. Couples in the past used to give their guests love knots as a sign of their affection. Love knots are small fabric knots usually made out of lace or ribbon. Love knots represent the bond of love.
From there, the tradition of giving favors evolved. French and Italian aristocrats would give their guests bonbonnieres, which were porcelain, crystal, or metal boxes that contained sugar delicacies. Weddings were considered to be lucky occasions and bonbonnieres were given out to represent this luck. The couple gave out bonbonnieres as a way to give their guests good luck.
Another tradition that still exists is Jordan almonds. As candy makers began dipping almonds in sugar or another sweet coating, bonbonnieres began to evolve. The tradition of giving five Jordan almonds as a favor represents the five wedding wishes: fertility, health, wealth, happiness, and longevity.
How to Pick the Perfect Wedding Favor
The best wedding favors are ones that represent you and your partner’s interests and personality. Choose favors that you both will love and appreciate. Your wedding favors should match your wedding theme or look. This is a good way to decide which wedding favors to choose.
It is important that your wedding favor is both enjoyable and useful for your guests. We’ve all been gifted something that we never used, and you don’t want that to happen at your wedding. If you don’t pick a wedding favor that will be useful to your guests, they might not take it and you’ll be stuck with a bunch of extras!
Be sure to select wedding favors that your guests will actually use. This way, you’ll get the most value for your money. Is your favorite something a commonly-used tool? If you were given a piece of furniture as a favor, would you keep it or get rid of it?
An alternative way to reduce wastefulness is to give edible or single-use favors. Choose food, drink, alcohol, and bath items that are easy to use and won’t create clutter in your guests’ homes.
The Best Wedding Favor Ideas
Your wedding favors should be authentic to you and your partner. There are lots of different places to draw inspiration from. Many favors can come from tradition, religion, or culture, says Dunne. You can look at your wedding theme or location, or your relationship for inspiration when picking your first dance song. Nowack says that personalized wedding favors that pay tribute to your love story are a great option. If you had your first date at an Italian restaurant, an adorable wedding party favor idea would be mini jars of gourmet pasta sauce. Keep scrolling for more fun, thoughtful gift ideas.
Floral Magnet Keepsakes
With these wedding favors, you’ll have actual dried flowers for a rustic effect that’s perfect for your big day. Each bouquet is a magnet that can be displayed on a fridge. How sweet!
DIY S’more Favors
The temptation to DIY your wedding favors might be strong, but keep in mind that it could be quite time-consuming. Make sure you have the appropriate amount of time and energy set aside before you begin assembly. If you’re set on putting together your own party favors, s’mores kits are a classic option that will be sure to please your guests. Using this wedding favor idea, though it doesn’t include the ingredients for a delicious s’more, the tag is what makes it special.
Hand Sanitizer Gifts
Hand sanitizer will be one of the most popular wedding favors to give guests in 2022. Noshinku has a variety of beautifully scented options that you can buy in bulk for your big day, including bergamot, eucalyptus, and lavender. Although personal hand sanitizer wedding favors are a cute way to keep guests safe at your wedding, cleanliness is a much better gift that will have long lasting effects.
Compass Wedding Favors
It felt like coming home when I found my significant other. Give your guests these brass-finished compasses so they can always find their way home. This cool wedding favor is perfect for a travel-themed reception.
Hot Sauce Favors
If you always have hot sauce with you, these wedding favors would be perfect. Simply print out the tag attached to this email and tie it to a bottle of your favorite hot sauce for an unforgettable party favor your guests will love! Take advantage of the sale on mini bottles of Tabasco, print out the favor tags, and you’re all set.
Mints
Follow your favorite restaurants’ lead and offer mints to your guests! If you’re serving dinner during your reception, this classic wedding favor idea is perfect for you. Let your guests freshen up before they go home. You can also personalize the packaging with a custom “mint to be” favor tag.
Macarons
This French dessert would make a great late-night snack for your wedding guests. You can put the delicate macarons in a beautiful gift box that goes with your wedding decor for a custom touch.
Kissing Bells
Every time a guest rings the bell at your wedding, you and your partner share a kiss! Bells can also be given out to guests as they leave the reception for a fun and beautiful opportunity for photos.
Rustic Wedding Favors Ideas
If you are having a rustic themed wedding, your favors should compliment that theme! These are some wedding favor ideas that would be suitable for a rustic affair.
Jar of Honey
Honey is a great choice for a wedding favor if you and your partner have a sweet tooth. This favor is a practical gift that your wedding guests can use in their pantry. For a special touch, tie a wooden honey dipper onto the jar with a twine string and a custom tag. This will give the jar a rustic look and the honey dipper can be used to drizzle honey onto food.
Heart-Shaped Bird Feeders
If you love nature, birdseed hearts make great wedding favors. Give your guests these seed-covered heart ornaments and tell them to hang the bird feeder in their yard. You’ll give back to nature with your wedding gifts!
Mini Wine Favors
Planning an NYE-themed or otherwise glamorous wedding? Meet your perfect wedding favors: miniature bottles of bubbly. According to our data, alcohol and alcohol accessories will be the second most popular wedding favor idea in 2022. You can either order your liquor online or go to your local liquor store to buy it. Mini champagne bottles with personalized labels make for great party favors.
Soap Wedding Giveaways
These are some of the best wedding favors because they have a clever hidden meaning. For example, these cute pear-shaped soaps are packaged in a gift box that says “The perfect pair.” This is a sweet-smelling present that will make guest’s bathrooms look like they are from a hotel. Of the couples who were surveyed, 35% said that they chose bath- or beauty-related favors as their wedding souvenirs.
Personal Portrait Keepsakes
If you want your wedding to be more intimate, you should budget a bit more money for wedding favors per guest. These portraits can be used as place cards letting your guests know they’ve found the right seat. Then, they can take it home to treasure forever. It’s one of the best wedding favors for guests.
Box of Matches
One of the best ideas for wedding favors is a box of matches. It’s practical, and also a little bit nostalgic. This wedding favor has a wealth of customization options. If you want to create a matchbox label, you have a few options. You can design it yourself, hire a graphic designer, or work with a company that specializes in matchboxes.
Coasters
Coasters make fantastic wedding favors because of their function. There is usually a stack of coasters in people’s living rooms, so a coaster that is simple and customized would be a good thing for guests to take with them when they leave. Use materials that are neutral in color and will go well with any home decor.
Magnets
Magnets are an excellent choice for wedding favors because they are both practical and stylish. A couple’s magnet with their names and wedding date is a special way to remember your big day while not taking up too much space in your home. If you want a magnet that you can use for more purposes, choose one with a clip.
Sweet Treats
End a fun evening of dancing with a sweet treat! We think these are some great ideas for couples who love sugar for their wedding favors!
Custom Iced Cookies
We love the idea of custom sugar cookies for your wedding guests! This wedding favor is a great way to show your guests how much you appreciate them coming to your big day. It can also be used as a way to incorporate your wedding hashtag and/or theme. Before your guests leave, cookies are a sweet way to share one more moment together.
Local Pastries
If your favorite local bakery is willing, inquire about having them create your wedding favors! This great idea can be used for doughnuts, croissants, cupcakes, or any other type of pastry. The company can also help you to tailor the desserts to match the theme of your event.
Candy Buffet
Candy buffets are one of our favorite wedding party favors. If you have picky guests, this is one of the best wedding favor ideas. Each guest is able to tailor their candy bag to include only the sweets they desire!
Savory Gifts
If you want to treat your guests to something special at the end of your wedding day, opt for savory food or condiments. Some great ideas for wedding favors include giving your guests something edible or a useful gift.
Mini Hot Sauce Bottles
If you and your partner prefer things that are a little bit spicy, then mini hot sauce bottles would make the perfect wedding favor for you two. Whether you make your own hot sauce or buy it premade, you’ll need small bottles to put it in. You can either DIY these hot sauce bottles with a homemade hot sauce recipe or buy them ready-made. You could make your wine bottles even more unique by adding a custom label!
Custom Koozie Favors
Wherever you have guests, they will appreciate having a koozie to keep their drinks cool. This is especially useful during football season when people are tailgating, or when they’re lounging by the shore. These personalized can coolers would make a great gift for your loved ones. They can use them to keep their drinks cool while enjoying themselves.
Coffee Wedding Favors
If you are looking for a unique wedding favor for a camp or outdoor themed wedding, consider individually packaged coffee in a tea bag. Don’t mistake these wedding favors for instant coffee, they’re easy to brew and taste great too. If you and your partner love spending time outdoors and drinking coffee, it’s a great way to show your appreciation for each other.
Candy Escort Cards
Sugarfina offers taster packets that can be customized for an extra-sweet seating chart or for a fun late-night snack. Talk about a fitting wedding favor idea for couples who share a sweet tooth! If you’re planning on handing out wedding welcome bags, they’re also a great addition. If you want to go above and beyond with your wedding favors, give out Luxe Cubes, which are the brand’s signature candy cubes. They come in cute packaging, including a mailbox option.
Test Tube Tea Favors
This take-home tea vial can be used as a wedding favor or as decoration. It would look great sitting on a guest’s kitchen counter. You can either choose one type of tea for each person or request an equal amount of each tea. If you want your wedding to reflect the Pantone color of the year for 2022, mallow tea is a great choice.
Botanical Lollipop Favors
If you’re looking for ideas for edible wedding favors, look no further. To make your party favors more floral, give out these lollipops that are inspired by blooms. There are eight flavored sets in total, including sweet champagne and roses, refreshing rosemary and mint, and zingy lemon and thyme. The sticks are not only pretty, but also have seeds in them so that guests can plant their own herbs or flowers when they get home. One way to make guests happy is by giving them a gift.
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