NBR-Wedding Favors

llybeck · February 2014

I'm trying to get our smaller details worked out for our wedding in September and one thing I've totally overlooked is favors! We're having 175 people so I'd like to keep the cost around $2 per item (probably more, especially for something nicer). I'm wondering what favors what you did at your wedding, what you've gotten at other weddings and which ones you liked the most. I don't know that I really want to do candy or something edible, I'd like it to be something that maybe people could use or keep. I know I could go to The Knot but I'm not active on there and I'd much rather hear from you ladies and learn more about your own weddings

Also, what about bridesmaid/groomsman gifts, what have you given/received? How about for ushers/personal attendants/readers/etc?

eyris · February 2014

Our wedding favors were Jelly Bellys in our wedding colors in small white boxes with clear panels in the lid so you could see them. I think they were Martha Stewart brand favor boxes we bought on clearance. Got the jelly beans from the bulk store.

I bought my bridesmaids a makeup bag and makeup palette from Sephora. I can't remember what DH got for the guys... A monogrammed flask or something like that. I think he also bought he best man concert tickets for the two of them.

sgautschi · February 2014

We did a candy bar as a "favor" for the guests, since we had almost 250 people. And I'm not a fan of giving knick knacks that no will use. We had bags so they could fill them up and take some home. Everyone loved it.

I gave each bridesmaid a personalized, framed letter with a picture of us in it, and a Starbucks card. DH gave his guys monogrammed beer glasses.

sapphire0228 · February 2014

For bridal party gifts, the make up bag from pp was really cool. I like the idea of something personalized. Maybe monogrammed wine glasses for the girls and flasks or pocket knives for the guys. Redenvelope.com has a lot of really neat personalized items, like the wooden handle pocket knives. Very classy.

As far as party favors the cutest one I've seen is a couple that run a karaoke company gave a CD of their favorite songs. It sounds really cheesy but they were music people so it made it really cool. Also, they named each of their tables by a song instead of a number. So, we were sitting at "don't go breakin my heart" which was track number 10, so table 10. It sounds more confusing than it really was.

Personally, I'd go with something very simple. Little bubbles, mints, candy, a candle something little that incorporates your color.

HBirdie · February 2014

Our favors were awesome. We got a bar of handmade soap for each guest. They were cake scented and had a bicycle on them (which was our theme). We got them on etsy. They were wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine and had a little red heart rag on it.

I gave my girls nakeup bags that matched our colors, sunglasses (we had an outdoor wedding on a very sunny day), lip gloss, and some other things I don't remember.

The guys got jars of hot mustard and a book... It was either a hiking/trail guide or about biking, I can't remember which.

smlowe9311 · February 2014

We had epilepsy awareness bracelets made (dh has epilepsy) to give as favors. For the bridesmaids I made up a basket of relaxing stuff like bath salts, lotion and candles I think. Dh gave the groomsmen gift cards to places they enjoyed.

kennazebrowsky · February 2014

We had popcorn boxes filled with kisses

Honestly though I regret favors because it was a waste of money. Most people left them

michelle7482 · February 2014

We made a donation to the Philadelphia SPCA. ($1.00 per guest) although no one knew how much we donated. We had 172 guests. Donations have become fairly common in my area and we were happy to put the money to a good cause instead of some trinket.

aml8979 · February 2014

I agree with PP. If it is not something personal I would not waste the money on favors. With that said, the best favor I ever received from a wedding were those giant plastic cups with their initials on a big white circle sticker (like the ones that say OBX). They got married 7 years ago and I still use these cups everyday.

ravenclaw1 · February 2014

We didn't have favors- I think they're a huge waste of money. I've yet to go to a wedding where they gave away anything worth having.

For BM, I gave them a framed photo that had sentimental value and a story behind it, a GC that was personal to each girl depending on where they shop, and a funny Anne Taintor gift. They were huge hits.

krose0713 · February 2014

We brewed our own beer and root beer for favors. Each bottle had a personalized label with a wedding themed name, our names, and our wedding date. I loved them! When you give alcohol nobody leaves it behind haha.

I paid for my bridesmaids hair and makeup to be professionally done as their gift. I also gave them a pashmina to wear at the reception, and dressy flip flops to change into (I despise bare feet at formal weddings).

llybeck · February 2014

I absolutely love the ideas for makeup bags with little items in there for the bridesmaid; it's something they can keep using and not just a goofy trinket or photo prop.

I am surprised that a lot of you said you haven't seen favors at a lot of weddings. I've never been to a wedding that didn't have favors, typically where we live people do personalizes can cozies but I really hate that. "To have and to hold and to keep your beer cold!" and then their names and wedding date. I don't really think it's all that cute and besides that night, I don't think anyone ends up using it after that. Another couple was big into fishing so their favors were personalized Rapala fishing jigs. I actually did like that idea but most people didn't end up taking one, they had a ton left over. I like that it was personal to them though.

Maybe we will end up getting some nice containers and just do candy in them. We could even go cheap and buy something super simple and personalize it ourselves, I have a sister in law that is dying to help me get things ready so that would be doable.

jlp0528 · February 2014

We made a donation to the American cancer society in lieu of a traditional favor to honor my mom and then had a popcorn bar from a local popcorn place with take home bags because I love popcorn.

kennazebrowsky · February 2014

Oriental trading has all kinds of containers for candy cheaply priced

UpsideDownFrown · February 2014

Have you seen those candy apples that look like a bride and groom? That's what we had.We live in ny so we got the apples from a local orchard- for free! Dipped them in caramel and then chocolate ourselves. So the only costs were sticks, bags, caramel and chocolate, so maybe $30?

llybeck · February 2014

@drey1028 where did you get the little bottles of sparkling wine?

ginamarie1005 · February 2014

We did customized shot glasses with our name & wedding date. Since we had a traditional Italian wedding, I filled the glasses with Jordan almonds wrapped in tulle & tied with a ribbon. I did them myself so it ended up around $2 each.

For my bridesmaids, I had canvas bags personalized for them along with a peice of jewelry to wear that day. And for the groomsmen, we bought them each a bottle of their favorite booze, cologne, and personalized glass beer mugs with their nicknames on them.

HeatherMc78 · February 2014

In lieu of favors, we donated to St. Jude's Research. St. Jude gave bookmarks that we tied pretty ribbons on and placed on each plate.

sgautschi · February 2014

@krose0713 My FIL brewed beer for our wedding too. It was similar to Blue
Moon (which DH loves), and he made labels also. He called it Pug Drool (DHs family has lots of pugs).

VitaLuna · February 2014

We had a candy buffet, which people loved. Got the containers (various sizes of glass bowls, wide short vases, etc) from goodwill, and candy from Costco.

HBirdie · February 2014

Wanted to share a photo of our favors (I was on the iPad last night so I couldn't when I commented initially). We got so many people telling us months later that they were sad their soap was gone because it smelled so nice and was so cute in their bathroom!

Loveniz · February 2014

Our favors were candy apples, we had a Fall themed wedding. We also provided small boxes for people to take home extra wedding cake. IMHO food is always a better wedding favor, but I'm not a fan of all the cutesy favor gifts.

HBirdie · February 2014

@drey1028: Here you go.

I'm proud of my wedding. DH and I did 95% of it ourselves and I just love how it turned out. I got a lot of compliments on how fun and unique it was. It was outside in a park, it was bicyle themed, my dad (a pastor) did the ceremony, we had picnic-y food and a make-your-own cupcake stand, we played ultimate frisbee, and we rode off on a tandem bicycle (while people threw paper airplanes at us). I loved it.

database6 · February 2014

My favorite favors are edible, drink koozies, or beer/shot glasses. Everything else gets thrown away. We did candy for ours.

For the girls I gave everyone something different, since they are all so different. MOH got a year subscription to this wine program, where they sent her two bottles a month. For the other girls I did personalized jewelry and bags. I do not remember what DH did. I think his best man got a really nice bottle of whiskey maybe.

HBirdie · February 2014

@drey1028: Thank you! $:\$ ">

Kristonita12 · February 2014

@HBirdie your wedding is amazing! We also had a very DIY wedding and loved it. Love love love your guest book..we had the tree version of that and it's like my favorite piece of art in the house. Did you frame and hang yours up?

OP, we made painted bottles and tags for our favors and people loved them! I just collected my own and my friends' beer, wine and liquor bottles for several months, stripped off the labels, put tape down on them and spray painted. When you peel off the paint, voila! A pretty bottle.

DFico21 · February 2014

We had a destination so keep in mind with only 50 people we could spend more. We gave a gift bag with a small bottle of Appleton Rum, a small bag of Blue Mountain coffee, a coffee scoop and t-shirts my husband had custom designed.

As for attendent gifts, I gave the girls monogrammed robes and makeup bags and silver ankle bracelets and beach bags. I have received the following gifts as a bridesmaid: perfume, a Coach wristlet., a pashmina and earrings. Honestly, I didn't care for any of them.

HBirdie · February 2014

Kristonita12 said:

@HBirdie your wedding is amazing! We also had a very DIY wedding and loved it. Love love love your guest book..we had the tree version of that and it's like my favorite piece of art in the house. Did you frame and hang yours up?

OP, we made painted bottles and tags for our favors and people loved them! I just collected my own and my friends' beer, wine and liquor bottles for several months, stripped off the labels, put tape down on them and spray painted. When you peel off the paint, voila! A pretty bottle.

@kristonita: ahhh, no. That's one of my biggest wedding regrets.

So, a friend drew it for us, and we had the ink pads and everything, and it was at the same table as our jenga blocks and sharpies. That was mistake #1.

Mistake #2 was not having anyone to man the table and give instructions. So halfway through our reception, one random person decided to take a sharpie and sign their fingerprint (even though NO ONE ELSE HAD DONE THAT). After that everyone started signing. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal, I guess, but then people decided to be creative and start drawing their own strings to their fingerprint balloon. So we have a couple that look like they're trailing behind the bike, on the ground, which looks beyond stupid. Then someone put their fingerprint in the bicycle seat.

It makes me want to cry every time I think about it. It just looks so stupid. I don't even want to put it up because a few people messed with it. Why would someone even do that?? Ugh. It just ruined the whole thing.

kje120 · February 2014

We were going to skip favors altogether, but ended up doing shot glasses. Honestly I don't see favors as a real necessity.

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