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35 WEDDING FAVOUR IDEAS

Some fun present ideas to give to your guests on your big day

We’ve comprised a list of wedding favour ideas including personalised and eco-friendly gifts to present your guests with.

Wedding favours are a small yet traditional gift given by the couple to say thank you to their closest friends and family for travelling to their wedding – typically placed on reception tables during the wedding breakfast. These token-style presents are gifted to guests as a memento of the day and often the personalised packaging is just as significant as the gift inside.

Historically, guests would be presented with a small box or bag containing five sugared almonds; each almond represented one of five blessings – long life, health, wealth, happiness, and fertility. Nowadays, wedding favours are both traditional and personal. Couples are becoming more and more creative with how they present their little gifts to say, “Thank you”.

Planning your wedding favours

A good place to start is to try and pick out the unique or special features of your wedding, for example you could have gifts related to your colour scheme or if you have a theme for your big day. Another option is going with a seasonal wedding favour, if you’re having a spring celebration a daffodil themed gift could be a nice idea. So, whether you want to stick to tradition, or try something a little different, The Harper Team are here to share advice and ideas as you start to plan your wedding favours.

10 DIY wedding favour ideas

  1. Miniature succulents
  2. Festive snow globes (made using upside down jam jars)
  3. Fragrant oils
  4. Origami
  5. Special message in a bottle
  6. Homemade candle
  7. Seeds in a bag (‘plant with love’)
  8. Picture name cards (a photo or cartoon drawing of each guests)
  9. Homemade book marks
  10. Table photo booth (polaroid camera and accessories)

10 eco-friendly wedding favour ideas

  1. Wooden place name tags (standing, hanging or laying flat on a napkin)
  2. Soaps
  3. Small vase or jar of flowers for guests to take home (As a centrepiece alternative)
  4. Paper straws
  5. Potted herbs
  6. Bath salts
  7. Charity donation per guest
  8. Hanging heart shape bird food
  9. Recycled cork for a name card holder
  10. Potpourri

10 personalised wedding favour ideas

  1. Personalised shot glass
  2. Personalised keyring
  3. Personalised magnet
  4. Personalised lip balm
  5. Personalised tin of mints
  6. Personalised small pull out photo album
  7. Personalised bottle opener (engrave your names or wedding date)
  8. Personalised book/box of matches
  9. Personalised festival bauble
  10. Personalised drink tokens for the bar

5 unique wedding favour ideas

  1. Your wedding playlist on a personalised CD
  2. Lego figures for each of your guests (which could double up as place cards)
  3. Scrabble name place cards
  4. A Lottery ticket or scratch card
  5. Personalised fortune cookie

Top tip:

If you opt for alcoholic or food related wedding favours, check the terms and conditions with your wedding venue, or speak to the team in advance to confirm what you are/are not permitted to distribute.

Wedding favours FAQ

Where do you place a wedding favour?

To make your favours clear and known to your guests, we feel the best place is for your small gift to be carefully presented on the table in front of their place setting – for a little surprise as they take their seat. Alternatively, wedding favours can be distributed as guests leave your wedding venue at the end of the night.

Do we even need wedding favours?

Your family and friends are there to celebrate with you both on your special day and don’t always need a “thank you” for attending – so if a wedding favour isn’t your thing or you don’t have room in your wedding budget to buy them, don’t worry!

Should children be given different wedding favours?

Some couples choose to give children an activity-style wedding favour to keep them entertained during the afternoon. Examples of child-friendly wedding favours could be colouring books, a disposable camera with a list of images to take, a balloon-making kit, a mini jigsaw, stickers, small games, and more.

Do my wedding favours have to match my wedding theme?

No, your wedding favours can be whatever you choose them to be – but some couples find buying/making wedding favours to match their overall wedding theme more fun.

How much should I spend on wedding favours?

As they are just a token, you don’t have to go over the top with your budget for wedding favours, but it may be worth allocating at least a couple of pounds per person to begin with and see what you can find. If you end up making your own wedding favours, you may be able to re-allocate the difference of the money to another part of your wedding