Weddingbee Blog

We’re having a candy buffet, and so guests will be able to assemble their own favor. It’s all about choices and local costs though….our food/alcohol totals around $20/guest, so we have some $$ to play around with decor and favors. I definitely wouldn’t feel bad about choosing to spend the money a specific way if that’s what was more important to you.

I complete agree with your thoughts on favors. I, too, am having an issue spending $100-$200 on favors for the guests - when quite honestly, I don’t even know if they’ll like ‘em. I hate that the packaging for these edible goods (m&ms) are already costing .13 cents each (clear pillow boxes) and then the m&m’s, time spent on making tags, ribbons and all that. I’m estimating around $160 for 100 guests - so despite it being one of the low-budget-y end favors, I’m still spending $1.60 a person which is definitely irking me. Could it be because it’s one of the only things I can cut away at in my budget? I don’t know. It has been bothering me as well, though. I envy the couples that can splurge and actually get their gifts practical gifts that can be reused - but I’ve found that they cost EVEN MORE (something like $4 or $5) a person. Wowsers. That’s 2 wedding cakes according to my budget.

as a guest, i honestly do not care about favors. i bet most people wouldn’t even notice if you didn’t have them at all. sure they’re nice and always appreciated, but i actually think that’s one area where you can cut back.

I don’t think we are doing favors either. The weddings I have been to that have favors were not any more fun than ones without. I do think edible favors are preferred over a candle or something. But most of the time I forget it on the table after a night of dancing, etc. Instead of favors I’m hoping to write a short personal note on the back of the place cards. My FI and I will personalize them for each person. I think this shows personal appreciation more than a chocolate. Not that I wouldn’t love a chocolate but I’ve never known a guest who only comes to a wedding for the favor.

Burke and I are obviously thinking alike

as a pp said, we did a candy buffet for the same reasons you stated. we also had $150 guests, and what can you give out that’s less than $1 per person? not much. the candy buffet was very well recieved and much cheaper (we borrowed most of the containers.)

Honestly, I don’t think anyone cares about favors, except maybe other brides. I’m not doing them and don’t feel bad about it at all.

We’re not doing favors. We’re on a very strict budget, and, to be honest, I think most favors are stupid. At least half of the guests leave the non-edible ones behind, and the edible ones–what’s the point? We’re going to be feeding our guests for four hours straight, more food than I can ever imagine anyone eating. Why bother with some candy? I do think the favors that are for breakfast the next day or midnight snacks are cute, but I’m having a daytime reception. I did think for a few minutes that I’d love to give little jars of Block Island honey, as we spent a wonderful mini-vacation there over Columbus Day, and we bought a jar of honey there that was so good I bought several more over the Internet as Christmas presents. (Honey for my honey!) It would be meaningful, and we’d be sharing something amazingly tasty that we found. However, the cost is prohibitive. Other than that, I can’t see the point of some useless tchotchkes. There are too many useless things cluttering up our landfills, why contribute to it?

Hi Miss Kiwi!

My cousin had her favors as the place card. It was a medal heart holding the guests names on the tables real simple. But honestly my boyfriend and I forgot to take them! (oops!)

My other cousin just did small boxes of hershey’s kisses that guest ate before the reception.

I think it’s not a big thing, so don’t fret! If you want to save and spend the money on favors for something else go for it! =o)

Have a great weekend!

Mom (who can stretch a grocery budget like no other) has been buying up after-Christmas (and soon the after-Valentine’s Day) wrapped candies (kisses, etc.) on the cheap. Sprinkle them around the centerpiece and you get double-duty as a decoration.

The most memorable favor I recall was from the wedding of the daughter of a children’s book author and artist. It was a relatively low-key homey wedding, and the mother hand-painted each and every place card in her trademark style on a piece of bark. A great keepsake!

Admittedly, favors are by-and-large forgettable unless they are really funny or appropriate to the couple. A friend who married a dentist gave out toothbrushes with the couple’s name & date. A friend who loves gardening made “bell” Christmas ornaments from tiny terra cotta pots. Friends who were architects and got married on July 4th gave American flag pens that read “Building Our Future Together.”

I did finally order something: peppermint lip balm with custom labels with our name & date, since the wedding is around Valentine’s Day and background story is that we had our mutual first kiss back in junior high… and I was wearing flavored lip balm. They were only 42 cents each. Point is, pick something funny/personal for it to be memorable.