Or, the lack thereof…? <— That question mark is there for a reason.
I think by now, everybody knows I’ve interned at a wedding venue. I’m probably going to stop saying that pretty soon because if I’m tired of typing it, then you guys MUST be tired of seeing it. 
Anyway, working at a wedding venue meant being there first thing in the morning and staying until the wee hours of the next morning cleaning up.
More often than not, part of that cleanup was picking up all the favors that got left behind. Sometimes that was a good thing because, let’s face it, I wasn’t going to complain about going home with 20 chocolate bars or boxes of candy.
Remember this image? It was originally shared by Mrs. Strawberry! / Image via Etsy seller Miss Pickles Press
So after seeing so many favors get left behind, it made me really think hard about getting favors for our wedding. It especially made me think about the cost involved and where we could better allocate those funds. After all that thinking, we still haven’t come to a decision.
I love the gesture of giving favors, I really do…but I also understand that a lot of people aren’t going to pick up the favors, no matter what they are or where I put them. And those who do pick them up will probably throw them away at some point. I’m just really torn on whether or not to do favors. If we do decide to go with favors, they’re definitely going to be koozies.
Image (and koozies!) by Custom Ink
Seriously. Are these not the cutest things you’ve ever seen? (If you don’t think so, just keep quiet so I can continue to think I have great taste, haha.) Really, though—I love these koozies. The question is, though, should we splurge on them as favors? Or just get them for those who attend the rehearsal dinner?
Obviously I need opinions…if you were in my shoes, what would you do?
Ummm….we’re not doing favors. Every single wedding I’ve been to, I can’t remember what the favors were. And if you have possibly upwards of 250 coming like we do, it just doesn’t seem justifiable! If we had a larger budget and could think of something completely unique that people would LOVE, we might have considered doing favors…but looks like our crowd is gonna have to do without them! But P.S. those koozies are totally hilarious!
We have about 60 guests on our list and a small budget… So to save on cost, we are doing smaller flower arrangements and doubling them as favors.
Instead of have huge flower arrangements, we are going to do assorted bud vases with a few stems in each; they will be spread throughout the 8′x2.5′ tables.
I am thinking of putting sleek ”merci” tags on them and possibly getting the DJ to announce them as favors.
We did koozies, everyone loved them and not a single one was left behind.
Ha! I love those koozies! Our family likes to go camping over the summer so we would definitely use them in the future!
We’re going to use the photobooth splurge as our favors. We get a copy and the guests get a copy of each photo. That way, they can take it home and hang it on their fridge and (hopefully) think, “Gee, that was the best wedding ever!”
I think the favors you showed are adorable but I agree with others that no favors are the best for the wallet. I did not want favors but after I purchased upwards of 60 candles my venue informed me that candles were against city rules. So candle favors it is!
We didn’t do favors. I tend to favor edible ones, but I recently went to a birthday party with koozie favors, and they were a hit, so that could be fun.
We sort of didn’t do favors. We were expecting a maximum of 65 guests, so we combined their placecards with a personal note from one or both of us (each placecard was a folded notecard with their name on the front and our note inside). Lots of guests raved about them and seemed very touched, but we still had people who left them behind. We also had a faux-to booth with the 2nd photographer, so we figured that between those two things we had favors covered.
I’d say that if you are on a super-tight budget, don’t do it. If you have the money to spare, go for food–it’s inexpensive if you DIY, and everybody loves a snack! 
Hahaha I love those koozies! We did wine bottles as favors and there was a lot left at the end of the night. But that was mostly because my Dad supplied us with way to many. We had enough for every single person, children included, to take their own bottle home. My Dad over estimated a bit….
i’ve gotten and loved koozies at other weddings – and they don’t need to break the bank! i say go for it!
Awww the koozies are cute, a dessert table will double as favors most likely.
I’ve never kept a favor from a wedding. I don’t need almonds or a mix cd to remind me of the day. I’d much rather a couple take the money & donate it to a cause that’s important to them if they feel like they have to do something to thank their guests.
People love koozies, I would totally use it again because they are something I’ve never bought on my own.
We didn’t do favors. Instead, I set up a “trail mix” bar (we were going hiking for our honeymoon). We had M&M’s, pretzels, chocolate sixlets, raisins, licorices, oreos, chocolate chips, gummy bears and goldfish. We had a sign out that thanked everyone for coming and asked them to pick their favorite treats for the day. Everyone loved it and I had more compliments on that than on anything else. DH’s parents also had fans printed for the reception and people could take those home.
We did macaroons. And on 115 favors (macaroons), there were a good 10 left behind. That’s ok, we ate them!
I’d go with the koozies.
I would be so excited to receive a koozie as a favor! Whe had a photobooth and dessert bar, and I considered those, plus custom hankies, sufficient favors lol.
Maybe koozies for the rehearsal dinner? They are fun! But they might be expensive if you have a lot of wedding guests. So maybe for the rehearsal dinner would be a good compromise.
get the koozies! we did koozies, we love them, everybody else loved them. we put them in our hotel bags, I added them to the Bridemaid’s gift bags, and after the wedding we had 15 (out of 300) left. I see ladies at work putting their diet cokes in them, and I fully expect to see the men having their “adult beverage” in them around bonfires this Fall. You won’t regret it!
We’re doing a bunch of little things.. koozies being one of them.. but my friends will definitely use them.. so even if only the young people take them.. they will be worth it.. check out http://www.totallyweddingkoozies.com they were the cheapest I found..
Mrs. Otter, Indianapolis, IN Age and Occupation: 22, Freelance Social Media Consultant Fiance's Age and Occupation: 23, CVS Shift Supervisor Engagement Date: November 11, 2011 Wedding Date: April 2013 Venue: Mustard Seed Gardens About Me: I'm a born and raised Hoosier girl, but a diehard Michigan Wolverines fan. I have a tendency to take too many photos and spend full days having TV marathons. Mr. Otter and I met in high school, started dating a couple years later, and moved in after a month of being official. He is easygoing and makes plans on a whim, while I'm color coordinating my planner and organizing everything in sight. He hates glitter, but it's my favorite thing. I have tattoos and he still won't get one, despite my attempts to convince him. We're planning a small, rustic, and (hopefully!) peony-filled wedding to get our married life started. (And yes, there will be glitter involved!)
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