50 Wedding Favors Guests Will Want (And Actually Take Home)
- Posted on 4th April 2014
- in Advice, Favors, The Supplies
- by Erica
Remember when you were a kid, you used to get a goodie bag of treats when you left a friend’s birthday party? I think that was the one thing I looked forward to when I attended parties - what treats I got to take home. Wedding favors are the adult version of the goodie bag - it’s the last impression of your fête and probably the only thing your guests get to take home from your wedding (that and maybe a hangover the next day).
2014 weddings lean towards DIY trends and many of the blogs and pins I’ve come across have been featuring DIY wedding favors. I’ve put together for you 50 of the top wedding favors your guests will actually want (and take home). We’ll start with suggestions by wedding month, then season and general ideas for any wedding - with many DIY favor ideas for you!
Wedding Favors by Month
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1. Gloves are perfect for January weddings. It’s cold, maybe snowy and everyone could use a warm pair. How cute is this simple DIY idea? If you wait until after Christmas gloves will go on sale, stock up tie a bow and tag and place in a basket for your guests to take home.
Source with DIY Instructions
2. Who could resist a sweet treat for a February wedding? Above are red velvet cheesecake balls in pretty red Chinese food take out boxes. The DIY instructions are included here
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3. March weddings bring us visions of spring - we can’t wait for winter to be over. Give guests a taste of spring with succulents they can take home.
DIY Instructions:
- Clear votive holders are lined with lace trim inside (or outside) and glued
- Fill bottom with a bit of sand
- Place succulent inside, fill with more sand
- Use flat toothpicks and flag labels to personalize
4. For April weddings, I suggest clear umbrellas. Don’t go too crazy with graphics on them, something simple as a name and date or even just “Thank you” work well. April showers bring May flowers - and these will be great for both the men and women on your guest list. Personalized umbrellas on Etsy from seller INeedPromotionals and can be found here
Step by Step DIY instructions + Photos can be found here
5. May weddings remind me of flowers - finally after all that April rain, spring has finally sprung! This easy and fairly cheap favor consists of wood blocks, test tubes, twine, printed paper tags and flowers. Your own homemade bud vases and place card holders!
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6. June weddings remind me of the beach and sand beneath my toes. June kicks off summer, and nothing says summer more than the sun, surf and sand. Sand dollar cookies in clear bags with tags are an easy DIY idea or unique coasters for those not into DIY can be found here
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7. July weddings call for hazy, hot and humid days (at least here in NY!) but you can help your guests looking cool with personalized sunglasses. Not sure where to find them? Check out Etsy - quite a few sellers make them in many styles.
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8. August Weddings call for a cool treat on a hot summer day - and this DIY idea couldn’t be easier. Lemonade is fairly easy to make, just buy the bottle and print your own labels. For an “adult” touch you can even tie little bottles of vodka to them for a “lemon drop” martini favor.
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9. September weddings - remind your guests that it’s back to school season with these adorable journals. Buy pre-made journals and adorn the windows with a thank you note, a quote or a photo of both of you!
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10. Crisp air, apple picking, trick or treating, falling leaves all inspire October Weddings - why not give all these elements in one nifty little favor? Apple cider packs with caramels in a rustic little muslin bag make the perfect “treat” for your wedding. Find them here
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11. Thanksgiving brings us pie, pie and more pie! November weddings can benefit from the season by baking seasonal desserts and either jarring them in mini mason jars or printing up these printable pie boxes here
12. Not everyone celebrates the holidays in December the same way so skip the traditional ornaments - but we all could use a little warmth on a cold winter’s night. For your December wedding, tie up a throw blanket and have guests take one home as their favor.
Wedding Favors By Season: Spring Weddings
Source with Instructions + Photos
13. Everyone can “plant” their own garden with these mini DIY Zen Garden Kits
14. If you’re planning on chocolate favors, buy in the spring before it gets too hot. Chocolate melts - not a great idea for warmer months. These awesome Custom Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean Wedding Favors are by Apropos Roasters
15. Give the gift of the garden without having to plant one with these handmade lavender sachets with quotes by Gardenmis
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16. Give french inspired macaron cookies in lovely pastel colors to celebrate the season.
Wedding Favors By Season: Summer Weddings
17. Pretty sandalwood fans are inexpensive yet lovely for a summer wedding. And they are less than $1 here
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18. Fresh fruit in season is always a delicious treat, especially in the summer. Peaches are great for a summer, southern or Georgia wedding. You can also use fruit specific to your area, such as apples for NY because they are known as the “Big Apple”.
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19. Summer is famous for BBQs and if your having a summer or backyard wedding, or are a foodie, these favors are easy to make. Mix your own BBQ rub together and seal in clear plastic bags and staple your own labels to the top to seal them. You could also do BBQ or Hot Sauce too.
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20. Don’t throw in the towel yet! Beach towels are a fun summer wedding idea that everyone can use!
Wedding Favors By Season: Fall Weddings
21. Fall season starts the season of baking why not give them a unique artisanal baking and dessert salts kit by PurposeDesign
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22. Maple syrup always reminds me of fall. You can easily DIY by ordering a large batch of Maple syrup from a Vermont farm and pour into your own glass bottles. I’m not so sure about the lobster tags though
23. Make your own taffy apples for fall favors or buy them from a local Chocolatier
24. Mason jars can be filled with so many different things: trail mix, cookie mix, hot cooca in a jar. You name it, you can fill it. Get the jars and labels here
Wedding Favors By Season: Winter Weddings
25. Along with winter comes chapped lips. Let your guests pucker up with custom lip balm favors, available here
Source with Instructions, Recipe and Photos
26. These DIY icebox cakes are a breeze to make and can be made up to 2 weeks before your wedding. 4 ounce mini mason jars hold them.
Source with Instructions + Photos
27. Pine cone fire starters are easy and festive DIY winter wedding favors. Find pine cones, dip in melted beeswax, dry and place in a box or cut bag. Follow the link above for full DIY instructions
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28. Mini bottles of champagne are cute take home gifts that will keep the party going long after it has ended.
Wedding Favors That Are Cool For Any Season
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29. Smores kits are easy to make, you just need to buy the ingredients and clear favor boxes, labels and ribbon.
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30. I love the look of these vintage key bottle openers - who doesn’t need an extra opener in their house? Buy it here
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31. After a night of partying your guests will appreciate these, trust me.
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32. I love the idea of goodie bags to take home, these happen to be filled with pecans - but you can fill your goodie bags with anything.
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33. These DIY vintage map notebooks can help guests log their travels. With old maps, printer paper, stapler and twine, you can make your own
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34. We love the idea of sending guests home with food. Mini personal pizzas are just too cute to pass up on the way out.
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35. Boxes of doughnuts are delicious take home desserts (why not add a cup of Joe too?)
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36. Or you could make cinnamon rolls and place them in darling vintage tins. Of course they could use the tins over and over after the treat is long gone.
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37. All you need is love, and wine… with some custom labels and cute tags.
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38. Whiskey bottles or other small liquor bottles attached to your place cards make a unique surprise.
Source with Instructions, Photos and Printable Templates
39. These adorable Instagram / Polaroid magnets make homey favors your guests will use. They are so cute, I may have to make them for my own home.
40. Remember custom mixes? Forget CDs - make your own wedding mixtape in this groovy little retro “cassette” USB - drag and drop your music and give it to your guests as custom wedding favors. Buy them at milktape.com
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41. You can’t go wrong with cookies …
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42. Or milk and cookies .. or doughnuts, cake, chocolates… you get the idea
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43. My boyfriend and I met 20 years ago when we worked in McDonald’s together. (We didn’t start dating until 2012 though). I thought a Happy Meal for each guest would be a fun treat on the way out. Turns out I’m not the only one who thinks this way, theKnot.com has mentioned it too.
44. For $250 you can get a set of 313 temporary tattoos from Tattly - why not have a tattoo booth at your wedding?
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45. Handmade gifts are sometimes the best gifts. Rosemary infused olive oil is not only pretty, but pretty easy to make. Follow the source link about for instructions on how to make it.
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46. If you met or reconnected on Facebook, you may want to follow in Mark Zuckerberg’s lead with these cute chocolate mice favors he gave out to his guests for his wedding.
47. If you have the money to spend, a gift certificate to a favorite spa, store (such as a wine store) and let guests pick out their own gifts. Kim Kardashian gave out gift certificates to ShoeDazzle.com at her wedding.
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48. If there is a cause that you are close to, make a donation in lieu of favors.
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49. Maybe personalized cowboy hats don’t suit you, maybe beanies do, or baseball caps - this is a cute idea for many couples.
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50. I don’t know about you, but after a night of dancing in heels, I can’t wait to take them off. Guests at this wedding wanted argyle socks for each person in attendance- personalized by gender. I’m sure their guests appreciated slipping into nice soft, warm socks after the wedding.
Tell me what are you giving away for your wedding favors? Are you doing any of these ideas? I love to talk details, comment below and let me know how you like these 50 wedding favors!
Tags: DIY, DIY weddings, wedding favors
Thank you for including a Gardenmis lavender sachet among all these wonderful wedding favor ideas! Thank you, Erica!
Thank you for the feature, Erica!