Creating Memorable Wedding Party Favors: A Step-By-Step Guide

Wedding favours are a thoughtful way to thank your guests for their attendance and provide them with a memento of your special day. While it's not a requirement to give out wedding favours, it's a lovely gesture that your guests will surely appreciate. The best wedding favours are practical, unique, and reflective of your wedding theme, destination, or décor. Here are some ideas to inspire you:

- Personalized seed packets or mini potted succulents

- Mini bottles of hot sauce, olive oil, or maple syrup

- Hangover kits with essentials like pain relievers, eye masks, and breath mints

- Customized playing cards, coasters, or bottle openers

- Edible treats such as chocolates, cookies, or heart-shaped tea bags

- Candles, soaps, or bath bombs with personalized labels or scents

- Small gifts like luggage tags, hand fans, or keychains

- Local specialties or themed favours, such as leis for a Hawaiian wedding or cactus candy for a desert wedding

Personalised treats, like chocolates or cookies

Personalised chocolates or cookies are a great way to thank your wedding guests for attending your celebration. They can be a sweet treat, and an opportunity to add a personalised stamp to the big day.

Planning

Firstly, you'll need to decide on the type of treat you want to give. Cookies and chocolates are both great options, but you could also consider personalised candy, or even a recipe with ingredients in a jar.

Six months before the wedding, talk to the couple about their preferences, expected attendance, and the number of types of treats they would like. Come prepared with suggestions and be ready to get excited about the possibilities!

Preparation

Five months before the wedding, you should have a good idea of the ingredients you will need and their quantities. Perfect your baking times and decide on the order in which you will make the treats. It is recommended to bake one type at a time to avoid confusion and to cut down on cleaning time.

Four months before the wedding, start making the cookie dough or chocolate moulds. You will need a lot of ingredients and space in your freezer for dough or moulds!

Final Preparations

Two months before the wedding, check in with the couple about how the treats will be served, and who will be providing the serveware, displays, and favour bags.

One month before the wedding, finalise the types of treats and their quantities. You may need to freeze some items to ensure they stay fresh.

Execution

One week before the wedding, it's time to bake the cookies or make the chocolates. This can be a stressful process, so it is recommended to have a support system in place to help you through it.

On the day of the wedding, drop off the treats at the reception and set them out on a display if that is your responsibility. Enjoy the wedding and feel a sense of relief and joy as people enjoy your creations!

Post-Wedding

The day after the wedding, bring any leftover treats and distribute them among the guests as they depart.

Practical gifts, like bottle openers or hand fans

Bottle openers and hand fans are useful, memorable gifts for your wedding guests. Here are some ideas for how to make them special:

Bottle Openers

Bottle openers are a handy, wallet-sized gift that your guests will use time and again. You can find bottle openers in a variety of materials, including metal, wood, and stainless steel. They can be engraved with your names, the wedding date, or a special message. You can also opt for a fun shape, like a pineapple, cowboy boot, or heart. Present them in a gift box with a bow, or attach a tag with a thank-you note.

Hand Fans

Hand fans are a delightful and practical choice, especially for outdoor weddings. They combine beauty and functionality, offering relief from the heat and adding a sophisticated touch to your décor. You can choose from a variety of materials, including silk, paper, bamboo, and sandalwood. Personalize them with your names, wedding date, or a special message, and choose colors that match your theme. Fans can also be used as props or coordinated accessories for wedding photos, adding a unique flair to your special day.

DIY favours, like handwritten notes or painted mini pumpkins

Handwritten notes and painted mini pumpkins are thoughtful, creative, and budget-friendly wedding favours. Here are some ideas for how to make them:

Handwritten Notes

Personalised, handwritten notes are a meaningful way to thank your wedding guests for attending your special day. You could write each guest a short message expressing your gratitude and perhaps a fond memory you share with them. For an extra touch, decorate the notes with a simple design or motif that ties into your wedding theme. For example, if you're having a rustic wedding, you could decorate the notes with a sprig of lavender, or if your wedding has a celestial theme, add some gold stars.

Painted Mini Pumpkins

Mini pumpkins are an excellent choice for autumn or Halloween-themed weddings. You can enlist your bridesmaids or friends to help with a DIY painting session. Here are some ideas for how to decorate them:

• Paint the pumpkins black and add gold star glitter for a chic, celestial look.
• Go for a rustic vibe with pastel green and white pumpkins.
• For a glamorous, elegant look, add metallic gold leaf.
• Carve or paint your initials and a decorative border on the pumpkins.
• Use gold paint to stencil table numbers on white pumpkins, which can double as creative centrepieces.
• Tie name tags or leaves with guests' names written on them around the stalks, to use as alternative escort cards.
• Create a mini pumpkin patch and let each guest choose their own pumpkin to take home.

DIY wedding favours are a wonderful way to add a personal touch to your celebration and show your guests how much you appreciate them.

Local treats, like honey or maple syrup

Local treats like honey or maple syrup are a unique and thoughtful way to thank your wedding guests. Here are some ideas for how to incorporate these treats into your wedding favours:

Honey Wedding Favours:

Honey is a sweet and memorable way to thank your wedding guests. Here are some ideas for how to package and present honey as a wedding favour:

• Mini honey jars: Fill small jars with your favourite type of honey and add a personalised label with your names and wedding date. You can also include a wooden honey dipper as an optional extra.
• Honey sticks: Package honey sticks with a custom tag and a bit of ivory tulle for a handmade touch.
• Honey lip balm: Beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, and local honey create a wholesome lip balm that your guests will love.
• Honey soap: "Meant to Bee" honey soaps are a cute and practical favour idea. These soaps are made with nourishing coconut oil, palm oil, and safflower oil, and coloured with natural herbs, plants, clays, and minerals.
• Honey lollipops: Combine honey with organic rose petals for a romantic and unique favour.
• Honey roast sunflower kernels: For a fall or summer wedding, package honey-roasted sunflower kernels in treat bags or gift boxes.
• Honey candles: Honey-scented candles in beehive shapes make for a cute and practical favour.

Maple Syrup Wedding Favours:

Maple syrup is a unique and versatile option for wedding favours, especially if you're looking for something local. Here are some ideas for maple syrup wedding favours:

• Glass bottles: Present maple syrup in attractive glass bottles, such as those shaped like maple leaves. You can also add personalised labels or tags.
• Maple syrup nips: These small bottles are perfect for guests travelling and make a cute gift when paired with a custom tag.
• Maple candy: Maple syrup can be made into hard candy for a unique edible favour.
• Maple syrup gift sets: Combine maple syrup with other treats, such as coffee or jam, for a sweet gift set.

Fun favours, like mini tambourines or playing cards

Mini Tambourines

If you want to make mini tambourines for your wedding favours, you'll need to gather some supplies and set aside an afternoon to get crafting. Here's a step-by-step guide to making your own tambourines:

Materials:

• Two bowls, one slightly larger than the other
• Cardboard
• Yarn
• Bells (one for each strand of yarn)
• Scissors

Instructions:

• Use the larger bowl to trace a circle on the cardboard.
• Use the smaller bowl to trace a smaller circle within the bigger circle.
• Cut out both circles, leaving a circle frame. This will be your tambourine base.
• Tie a knot with the yarn around the tambourine frame.
• Wrap the yarn around the frame completely, then cut and tie off with another knot.
• Cut several strands of yarn, each about 12 inches long. You'll need one strand for each bell.
• Thread one strand of yarn through each bell. This may be tricky, so take your time.
• Attach the bells to the tambourine frame using a cow's knot, spacing them evenly.
• Now you're ready to make some music!

Playing Cards

If you're looking for a fun and easy way to add a personal touch to your wedding favours, consider custom-printed playing cards. You can find several websites that offer this service, allowing you to upload your own designs or choose from their templates. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• "We Sealed the Deal" with a chalkboard motif
• "Two of a Kind" with a heart motif
• "Let's Party!" with a festive design
• "The Perfect Pair" with a pear motif
• "Love Wreath" with a floral wreath design
• "Modern Love" with a contemporary aesthetic
• "Timeless Snapshot" with a polaroid-style photo of the happy couple

You can also include a short message, your names, or your wedding date on the cards. Decked out in your custom designs, these playing cards will be a hit with guests of all ages and are sure to be a memorable memento of your special day.

Frequently asked questions