Affordable Wedding Favors

marriage wedding dress

There are so many details to take care of for a wedding: the invitations, the location, the dress, the cake, the decorations, the food, the DJ, the wedding favors… wait… wedding favors? You mean I have to provide a gift for every guest that attends? Technically, no you don’t “have to” give wedding favors, but it is polite etiquette to show your appreciation to every guest that attends your wedding. After all, they probably did spend a nice amount on their wedding gift to you, so it’s nice to give them a little something by which they can remember your special day.


Wedding favors can be almost anything you want them to be. I’ve been to quite a few weddings and I’ve seen a variety of tokens of appreciation. Some were quite elaborate and others very simple. For my wedding I needed to keep to a very small budget, but I still wanted to have wedding favors. I soon realized that there were a plethora of options that all fit within my budget.

Suggestions for Affordable Wedding Favors

– Small bags filled with candy
– Candles
– Personalized book marks
– Photo or love themed coasters
– Small tin of mints (“Mint” to be Together)
– Magnets
– Gift boxes of cookies (…as in one or two cookies per box)
– Cookie cutters
– Candle holders
– Mini sewing kits (“Sew” Perfect for Each Other)
– Key chains
– Flower seeds (“Love Grows”)
– Personalized notepads
– Mini measuring tape (Love Beyond “Measure”)
– Bud vases
– Placecard photo frames (…double duty, use them to reserve seats at the reception and inform guests they may take each home as a gift)
– Many choose to have bubbles blown as they leave the reception. If you’re on a tight budget why not count the bubbles as favors? However, most prefer to give a wedding favor in addition to bubbles.

As you can tell, the possibilities for wedding favors are endless. A good way to choose one that fits your budget is to visit a dollar store and have a look around. You may be struck with inspiration and, because you’re at a dollar store, you’ve set yourself up to find something that fits the budget. Another option is to get online, search “wedding favors,” and use the “search by price” feature to narrow down the options to just the most affordable.

Another unique idea for a wedding favor is to make a donation to charity in honor of your guests. Then give each guest a note explaining, “In appreciation for your support of our marriage, we have decided to share the love with [insert name here] charity. We have made a donation in your honor.” It’s your decision whether you’d like to disclose the amount you donated, whether it be in total or per guest.

Whatever you decide to give as your wedding favor, it is best to include a note of gratitude. I’ve seen a variety of options on how to do so. I’ve seen people use little “Thank You” charms attached to the favor. Others have used personalized ribbon with the couple’s name and date of the wedding. I’ve seen business cards printed into commemorative thank you notes. Some have simple computer printed notes cut out and included with the small gift.

No matter what you decide to use, the point of a wedding favor is to express your appreciation to your guests and give them a tangible reminder of your wedding day.

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