Wedding favors-to give or not to give?

Question

We are on a really tight budget and we're still up to almost $13,000. We have 200 guest (mostly family). I would rather just skip the annoying bells and other expensive favors. One idea I liked was buying disposable cameras and setting them around the room for candid shots and having a collection bin, but cameras are like $8 a piece and I don't want my friends and family to be my photographers. Another thing I was thinking was letting everyone take home flowers (we're having fake flowers on the tables in vases) and then giving the vases to my cousins and wedding party. What I'm really wondering is, are favors expected? Can't everyone just take a napkin? Or does anyone know where I can find cheap favors or have ideas for cheap favors that aren't annoying (i.e. bells).

We have a western themed wedding. I'm wearing boots and a cowboy hat w/veil. If that helps w/suggestions.

Answer 1

You can do inexpensive edible favors like others suggested. It's a welcome little treat, most people enjoy and appreciate them, and it's a nice way to say thanks for coming. If you do skip the favors entirely, do your best to thank as many people as you can in person at the wedding.

As for the disposable cameras, I regret not doing them. I was surprised at how many people didn't bring their cameras to our wedding, and how few people sent us pictures afterwards. I also didn't find out until after the wedding that our photographer refused to take pictures of groups at their tables. One of my guests asked him to do it and he said no, and nobody said anything to me about it because they didn't want to upset me.

I think the disposable cameras are a good idea, and you don't have to get wedding themed ones. In fact, I've seen many people advise against them since you don't know how old the film is in them. You can go to a club store like Sams or Costco and get decent cameras in bulk. If you put a tag on them giving your guests some directions on photos (like a mini scavenger hunt of sorts), you'll get more interesting pictures instead of 30 pictures of your first dance or the cake cutting.

Answer 2

We didn't do favors. There's really no need. However, some things I've seen and liked are burned cds for each guest with the couple's favorite songs on it. Then it's just lots of time, rather than money. You put your names/wedding date on the cd jacket. This is a nice job for the groom if he's not really doing much else to help prepare.

A very inexpensive thing I saw was a pretty card with an irish verse on it, and on the back was the bride and groom's new address, set up as "At Home: Mr. & Mrs., etc." This is especially nice if the two of you have not lived together and will have a new address.

We gave the centerpieces randomly to one guest at each table. There was not assigned seating, and under the chair or plate, you can mark a place, telling that person to take home the centerpiece. We had the wedding programs rolled into scrolls and tied with green or burgundy ribbon. The burgundy ribbon people took the centerpieces home.

Something I think is cool is the personalized M & Ms in your wedding colors. You could buy a few bags, and then wrap a small amount up in tulle tied with a ribbon. Go to the M & Ms website. They are a little expensive, but if you don't use too many, it's still cheaper than other favors and since it's personalized, doesn't look cheap.

If you are having assigned tables, my friend bought little inexpensive silver frames and put "Mr. & Mrs. so and so, Table 7" or "Miss Doe and Guest". Then the couple took the frame home. It cuts down on how many you need to get and looks nice.

Another inexpensive idea is Hershey bars wrapped in a wedding anouncement style wrap. You could also put your new address on these. You can order the wraps, or make them yourself. Buy the candy bars in bulk.

Good luck and best regards!

I just thought of another one I saw and thought was pretty, but will take ALOT of time. My sister-in-law did it. You make rosebuds out of Hershey kisses. Put two kisses end to end, add a florist wire, wrap with colored foil or tulle, add a couple leaves and then wrap the wire in florist tape. It's hard to describe, but go to ivillage.com and type in favors, I'm sure they have the instructions.

Answer 3

I think guests still expect a favor, even if they are a little cheesy most of the time. I completely understand being on a budget, but you can still do something cute or fun for relatively little money. If you are having assigned seating, you could have a place card holder double as the favor, and they tend to be very inexpensive, less than $1 each. I have seen a couple of people do candy or cookie buffets as well. There are small baggies, and then containers filled with cookies and candy (with scoops or tongs or something to get them) and then that is the favor. You can either have some family pitch in and help make home made goodies, or buy bulk cookies or candy with wrapper colors that coordinate with your wedding colors. If you buy bulk, it would not be too expensive. The personalized m&m's are cute, but expensive. You could probably go to a bulk candy store and just buy certain colored m&ms for less money since they don't have the custom printing if you wanted to do that.
You could also buy $1 scratch off lotto tickets, and put them in envelopes that you use as place cards, with the name of the person and table # written on the outside of the envelope. Everyone loves scratch offs, and that will only cost you a dollar each.

As far as the cameras, sams club sells the wedding ones online for less than $4 per camera. Beware though, if you have any goofy family or friends that might take somewhat inappropriate pictures. Be prepared for anything when you get them developed!! Honestly though, most people will bring their own cameras. You can request that everyone send you copies of their photos that they take themselves. That is what we did, and it was nice because there were several angles of the same kind of shots, and some moments captured that we didn't see, but we spent money only on our own photographer, not on extra cameras.

Answer 4

Anything with candy. There are some awesome candy molds out there (for chocolate) that you can make so easily and it's very inexpensive to buy chocolate and make them. They also have candy molds where you can make chocolate lollipops or chocolate covered pretzel sticks. When I sit down and wait for dinner at a wedding i'm usually getting pretty hungry. It's always good to incorporate candy or a small snack because some guests haven't eaten since breakfast and will be starving! Stay away from favors like personalized candles or whatever. People just throw that stuff away. Not many people I know would take home and actually keep a personalized item that had my picture or name on it.

Answer 5

I find favors to be a big waste of money, personally. I've never done anything with a favor except throw it away-either befoer or after allowing it to collect dust. Honestly, what does someone do with a Bill and Kelly 2/21/1990 wine glass after the fact? Just concentrate on the main things--food and drink, fun music and have fun yourself--your guests will remember these things much more than any favor.

My cousin got married last week and spent tons of time making chocolates, and little decorated boxes, and at the end of the night, most people left them behind.

Answer 6

Yee-Hah! You don't have to give out favours if you don't want to; they are not required.
Some people haven't had great luck with leaving the cameras for pics, although I'm sure some have. Know of pics being of totally stupid things, as well as the cameras just being taken.
About the centrepieces, some people hold a draw from the people at the table to see who takes it home, or put a sticker or something under one chair on each table, then make an announcement after dinner.
However, with a country theme you could have such FUN favours - check a party or dollar store.

Answer 7

I am torn on this topic to be completely honest.

When I go to a wedding I do expect a favor. Whether it is a truffle, jordan almonds, a candle or whatever.

But I also don't want to go and get some cheap piece of plastic.

I would suggest going to www.theknot.com

They have some cute ideas like tea bags and that.

I definitely would not do the cameras. It is a waste and usually half of the pictures don't even turn out and then you will have paid for them.

Answer 8

When my son married we made the favors. We got scented novice candles, wrapped them in a netting and attached a ribbon to them. We made a label for the candle that had their names and wedding date on them. We got the candles and supplies rather inexpensively at Garden Ridge and we had a lot of help with making the favors over a few weeks before the wedding. We set them out in baskets so the guest could take one as they left, but you could use them as place cards if you are having a sit down dinner. All you would need is to add a small clip to hold the name card to it. These clips are sold at Micheal's, Garden Ridge, AC Moores and many other craft stores. They come in a bag with 25 or more per bag. Any left over candles never go to waste either. Lucille

Answer 9

I am on a tight budget too. I also expect a favor when I go to weddings and notice if there isnt one. What I did was buy favor boxes from this site, I got mine last week and they are really gorgeous and the best part is the price, I needed 100 boxes, they cost $34, on other sites the exact same boxes at $.99 each. I dont know how this site does it. Then we are filling them with either Lindt truffles or hershey kisses, we havent decided. But the favors will be under $100, which is a steal.
http://www.efavormart.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=87

Answer 10

Skip the awful bells.

Here are some disposable wedding cameras at $3.84

www.orientaltrading.com

If doing favors, do edible favors or skip them altogether.

A napkin? Please

Honestly, I would never take home some fake flowers. Nobody wants them.

Reconsider

Good luck