10 Ideas for Unusual Wedding Favours
Planning a wedding can be exciting and stressful all at the same time with so many little details that you need to keep tabs on, one of which is wedding favours for your guests.
After the ceremony and the food, wedding favours can play an important role in making your wedding memorable. They also give you an opportunity to share something special with your friends and family. This article will provide you with ten ideas for unusual wedding favours that will make your wedding one to remember!
What Are Wedding Favours?
Modern-day wedding favours are small gifts that are given to guests. They are seen as gifts thanking them for attending the special occasion. Wedding favours originated in Europe, where wealthy aristocrats provided their guests with expensive boxes filled with sweet treats.
They were a bit of a status symbol, showing that the newlywed couple could afford to hand out gifts, but they were also meaningful. They were called bonbonnieres back then, with the idea being that receiving one meant that the couple were passing some of their luck on to you.
Traditional wedding favours are still quite popular, with people giving out little boxes of almonds or sweets at the wedding reception, perhaps on each guest’s table setting, or as a parting gift as the guests are leaving. These days, however, wedding favours have greatly expanded to include a variety of personalised gifts to remember the happy occasion.
Why Be Different?
Now, if so many traditional and personalised wedding favours are available, you must be wondering why you should strive to be different. The answer is simple, really. You have an opportunity to share something special with your loved ones and make the day memorable for them as well. It’s also an excellent opportunity to put a bit of fun into the wedding in ways that only you and your partner could!
The best part is that just because you are getting different wedding favours doesn’t mean you’re going to break the bank. It also doesn’t mean that you’re going to have to make them yourselves. There are special ready-made wedding favours out there that are easily attainable and can make your big day that much more memorable for everyone involved.
10 Ideas for Unusual Wedding Favours
The unusual wedding favours listed below are inexpensive ways to make your wedding unique and memorable. Some of them are edible, others are practical or even quirky! And, you can tailor them to your special day by playing around with colours, wording, and packaging.
1. Sweet Treats
Sweet treats are still a popular wedding favour across the globe. However, there are ways to put your personal touch on them. For example, you can have an array of sweets that match the colour scheme of your wedding and have empty sweet boxes on the tables. Wedding guests can then fill their boxes with their choice of sweets.
You could also have boxed macarons or chocolates that are embellished with the initials of the bride and groom. These wedding favours are inexpensive and tasty additions for your guests. Moreover, the fact that they can take them home and enjoy them later also prolongs the festivities beyond the day in which they’re held.
2. Wearable Favours
Wearable wedding favours are unique and will make your wedding guests love you even more. The best part is that they are not only gifts that guests can take home, but also something they can wear during your wedding day. Why settle by having just your bridesmaids dress up? Now everyone can be involved and match with your theme!
For example, you can have sunglasses for wedding guests to wear if you have an outdoor ceremony. Another great option are bow ties and scarves that guests can wear during the wedding or reception, giving yourself and your guests a chance to take wonderful pictures that everyone can treasure.
Lastly, flip-flops can be great options for the wedding reception, giving your guests the opportunity to slip into more comfortable footwear when they need to. These are particularly great because they’re totally not a one-use thing – guests can use them again in their day-to-day lives.
3. Luggage Tags
Luggage tags can also be a fun option with a dual purpose. You can use them as place settings and your guests can take them home as a wedding favour. If you want to be fancy, you can have them personalised with the person’s name on the actual tag. However, you can always insert a printed version of their name into a plain luggage tag as well. It’s up to you to choose the option that suits your budget.
These look great wrapped around the napkin on the table and will give your guests something to remember you by every time they use it. It’s also a fun wedding favour if you have a destination wedding that your guests travelled to.
4. Succulents
Seeds have been a popular trend at weddings in recent years, but succulents make an even better unique wedding favour. These plants are a beautiful alternative to flowers on your reception tables, and your guests will have no trouble keeping them alive when they take them home.
Succulents need very little attention to thrive and come in unique colours. They are inexpensive and can be in small pots. In fact, there are several mini-succulents that you can place in little jars or mini cardboard pots.
They also last a long time and won’t wilt. This means that you can prepare them long before the wedding and they will still look great, even if they have been sitting on the table all day.
5. Hangover Kit
Weddings are celebrations, and hangover kits make excellent wedding favours if you expect your guests to party hard on your big day. Of course, this type of favour can work well at weddings where guests have a rapport with each other and can appreciate the sentiment behind it. You don’t want to be handing out hangover kits to kids and older relatives who will judge you for it!
Hangover kits are pretty easy to put together. There are inexpensive canvas bags that you can purchase and fill with bottled water, aspirin, electrolytes, a sleep mask, and mints. If you want to add a real wedding spin, you can print the words ‘In sickness and in health’ on the bags! Hangover kits are fun, and your guests will surely appreciate you for them the day after!
6. Crackers
This specific wedding favour works well for couples who plan to wed at the end of the year. Most people are already in the holiday spirit come December, and having wedding crackers that resemble Christmas treats can make your reception tables more festive. The crackers can be made to match the wedding theme and can contain sweets or little trinkets.
Also, if you don’t want your guests making munching sounds throughout the reception, you can just avoid the louder types. These favours just help to spread the sense of celebration and joy that is associated with them.
7. Coffee/Tea
There’s nothing like a bit of caffeine to perk someone up. You can have coffee or tea in personalised packaging for your wedding. These great little wedding favours don’t take up much space and give off a delightful scent. If you and your partner love tea and coffee, you can also come up with your own unique blend of each of the beverages for the occasion.
Furthermore, it can be a great pre-wedding getaway to visit a coffee or tea farm to source your wedding favours. Your packaging can include the pun ‘A perfect blend’ referring to both the beverage and your nuptials!
8. Local Treats
One of the best parts of having a destination wedding is being able to sample the local treats while you are there. However, many guests don’t have the time to explore the area beyond the wedding venue. This is why it is great to have local treats as wedding favours.
These will obviously depend on where you are, but they are an excellent way to showcase the area and allow your guests to experience the local treats without getting too extreme. Think of things like little jars of jam, nuts, baked goods, or other goodies. Your guests will appreciate you for bringing the local culture to them and you’ll support local businesses.
9. Badges
Similar to luggage tags, badges are a fun option for table settings instead of name cards. You can make them as fun or elegant as you like. They are also an excellent way for people from opposite sides of the wedding party to get to know each other.
There are different types of badges that you can get, like simple button badges or more formal name tags. They are not expensive to purchase, and your guests can use them again whenever they need to!
10. Lip Balm
Who doesn’t love lip balm? These simple wedding favours will be a firm favourite among your guests. They are small, easy to pocket or slip into their bags when leaving, and your guests can use them long after the wedding. You can also get creative with flavours and scents to make them more unique to you and your partner.
Additionally, it’s easy to personalise the packaging to include a little thank you or a funny saying. Just be sure to include the product ingredients to avoid any allergic reactions!
Wedding Favour Myths
Now that you have some ideas for unusual wedding favours, we thought it might be good to debunk some wedding favour myths that people might throw at you. No matter what anyone says, it’s your big day and you have the last say in what you want to share with your guests.
Do You Have to Place the Wedding Favours on the Reception Tables?
This is done mostly to ensure that every attendee gets a gift and no one takes more than one. However, weddings are generally smaller now and this isn’t really a necessity. You can give your guests their wedding favours at any point during your wedding. It can even be before the wedding ceremony or at the end of the reception, when they are leaving. The choice is dependent on the gift and on you.
Do Favours Have to Be Edible?
Traditionally, sweets were the original bonbonnieres that the wedding couple gave to their guests. However, that does not mean that you have to stick to tradition. A wedding favour is something to thank your guests for sharing the special day with you and for them to remember the day by. Something that is edible is not necessarily the only thing that fits these criteria!
Do Wedding Favours Have to Be Expensive to Be Memorable?
For something to be memorable, it does not have to be expensive. Wedding favours do not need to be a demonstration of wealth or be of celebrity swag bag level. The best wedding favours are those that are carefully chosen by the couple to represent them and their special day.
Do Favours Have to Have the Couple’s Name on It?
This myth is debatable. Many wedding favours have the couples’ names on them, or the wedding date. Having personalised wedding favours are cute, but you must also consider the people who are receiving them.
A collection of shot glasses, candles, or even keychains with other people’s names on them does not exactly make them want to use them all the time. Wedding favours don’t have to include the couple’s names. The choice is yours and it is also largely dependent on the wedding favour itself.
Final Thoughts
Wedding favours are one of the best ways to put your own personal touch to the wedding and give your guests something to remember your union.
They don’t have to be grand, nor do they need to have your name on it. The best wedding favours are ones that your loved ones treasure because they know they came from you and represent a special day that was filled with fun, happiness, and love!