When you’re planning a wedding, you could easily blow your budget on just about every area of the big day. That’s why it’s important to save your pennies where you can – and that’s where we come in, with our list of wedding favour ideas to inspire you (and your guests!).
Get your ideas flowing with our list of unusual wedding favours that will please everyone from your Auntie Edith to your best mates, and dive into our budget wedding favour ideas which are cheap but cheerful.
When planning a wedding, between the venue, the music, the flowers and the food, wedding favour ideas might be the last thing on your mind. You might even be wondering, ‘literally, what are wedding favours?’ Well, don’t worry – as ever, we’re here to help.
What are wedding favours?
Wedding favours are small gifts given to wedding guests. Centuries ago, sugar cubes were the traditional gift, when sugar was pricey and giving it away was basically a massive flex from the happy couple. Today, couples might give anything from bubbles to soap or even mini bottles of alcohol if they’re feeling generous!
Unusual wedding favours that won’t break the bank
If you’re looking for some unusual but cute little gifts you can give your guests, below are a few wonderful ideas. We’ve got super thoughtful options plus plenty of DIY tips to keep your wedding budget under control.
Make your own jam
This is one of those unusual wedding favours that will get people talking (and guarantee that everyone has a delicious breakfast the morning after the wedding).
Collect your favourite fruits, and spend an afternoon creating a delicious batch of jam – then decant into little glass pots, and top with a cute punny tag – we’d suggest something appropriately saccharine like ‘sweeter together’.
Sweet honey
Not into jam? Buy honey in bulk and pour it into little glass jars, with a cute bee-themed pun on a tag like ‘thanks for bee-ing here!’ If you have a local farm that makes honey, why not use the opportunity to buy local and support a business near you? It even makes the favour more personal to you as a couple!
Candle or wax melts
Make your own candles or wax melts with a custom scent blend – with some candle wax, fragrance oils and moulds, it’s easier (and cheaper) than you might think! This little token of luxury is a wonderful way to say thank you to the people who made your day so special!
Succulents for green thumbs
If you’re keen gardeners (and you’ve got some serious lead time before the big day) why not plant and grow some succulents? They make super sweet and cheap wedding favours which everyone is bound to love.
Plus, whenever your guests look at their plant (if they manage to keep it alive that is), they’ll be reminded of your big day.
Personalised mini wine bottles
Of course, the wedding guests need something to do a proper toast to the couple and a personalised mini wine bottle will do just the trick! Include your names and the date of your wedding on your labelling and give your guests a memento to treasure forever.
Or, sticking with this theme, how about a cosmopolitan cocktail pouch for guests to take away and enjoy at home!
Cheap and cheerful wedding favour ideas
Cheap doesn’t have to mean subpar – in fact, we’re very big proponents of cheap and cheerful, especially when it comes to wedding favour ideas that will please your guests without breaking the bank.
So, we’ve pulled together some of the best ideas for wedding favours on a budget.
Jars of sweets
Both bride and groom could pick a selection of their favourite pick and mix sweets, then make his’n’hers sweet bags for a cute injection of personality. And if you’re eager to include a pun, how about a tiny jar of mints with a note attached reading ‘we’re mint to be’?
Gold foil-covered chocolate coins are another great choice, and these can be glued to a little card saying ‘for richer for poorer’ (a fun little nod to your vows!).
Cookies
While the lead-up to your wedding will be an inevitably busy time, if you can spare a few hours to channel your inner chef, some home-baked delights are bound to go down a treat!
Granted, you might need to enlist a few bridesmaids or family members to help you with this one, but it’s a great idea which won’t break the bank.
Wedding magnets
Personalised wedding magnets are an adorable yet budget-friendly wedding favour, perfect for holding the next set of wedding invites on the fridge in clear view. Customise a magnet with your wedding date, location and your names, making it a perfect little keepsake for your guests.
Image credit: Secret Creation
Scratch card
If you’re planning on spending around a pound on your favours, then give your guests the gift of luck with a scratch card. And for bonus ‘that’s a cute idea’ points, put them into envelopes and add a note saying, ‘we found our one in a million, here’s to hoping you have too’.
Sparklers
When you’re planning your wedding, you’ll undoubtedly come to love any suggestion that serves two purposes – so giving sparklers as wedding favours and then asking guests to use them for a sparkler send-off makes a lot of sense, and saves you a bit of money. And honestly, what more could you ask for from wedding favour ideas?
Once you’re settled on the perfect gift, it’s time to select a card to go with it! We’ve got a wonderful range of wedding cards here at thortful, and here is a selection of just a few of our faves:
Looking for some more wedding inspiration? Check out our, or start planning a musical moment with our list of the most popular first dance songs.
And for more DIY tips, budget-saving ideas, and crafty how-to guides, check out the rest of the thortful blog. We’ve got a guide filled with tips on DIY wedding ideas, plus a wonderful blog on bridesmaid gift ideas too!
