5 Tips to Memorable Wedding Favors People Will Actually Use

Photographer: Mira Gall

Wedding favors are a great way to show your guests you appreciate their support and

to give them something to remember the wedding day by, but often these tokens get

left behind or tossed the morning after. To guarantee your gifts get noticed (and

appreciated), follow these tips on picking out the perfect favors.

1. Think practically

Like any good gift, you'll want to put some thought into your selection. Before you dish

out the cash take a moment to reflect—is this something you would want? You don't

want your favor to collect dust or—worse yet—end up in the trash, so consider

something that's practical or even edible. Edible favors are a fail-safe option guests

can enjoy at the reception or on their way home. Among those in the

"something useful" category are locally roasted coffee, luggage tags or acrylic frames

for the photo booth pictures taken at your reception.

2. Skip the monogram

Resist the urge to put your initials and wedding date on everything. Personalizing the

favors is a fast way to turn a useful gift into something guests will pass on. For

example, guests who enjoy entertaining would find coasters handy, but no one

(excluding your mother) will want to display coasters featuring your engagement photo.

The one exception to skipping the monogram is packaging. It’s totally fine to put your

personal touch on the boxes, bags, ribbons or labels. It'll make for a pretty

presentation, but won't put off your guests.

3. Make it meaningful

Choose favors that express your personalities, speak to the wedding's setting or share

something you love with your guests. Are you both into wine? Mini wine bottles with

personalized labels will go over big. Share a piece of your unique heritage by giving out

tins of cookies or pastries with a family recipe attached. You could even make a

donation to a cause close to your heart in lieu of traditional favors. Let guests know of

the donation by placing a note at each place setting or table.

4. Try before you buy

Once you've decided on your favors, do a trial run (especially if you're buying them

online). Order a sample before you hit "buy now" and end up with 100 favors you

hate—you want to make sure the truffles taste good or the handcrafted soaps are the

right scent. Even if you're just purchasing personalized tags or packaging to wrap

homemade gifts, ask to see a proof to make sure everything is spelled correctly. Order

favors one month before the wedding to allow yourself time to assemble, if necessary.

5. Wrap it up

Personalized packaging can go a long way when it comes to these tiny tokens. From

colorful boxes and clear cellophane bags to tiny tin pails and slim silver canisters, your

favor packaging can, and should, make as much of an impact as what's inside it.

Remember, edible favors require special packaging. Paper bags or boxes can quickly

absorb the grease of cookies or custom popcorn (leaving you with an unsightly favor

box). Line the container with wax paper before adding any edible goodies to keep

grease from leaking through.