Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Alternative wedding favours

72 replies

abeanbaked · 12/02/2022 22:04

Is this a shit idea? Planning on asking all guests favourite songs on their invites, playing them throughout the day at the wedding, printing a card for each guest with a QR code to a Spotify playlist of our wedding songs - all of our guests suggestions. I was going to get everyone either a small gin bottle or whisky bottle but, it's a wedding, we're going to be drinking all day and it's bloody expensive! The last wedding I went to I got macaroons as a favour and I woke up with them all smashed up in the bottom of my bag 🤦🏼‍♀️ does anyone appreciate favours that are consumable really?

OP posts:
2holibobssofar · 12/02/2022 22:09

Don’t bother with them. We had balloons, cut flowers and potted flowers as decoration. We encouraged the guests to take whatever they wanted when they left, so most have potted plants at home now, but only if they wanted to take them.

thecatsthecats · 12/02/2022 22:14

I wouldn't bother with a downloadable playlist. It's a bit of a "nothing" gift really - a list made out of other people's taste?

Is your wedding DIY? We made favours of wine glass markers, which doubled as place settings. We were lucky enough to pick these up free from a wedding supplies exchange site. But our best "favour" was the surprise booze we had left over - we ran our own bar and sent most people away with a few excess bottles for the same price most people spent on half a bottle PP at the table.

Original poster
abeanbaked · 12/02/2022 22:24

I suppose it's not really a gift but a downloadable memory of our day! I like random playlists because there's usually lots of songs on there that I haven't listened to in ages that I love but I suppose not everyone feels the same!

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Weddings
TheMullerLightOwl · 12/02/2022 23:35

We had tiny jars of honey from MIL's bees as wedding favours which was nice as it was personal.
The favourite I've received as a guest was a little seed packet to grow a juniper bush as the bride loves him - a lot of family members still have them in the garden!

TheMullerLightOwl · 12/02/2022 23:36

Bride loves GIN that should say - bloody autocorrect

Excitedforxmas · 12/02/2022 23:45

We’ve had crème eggs and also daffodil bulbs. Both got used

thecatsthecats · 12/02/2022 23:47

@abeanbaked

I suppose it's not really a gift but a downloadable memory of our day! I like random playlists because there's usually lots of songs on there that I haven't listened to in ages that I love but I suppose not everyone feels the same!
You may not have your answers yet, but most people's dance floor requests are shite! We diplomatically "forgot" half of what was requested, and three quarters of the rest was the same song.
ItsDisneyBitch · 12/02/2022 23:54

I had tiny bottles and mixed it up , gin, rum and a tiny Prosecco. Got them from drinks supermarket online wasn’t too pricey.

FunnyGoingsOn · 12/02/2022 23:55

I'd either do nothing or just something simple like some sweets. I think playing other peoples songs at a wedding might be a very bad idea. If your friends and family are like mine you would get a lot of silly requests 😅

betwixtlives · 12/02/2022 23:58

A list of Spotify songs isn’t a favour

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 13/02/2022 00:05

List of songs a waste of time and paper. Just some sweets or nothing imo.

Poppins2016 · 13/02/2022 00:07

One of the best weddings I attended used potted herbs as '2 in 1' favours and table decorations. Beautiful and functional.

I did once attend a wedding where the favour was the 'wedding soundtrack' on a CD... luckily the music was my taste, but I imagine some guests wouldn't have been that interested (then again, isn't that the case with most favours.... you're never going to please everyone).

To be honest, if it's a choice between funding favours vs the bar, I think most guests would prefer that you chose the bar!

TheSmallAssassin · 13/02/2022 00:11

I would just not bother with favours, nobody really wants them, do they?

RampantIvy · 13/02/2022 00:25

@TheSmallAssassin

I would just not bother with favours, nobody really wants them, do they?
I agree. If you are on a tight budget things like wedding favours and matching chair covers are fripperies that guests won't notice the lack of. Don't stint on the food and drink for unnecessary extras.
caringcarer · 13/02/2022 00:26

I provided small pots of wedding bubbles and a tiny box of 3 hand made chocolates we brought them back from Belgium on a mini break. I put colouring sheets and colour pencils on tables with children.

buckingmad · 13/02/2022 03:21

We did bee bombs

irishfarmer · 13/02/2022 03:54

I've been to weddings where the favours have clearly cost a lot or took a lot of effort and half of them were left behind. I always take it even if I don't really want it so as not to hurt feelings, and of course say "how great/ unique". It's quite popular here to have a print out saying that instead of favours the b&g are donating to such and such charity which is a nice idea. The last time I had that at a wedding the little note was card with a ribbon and I took it home as a book mark.

We got stickers I think on aliexpress with "Mint to be" with our names and wedding date and stuck them onto tic tacs. They were cheap and a lot of people did seem to use them after dinner. They weren't left anyway.

I set up a kid table for kids favours with colouring books/ games/ sticker/ bubbles I have a lot of nieces and nephews. I know I said above ppl will say they like favour even if they don't but my SIL who does not like me said the kids ones were brill she didn't know how she would keep her two interested during dinner/ speeches.

DropYourSword · 13/02/2022 04:26

See, I think it's a lovely idea. It's a nice way you can share a memory of your day that includes all your guests and doesn't have to cost anything!

Abcdefu · 13/02/2022 04:36

Depends on your guests. Been to a few that had a drink voucher,nice touch. Also thr mini bottles / shots and during speech asked to take it. Also donations to local charity

DockOTheBay · 13/02/2022 04:46

Asking for peoples song requests- nice idea.
QR code with the playlist - probably wouldn't bother, I don't think many people would go and listen to it.

I would just not have favours at all, they're expensive because even if its a cheap item when you're buying 60+ of them it works out at quite a lot for something that most people forget/don't want/bin

Benjaminsniddlegrass · 13/02/2022 04:59

We didn't do favours, instead we donated to a couple of charities important to us and our families/friends.

RedRobin100 · 13/02/2022 05:04

We didn’t do favours. Entirely unnecessary, and very often a waste of money and plastic (or whatever they’re made of).

The song idea is nice, but honestly I can’t imagine everyone else being as into it as you are! It’s just the way of it..

MiddleParking · 13/02/2022 05:04

No one will listen to it. I really wouldn’t bother with favours. The absolute best place to direct money/effort is to the bar

HelloBunny · 13/02/2022 05:06

I deffo wouldn’t listen to it. I never use Spotify / smartphone / headphones. I like nice chocolate favours!

sunnyhoneybumblebee · 13/02/2022 05:10

We made a huge batch of homemade chilli jam and gave each guest a mini jar of it. Our evening food was cheese and biscuit buffet and most of our guests used their chilli jam with that. Others took it home. Everyone loved it