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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:

adaptiveness · 13/02/2022 11:58

I think wedding favours are a total waste of time, money and effort. We had none at all and they weren't missed. I can't remember any that I ever received as a guest either. Usually keep for a month or so out of guilt, then give in and bin them.

However, if you have the budget, little table presents for kids are a great distraction and will keep the noise of bored kids to a minimum.

ILikeItLikeThat21 · 13/02/2022 12:10

I got the swizzle love heart sweets personalised with a thank you for coming to our wedding etc. And put it into a organza bag!

We also put song request cards on the table during the dinner and lots of people filled them out.

Ohjustboreoff · 13/02/2022 13:22

Our local hospice (where members of both our families were looked after) does a monthly lottery where tickets are £1. For a small donation plus the ticket price the hospice printed out the name card, lottery ticket and an explanation of what the money was going towards and what you could win.
All the tickets went, a few guests even won cash prizes and we got the name cards printed in our colours. Win win!

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Weddings

Sunnysal · 13/02/2022 13:28

Just make it plain what the favour are......speaking as one who mistook the small bathbomb for a handmade mint cream!

LyricalBlowToTheJaw · 13/02/2022 13:41

Another one in the don't bother with favours camp. The bulk of them usually get left or chucked pretty soon after.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 13/02/2022 13:51

@boringcreation

Don't bother with them and DEFINITELY don't get mini bottles of drink as favours. Happened at one wedding I was at and everyone was so drunk by the time the speech's started so people were talking loudly and no one was listening to the speeches. It was awful

I think this says more about the guests than the mini bottles.

clary · 13/02/2022 13:52

By all means ask for your guests' favourite songs but please don't do wedding favours.

I have in the past taken home a tiny glass vial of tea, a net bag of sugared almonds, a pot of bubble, flower seeds... all things that were ultimately just binned. A cost to the planet and to the b&g who would have spent £x per favour x number of guests - perhaps £100-£200.

You are better spending the cash on extra booze. Or just put it towards your honeymoon. I am coming to the wedding because I want to; I don't need a gift to take home - I'm not a 5yo at a birthday party asking for their party bag.

frogsbreath · 13/02/2022 13:58

Asking for a song, brilliant, favours-forgettable. I have some things scattered round the house with initials and frankly don't like any of them. Mini Scottish piper dolls? Tealight holders that don't suit any of my decor, soap that has no ingredient list so I'll never use, coffee cup holders?

I can't throw them away because of guilt but I really don't want any of it.

Starlitexpress · 13/02/2022 14:16

Another vote for don't bother. Personalised stuff I hate, ditto bathbombs or anything I am obliged to carry round (who takes a carrier bag to a wedding?)
Find the gaping hole in my bank balance after the outfit/present/hotel/travel is enough to remember the happy day.

boomshakalacka · 13/02/2022 14:45

We had little plant pots planted with a plant that matched the theme of the wedding. All were taken and we had lots of people sending us pics of the plants doing well in people's homes.

watchtheglitterdustswirl · 13/02/2022 15:01

I loved my friends wedding favours. She'd had the name tags on the table made out of gorgeous cookies, which were then iced in the theme colours and had our names painted on. They were sealed in little bags so hygienic, practical because we knew where to sit and they were delicious.

Nopetryagain · 13/02/2022 15:16

The playlist is a nice touch but it isn't a favour.

I think favours are best if they are edible and even better if they double up as name signs. So chocolates in a small box with the guests name on it on a pretty label. Done.

20viona · 13/02/2022 15:18

We did mini jägers and shotted them altogether during the speeches it went down well.

Cocomelonearworm · 13/02/2022 15:53

We gave out pretty packets of wildflower seeds - the kind you can just chuck in a corner bed and not do anything to and they come up anyway.

I think they went down fairly well, a few months on from the wedding a few of our guests had sent us photos of their flowers so at least some people planted them!

I mainly chose them because they were environmentally friendly (bio degradable packaging), about £1 each ... and the packet colours conveniently matched our wedding colours

pupcakes · 13/02/2022 16:24

Bee bombs, creme eggs, seeds all good

Your playlist- no way- nobody wants a reminder of your day except you!

Booze- bad idea for non drinkers, children, drivers etc

Scratchcards are a good shout but how would you truly feel if someone won 50k at your wedding?!

TwinkleToesStrikesAgain · 13/02/2022 16:28

My grandmother doesn't have a Spotify account. She'd be very confused

CrimbleCrumble1 · 13/02/2022 16:40

I don’t think wedding favours were a thing when I got married or at least I didn’t know about them. I’d do something chocolate or nothing.

Tulipomania · 13/02/2022 16:47

wildflower seed sachets are nice.

Metabigot · 13/02/2022 16:52

We had a photo booth with silly props. Each guest got a pic and we got a copy for the album.

Best idea ever!

HallowsandHorcruxes · 13/02/2022 16:53

@Ohjustboreoff this is exactly what we did! Money well spent and a couple of wins at ours too :)

sallydoodlecat · 13/02/2022 17:07

We made fortune teller/cookie catchers for everyone. They each had a question people had to either do or guess. Eg what's likely to be the song for the first dance? Get a photo with the bride and groom. Take a photo of your table. Where did the bride and groom meet? You can get them made from Etsy for £5. Then print and make them yourself. I did them in front of the tv. Took a long time but I'm pleased I did. They didn't cost much and got people talking. I wouldn't bother with anything expensive.

ZenNudist · 13/02/2022 17:16

Scratch cards are great. I like favours and always take them home. I take leftover ones. My dc love tat. Then we throw them away later. I don't like personalised stuff. Mini bottles of booze are good. As is artisan jam or honey. One we went to we got a jar of cocktail to take home. It was quite alcoholic. I didn't drink mine but dh had both. I like cupcakes but they invariably get squashed. Packets of seeds are useless to me but maybe not to the green fingers. Sugared almonds are out of favour now but I like a nice chocolate.

Second getting a sweet cart.

I also liked the couple who did artisan gin. It was a choice of that or honey. Expensive but lovely. I think a relative kept bees.

We did place card holders that matched the wedding theme for guests to take. Pointlessbut made me happy. Also fans because it was hot. People took them.

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