Favors: yes or no??

JMU_Bride09

My fiance and I are discussing the wedding favors.  He doesn't think we necessarily need to have them, and I could go either way.  What do y'all think?  Are favors a must-have or could we do without them?

jennylove810

No to favors.  Where I'm from, they are a completely unnecessary expense that not single guest will miss if you don't do them.  Save yourself the money and worry about one less thing.

HTH

pandasquishy

Everyone on the knot will tell you they're not necessary and no one will miss them.

Except me.  I'm convinced I'm the only on these boards who think they're polite.  I would give the side eye to a couple who did not have favors.

Everyone loves an edible favor, so go with something they can eat.  Coasters, CDs, candles, they'll all get left behind.

aerinpegadrak

Totally skippable.  If we have any sort of favor, it will just be to go boxes so that people can take home food off our dessert bar.  But it's low on the priority list, and I don't think anyone will miss them.

General consensus is that if you go with favors, do something edible.  That way if people leave it behind (as so many do), it's easier to dispose of.

mbcdefg

I don't think you ever really "need" them.

IMO, it can be a good idea if you have something really good to give ... like really good chocolates, cupcakes, caramel apples, something from your home area or your family that you really can't get anywhere else, etc.

I don't like the favors that are "just for the heck of it," know what I mean? If it's something that I could get in a corner store for 75 cents (like M&Ms or mints or something), IMO it's not worth the money.

liz745

i dont really think favors are necessary. I never even heard of them before coming here. Ive never gotten favors at any of the weddings i went to and i never thought anything was missing. I agree with the pp tho if you do decide to do favors go with edible ones.

Da0419

I'm with PSquishy on this one.  I think that favors are polite (although, ettiquette says that they're not necessary).  But then again, I'm one of those people who always brings a hostess gift and sends packages to my neighbors on various holidays.  Call me old fashioned, but that's just the way I am.  I like the idea of homemade favors (cookies, jam/preserves, caramels, caramel apples, etc), which don't necessarily have to be expensive, although they do tend to be time consuming.

Lasairiona

Favors are never required. Most end up in the trash anyway which is basically your money being thrown away. Skip the favors and put the money that you would have spent toward your food, drink, dj  (which are what your guests actually remember) or photographer.

I've only ever been to one wedding out of countless that had favors and guests who stayed to the end were forced to take them and they were edibles that were in plain sight the entire time so no one missed them obviously at any of those weddings.

danieliza1127

They're not required.  We didn't have any but we did have lots of great food and an open bar.

fallbride1109

No, no, no.  I wish I had listened to the brides on here that said don't do them.  I did do a candy buffet which was a great favor and it would have been plenty.  The table favors I did were cute--but all they really added were extra time and expense.

mbcdefg

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_favors-yes?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:1af51905-74f5-435f-ab2a-9c1beb608f09Post:b2bfcd3f-4fe9-4583-943a-a789b3ea0234">Re: Favors: yes or no??</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm with PSquishy on this one.  I think that favors are polite (although, ettiquette says that they're not necessary).  But then again, I'm one of those people who always brings a hostess gift and sends packages to my neighbors on various holidays.  Call me old fashioned, but that's just the way I am.  Posted by Da0419[/QUOTE]

I always bring a hostess gift to someone's house, too, and yet I still consider favors to be unnecessary. Because I feel that the newlyweds are taking care of their guests by giving them food and drinks and entertainment. I don't think that they need to give out a little trinket or a small edible gift on top of all that.

I also don't consider bringing a hostess gift to be old-fashioned. I think it's just good manners. Good manners and proper etiquette will never go out of style (I hope! With today's society, sometimes I question that :P).

(I'm not arguing with you or trying to say you're wrong, because you're not ... just adding to the conversation.)

kristinanddan

I have never been to a wedding that didn't have favors, and I would notice if one wasn't there. I hate trinkets like shot glasses with the couples name and wedding date on it, and those things go in the trash. Candy is always good, as are nicer favors.

Everyone here says do something edible or nothing at all, but most weddings I go to give an item. We had bud vases from Lenox, and there weren't any left behind.

amlaplante

No, don't worry about them. This may sound rude but you're already paying a lot for food and drinks for these people. Favors are left behind and forgotten and I'm honestly never very fond of the favors that brides pick out anyway. We aren't going favors and I'm glad. It's one less thing I have to worry about. Nobody will miss them, I promise!

megk8oz

It's really a matter of personal preference if you want them or not. 

I think if you give something that's universally "good" (Which, the only thing I could think of that isn't edible that falls into this category is lottery tickets) then YAY!

But if you're going to give out something like a champagne flute with your name and wedding date on it, then please, save your money and put it towards a better bar or cake ... or pretty much something else that's "nice" for your guests.

FWIW, the last 4 weddings I've been to gave away the engraved champagne flute (Yeah, nobody even had the decency to change it up and have shot glasses or something, lol). FI and I now have a lovely little collection of them in our cabinets collecting dust, and we're just waiting for the day when we've had them long enough to not feel bad about tossing them. And with the exception of one of those couples (Where the bride still swears she's so "original" for thinking of this idea ... she was bride #3 in our collection), everybody else pretty much has admitted now that they were a huge waste of money, since 1/2 the guests wound up leaving them anyway.

megk8oz

Also, I am having favors at my own wedding. I'm doing little boxes of Jelly Bellys in Cappucino and Toaster Marshmellow. Jelly Bellys are one of both FI and my absolute favorite candies ... and if nobody brings them home, we have no problem disposing of them ourselves

glam70s

I've never been to a wedding without them, and I would notice if they were not there, so we are going to do favours.

I'm deciding between hot cocoa 'kits' (http://www.cureington.com/16.html) and some very lovely snowflake shaped sugar cookies that are my specialty.. We're having a small winter wedding though, so it's not too much work. In my family, there are always favours at weddings, they are always edible, and they are most definitely always DIY.

LoveSmartDesign

You should only go with favors if you would have fun shopping for them, if you can find something that you know people will enjoy or will add to the fun of the occasion, and, of course, if you have the budget for them! 

Da0419

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_favors-yes?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:1af51905-74f5-435f-ab2a-9c1beb608f09Post:069ed3a8-a615-4a12-94dd-5969d71370bd">Re: Favors: yes or no??</a>:
[QUOTE]You should only go with favors if you would have fun shopping for them, if you can find something that you know people will enjoy or will add to the fun of the occasion, and, of course, if you have the budget for them! 
Posted by LoveSmartDesign[/QUOTE]


I completely agree here!  Do a favor if it has meaning to you not because you feel obligated to do so.

JMU_Bride09

Thank you all so much for your answers!  You've certainly given FI and I alot to think about.  We're now leaning towards the idea of either something meaningful to us or nothing at all. 

iamjoesgurl

I know I'm late in responding, but wanted to say that we did favors, they cost less than $1 a piece and there was not one left.  We didn't put them on the tables, but left them on a table in the hallway for guests to pick up if they wanted one.  Every single one was taken.  It was a lot of fun for me to make them and I felt that they added to our wedding (they went along with our theme).  They were edible which I would suggest is best.  I've been to a few weddings where there was a donation in lieu of favors and that is nice in theory, but I don't see the logic in it.  I like favors and agree with pp that if you can afford them and they are practical and not just thrown together, a lot of your guests will probably appreciate them. (I don't know many people who wouldn't like to have something for free.)

Oh, and also, if I had put the $1 per person toward food or drinks instead of favors, I really wouldn't have been able to get anything of significance.

CEV88art@ku,edu

it depends on what you mean by "favors" my sister in law just scattered heresy kisses on each table and called that her favors. And another wedding I went to did that. Since we're having a small wedding, and I'm a perfectionist, I'm doing just little kisses and a mini chocolate bar with a thank you wrapper and tying it with ribbon with our new address on it and our send off bubbles and calling that my favor. And since we're just doing cake and snack food, not a big fancy meal and there is no bar because its a church reception. I felt like that was needed. Just a little extra something. And with a costco card its just a tiny expense.

alley0095

I don't think they are necessary and in many situations, they are a waste of money.  If you have money in your budget (I;m not sure that I will, but I hope to), I'm considering having a photo booth set up for a couple of hours at the reception.  The attendant will print two photo strips.  One for the guests to keep (I will pay for one photo frame per guest) and one to be put into an album immediately that the guests can write a note next to.  It's a great instant and fun album for us and it also provides a memorable favor for our guests.   Please just don't waste money on something that you don't think anyone is going to really want.  You will end up with 200 match books in your home and wasted money that could have been much better spent on more important things!

kellyfinigan

We aren't doing favors, although they are still very popular.  We are giving a donation to a Veteran's Fund in lue of the money we would have spent of favors.  We each have had a friend that was killed in war, both our ushers are in service and the best man is too... so we have alot of Uniforms and services represented at our wedding.  That's why we thought doing a donation instead favors that just collect dust and get thrown away would be the better route to go.  On their plates/seats at the table we'll have a post card explaining what it went for.

Thanks!

poopheado8

Yes if you didnt do them and i was invitedto the wedding i would think you were cheap!

enlightenedkarma

My parents did something really cool. The church they got married in refused to let them use real flowers because of Lent. So my mom and I spent days making centerpieces and silk flower arrangements for her reception. At the end of the reception, her and my step-dad said that all the silk floral arrangements and centerpieces were the favors and anyone who wanted one could take them home. 15 years later, my parents still have some of the larger decorations in the house, and I know of a handful of friends and family who use their old wedding centerpieces as decor in their own homes. I thought it was a great idea because they basically got their guests to clean up for them, nothing was wasted or thrown away, and the people who really wanted a keepsake still have theirs.

bwebbernc

No.  Most people I've chatted with say they don't want the favors so we're not doing them.

lifequestion

I'm doing favors because my mom offered to buy 'em and they're cute and appropriate to us. We spent less than $100 on 'em. I'm pleased!

Goldlie11

We're doing edible favors. Probably little bags with truffles in them.  I think that edible favors work well because even if your guests don't like them, they probably have a friend, family member, or coworker who will like the favor that they can pass it on to.  

AMJA12.31.10

i like the idea of a candy bar. guests can make a 'to-go' bag or box sometime during the reception or on their way out...

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shelchristian

Both my fiance and myself live in Los Angeles; but are getting married in Mil, Wi in the summer of 2010 my home city. Anyway because I am incorporating a "wine" style theme into our beautiful vintage reception wedding we are having favors. There will be two. A "Ring WIne Stopper" at each place settting and a popcorn or candy jar table at the exit of the reception. People will love both. It is "ALWAYS" nice to show your appreciation to your close friends and family and for all they have done for you through the years. I love this idea and very excited to incorporate both nito our beautiful and vintage mansion for our reception.



So excited to finally be Mrs. Schaefer


Seven months away!


July 31st 2010