September 2012 Weddings

Favors: yay or nay?

We're on a very tight budget and already projected to go over at this point, so I started looking over areas we might be able to cut and favors immediately popped out.  I had a great idea that fits our theme, but that's honestly money we could save for other things... 

(For the curious, it's an Alice In Wonderland wedding, and I was planning to give away my favourite tea, which has candy autumn leaves in it)

So, I ask you:  are you doing favours?  What are you doing?  Do you think it matters enough for me to fret over it?

Re: Favors: yay or nay?

  • From what I understand, a lot of times favors get left behind. It's definitely something you can skip.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • You can skip it. We're asking for recipes at the shower. We should have enough money to DIY family recipe books for favors.
  • Skip the favors!  I am so sick of customized wedding koozies.  The only favors I really like are edible favors and I don't think they are necessary.  The wedding hosts are paying for dozens of meals and alcohol, in my opinion, that is gift enough.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker LilySlim Weight loss tickers

    image 225 Invited so far!
    image 148 Are ready to party!
    image 77 Will be missing out!
    image 0 Are MIA!
  • I would definitely cut favors. They are probably the easiest thing to cut from the budget.
    Anniversary
  • I totally agree with PPs.  We're not doing favors either.  We are debating a potobooth in which case everyone will keep a copy of the photos they take and that would be their favor...but we're on the fence if we want to bother spending money on that.
  • I would definitely cut it if you can!
    We're making homemade boysenberry jam. We estimate the cost to be a few hundred. But if I hadnt already put that aside and budgeted for it, we may be skipping them for other things too.

    If its something that is causing you to worry, I say skip it! :) One less thing...
    September 2012: May Sig
    Honeymoon Location: Punta Cana, DR
    Photobucket Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • No favors here either.   I can't recall one favor I received from a wedding.  I think they are unnecessary for most of us. 



    Love is the ultimate superpower.   
    It can make you weak and strong simultaneously.  



  • I am going to be the odd one out I guess...I think favors are important...it shows the guests you care and a thank you to them for coming. Our wedding is on a Friday and most of the are OOT so they need to take 2 days out of work...we aren't doing anything crazy...probably choc covered pretzels that our cupcake lady will make....I must say though....they have been crappy favor that I've gotten that I've thrown out or lost to be honest. FI and I decided early on to do a food favor or donation. We might even do both. But we are doing great with our budget...so I guess if you are looking to cut it wouldn't be a bad idea....
  • I don't think they're necessary either, but we've budgeted for them as well.  But we're just giving away chocolate bars - pretty inexpensive.  I'm not crazy about the votives, the frames, etc.  Never knew what to do with them.
  • [QUOTE]FI and I decided early on to do a food favor or donation. We might even do both.
    Posted by URIsweethearts[/QUOTE]

    I would really discourage doing a donation as a favor.  TK recenty did a poll about favors over on Reception Ideas and one poster made a really good point about donation as favors.  She said that once a couple made a "donation in her honor" to a charity/cause she absolutely hates.  She said she was very offended. 
    Wedding Countdown Ticker LilySlim Weight loss tickers

    image 225 Invited so far!
    image 148 Are ready to party!
    image 77 Will be missing out!
    image 0 Are MIA!
  • You can definitely cut favours! Totally optional!
    We're having a photobooth and they can keep their photos as their favour lol
  • Skip them if you can't afford it. Throughout the years the favors I have gotten and either threw away or shoved in a drawer to never be seen again are: personalized playing cards, hurricane glasses, shot glasses, key chains, the list goes on...

    Your tea idea is cute though, you could always incorporate that into your wedding if you have the budget. Just get a few packets and leave it with the beverages as a drinking option.
  • I say skip it. FI and I will let our photobooth serve as a favor but that's because we love photobooths and are using the pics to create a guestbook( aka scrapbook). I can't think of one wedding favor that I enjoyed or was honestly memorable.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • Just like most wedding related decisions - it's entirely up to you! If you don't want to do them or can't afford them, don't do it. We are definitely doing favours because we want to and because we are lucky to have FI's uncle providing us with all the maple syrup from his sugar bush so we are just buying the mini bottles (which we got super cheap through his uncle's supplier). I'm designing and printing all the labels at home so our favours are costing us under $100 total.
    invitationcombo Wedding Countdown Ticker Follow Me on Pinterest
  • oh I wanted to add that I think the tea idea is really cute :)
    invitationcombo Wedding Countdown Ticker Follow Me on Pinterest
  • We aren't doing them.  As a guest, I would rather have better food, more alcohol, or more time with the DJ/Band than a tulle sack of almonds.  I'll appreciate a memory much more than a trinket.
    Photobucket
    Follow Me on Pinterest
    Just because you saw it on Four Weddings, doesn't mean it's a good idea.
  • We're most likely doing them... probably chocolate truffles. They aren't really needed though... If it's a budget issue, I think you could easily skip them 
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_september-2012-weddings_favors-yay-or-nay?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:a464c18c-2e4d-469b-8eae-3865079cb9cfDiscussion:7d773ae1-7822-4fb9-9697-f427a65fcf83Post:225732a6-8015-476e-a4f1-ba838b0c9ac1">Re: Favors: yay or nay?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Skip them if you can't afford it. Throughout the years the favors I have gotten and either threw away or shoved in a drawer to never be seen again are: personalized playing cards, hurricane glasses, shot glasses, key chains, the list goes on... <strong>Your tea idea is cute though, you could always incorporate that into your wedding if you have the budget</strong>. Just get a few packets and leave it with the beverages as a drinking option.
    Posted by caterpillar85[/QUOTE]

    This is a good thought, if I can't use it as a favor.  Thank you!

    I too cannot recall most of the favors I've received.  I know most were edible.  The one I do remember well was a mini bonsai tree, with the number of branches/stems meaning "love".  The couple was Chinese and I thought that was super cute, and my bonsai lived for a year afterwards.  I know not everyone was keen on it, but I loved it.  I think photobooths are a cooler sort of favor but we can't afford one :(

    I think at this point, it will be a "if we have money, cool" sort of item.  I disagree with the notion of them "showing you care" for guests because honestly, if I didn't care, I wouldn't invite them, wouldn't feed them dinner and unlimited booze, wouldn't fret over seating or be emailing our venue already about accommodating diabetics, gluten-free needs, food allergies, vegetarians and vegans.  *shrug*  I do think it would be cute, and being as I'm half-Brit, a LOT of us drink tea, but at the same time, no one else is paying and my FI works 60-70 hour weeks and will do so all year. 

    Thanks, all for your inputs! 
  • Count me as another using the photobooth as both the favor and the guestbook. We'll have quite a few coming in from out of town as well, and will have treat bags in their rooms. Nothing extravagent though.
  • I would really discourage doing a donation as a favor.  TK recenty did a poll about favors over on Reception Ideas and one poster made a really good point about donation as favors.  She said that once a couple made a "donation in her honor" to a charity/cause she absolutely hates.  She said she was very offended


    <<<This wouldn't discourage me from doing it. that case sounds a little extreme. most of the weddings I've been to - I have gotten nothing or a donation in my name. if it's going to bother someone that much that I am trying to donate to a good cause- even if they don't support it - I don't want them there.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_september-2012-weddings_favors-yay-or-nay?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:a464c18c-2e4d-469b-8eae-3865079cb9cfDiscussion:7d773ae1-7822-4fb9-9697-f427a65fcf83Post:200f218f-c1c7-4000-8a88-9a405ee0da21">Re: Favors: yay or nay?</a>:
    [QUOTE] <<<This wouldn't discourage me from doing it. that case sounds a little extreme. most of the weddings I've been to - I have gotten nothing or a donation in my name. if it's going to bother someone that much that I am trying to donate to a good cause- even if they don't support it - I don't want them there.
    Posted by URIsweethearts[/QUOTE]

    But what if your good cause is one guests object to and would never support?  For example, I dislike a lot of PETA's tactics so although I love animals and support animals being treated humanely, I wouldn't be happy that my name was connected to a PETA donation.  Similarly, I'm opposed to the Canadian Cancer Society because they have enough stockpiled funds to run for twenty years right now without another fundraised cent, yet they keep asking for more, collecting the interest, and grassroots groups that could actually use support are left scrounging.  What if a guest is pro-life and you donated to Planned Parenthood or similar?  What if someone is homophobic and is offended by you donating to the Trevor Project?  What if someone was mistreated by the charity in question when seeking help in their lives (example, a rape crisis centre that refused to servce a male survivor of abuse because of gender)?

    By saying that if someone disagrees with what you consider a good cause, they're not worth having at your wedding, you're really minimizing their feelings and right to an opinion - and that's not caring about your guests.

    Better to not have a donation at all than to risk offending someone, especially when you're inviting a large group of people that will undoubtedly have at least one person unhappy with the charity.  If it's a very close group of people whom you know intimately, it's different IMO, but with distant relatives and FI family members you're just meeting, why risk drama?
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards