Timeless Wedding Favor Ideas
Wedding favors are a thoughtful way to thank your guests for attending your wedding. When chosen thoughtfully, favors can be memorable keepsakes that reflect your personality as a couple. If you are looking for timeless wedding favor ideas that stand out and feel meaningful, this guide is for you. As professional wedding planners, we've seen firsthand which favors are a hit, and which ones tend to get left behind. From personalized keepsakes to practical treats, here are some of our favorite ideas your guests will truly appreciate.
Guest Portraits
Instead of a typical photo booth, consider hiring a live artist to create quick sketches or portraits of your guests. These custom drawings serve as both entertainment during the event and a unique keepsake guests will cherish for years to come.
Photographer: Dani Keane
Artist: Maya Christine
Custom Hats
Custom hats, like embroidered baseball caps or trucker hats, make for trendy, wearable wedding favors that your guests will actually want to keep. Instead of using a design that feels overly traditional, like “Ella & Ben’s Wedding,” opt for something more playful and subtle. Think of creative names or inside jokes like “The Miller Polo Club” or “Camp Thompson” that tie into your personality without screaming wedding favors. The goal is to create a design your guests would be excited to wear long after the celebration ends.
Tambourines
Tambourines add a festive and fun element to your celebration. Personalize them with your names, wedding date, or wedding colors to create a memorable favor that guests can use during the reception or as part of the send-off.
Custom Golf Balls
If you and your partner enjoy golfing, personalized golf balls with your monogram, wedding date, or a catchy slogan make a perfect gift for your guests who share this hobby.
Luggage Tags
For destination weddings or guests who love to travel, personalized luggage tags are both thoughtful and useful. Adding a note such as “Thank you for traveling near and far to celebrate with us” adds a personal touch.
Photographer: Tierney Faith
Edible Favors
Edible favors are always a crowd-pleaser, think local honey jars, artisan olive oil, or custom cookies. One of our couples took it a step further by turning their cookies into a creative seating chart, with each cookie labeled with the guest’s name and table assignment. Choosing an edible favor that’s meaningful to you as a couple or representative of your wedding location adds an extra layer of thoughtfulness and charm.
Photographer: Dani Keane
Make a Donation
If giving back is important to you, consider making a donation to a charity in your guests’ honor instead of physical favors. Include a card at each place setting explaining the cause and why it is meaningful to you.
Play Into Your Hobbies and Interests
Incorporating your shared hobbies or interests into your favors is a wonderful way to personalize your gifts. For example, if you both love to read, custom bookmarks with a favorite quote or your wedding date make thoughtful favors. If you both enjoy coffee, gifting small bags of your favorite roast with a note such as “love is brewing” is a warm and personal choice.
Ultimately, the best wedding favors are those that feel authentic and meaningful to you as a couple. Whether you give your guests a keepsake, a treat, or something that is representative to you as a couple, the thought behind the favor is what makes it truly special. Remember, favors do not need to be extravagant to be memorable.
