Unique Wedding Favor Ideas Your Guests Will Love

Wedding favors are a typical element of any wedding, but they do come with some controversy. Some classic wedding favors like customized shot glasses or can koozies have been overdone, and many people don’t end up using them after the reception.

When picking out the perfect wedding favor, consider what your guests will actually use and appreciate. These unique wedding favor ideas can give you some inspiration for gifts that guests will be excited to take home.

1. Themed Crystals

Recent research found 26% of American adults believe crystals have some form of spiritual energy. Whether your guests are part of that percentage or not, they may love adding your gorgeous crystals to their fireplace mantle or bookshelf.

Tie a few crystals in a woven bag stamped with your wedding date and symbol. If you add a small card explaining the meaning of your selection, your guests will appreciate the extra thought behind your wedding favors.

2. Tea Bags

Tea is always a great gift. It’s easy to travel with and even easier to store long-term. Create a selection of tea leaves that fits your wedding theme or speaks to your favorite blends.

You can customize the labels on the tea bags with your wedding date for an added touch. Consumable favors are always a great option that aren’t likely to get thrown away or left on the table at the reception.

3. Dried and Framed Flowers

Couples almost always look forward to saving some of their wedding flowers after their big day ends. Give your guests the same joy by drying and framing flowers before your ceremony starts. You could get miniature frames that hold a singular bloom each. Match the flowers to your bridal bouquet or centerpieces to tie them into the details you’ve likely already planned.

4. Coffee Bags

If you’re not a tea lover, go for coffee instead! Choose your favorite blend or work with a coffee shop to create your own custom blend.

A standard coffee bag contains 10-12 ounces of beans or ground coffee, but you can go for more of a sample size bag. You can design stickers to put on the bags with your names and wedding date, or use the bags as a place to write a thank-you note to your guests.

5. Hangover Kits

Your ceremony will be a heartfelt, romantic moment in your life. Your reception should be a party. If you’re serving alcohol, more than a few of your guests might wake up the next day with hangovers. Send them back to their hotels with hangover kits containing things like:

• An electrolyte water flavor packet.
• A sweet and salty snack.
• Mint gum.
• A travel pack with two tablets of an over-the-counter pain reliever.

This is a great option for couples with guests driving and flying to their venue. Nothing in the kit needs to contain liquid or be too big, so it should pass Transportation Security Administration regulations no matter where your guests fly home.

Photo Credit: From The Hip Photo

6. Custom Hot Sauce Kits

Who doesn’t love having hot sauce on standby for every meal? Let attendees get creative with individual hot sauce kits. You can order them with personalized labels and flavors, depending on your preferences.

With any consumable item, make sure to include the ingredients so guests can double check for allergens. While you can add your own label, be sure not to remove or cover the ingredients label.

7. Lottery Tickets

Lottery tickets are inexpensive if you’re not buying them all the time. They’re also incredibly fun favors for guests who may have spent a good chunk of cash to attend your wedding. Anyone with a troubled history of lottery tickets or betting could get a backup favor, like a gift card to their favorite restaurant.

8. Personalized Temporary Tattoos

Modern couples sometimes hire tattoo artists to tattoo their guests during the reception party. If that doesn’t work with your budget, you can always give everyone temporary tattoos as your unique wedding favors.

Design some online with your wedding date, the location or your wedding hashtag. If you want a more subtle design, you can choose your wedding flower, an outline of your venue or another meaningful symbol of your relationship.

If you provide washcloths and a bowl of water next to your favor table, people can apply the tattoos during the reception and show them off in photos.

9. Paintings

For artistic couples, painting a small canvas with a unique design for each guest is a beautiful way to show your appreciation. The paintings don’t have to be intricate. You can do simple renderings of your wedding flowers or venue, or go for any abstract design you like.

On the back, you can sign your names, write your wedding date and add a quick thank-you to your guests. They can easily display the paintings at home or in their offices for a pretty but subtle reminder of your wedding day.

10. Friendship Bracelets

Friendship bracelet supplies are easy to find everywhere. They’re a super popular accessory and a fun project to do with your partner.

Add beads that tell your love story, represent your wedding decor or simply say thank you. If you want to personalize them, you can make one for each guest with their name. Once you start imagining designs, you’ll find endless possibilities for unique bracelets.

Embrace Unique Wedding Favor Ideas

Once you start thinking about unique wedding favor ideas, you’ll feel motivated to order or make them. If you give your guests something useful, cute or thoughtful, they’ll love whatever you decide to put on your favor table.

Author bio: Cora Gold is a wedding writer and editor of Revivalist magazine. She aims to inspire couples to achieve the wedding of their dreams. Connect with Cora on LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter.