Our alternate title for this blog post is: wedding favours that don't suck. You know what we're talking about—branded knickknacks that don't really have a use, photos of the bride and groom, coasters, and the like. Things that seem like a good idea when you're sliding in just a hair under your budget and realize you need to whip something together as a token of your appreciation for each of your guests. 

Skip it.

Our rule of thumb is, if it won't be used up entirely within a year, don't do it. Your guests do not need a lifelong reminder of your wedding date, or of your initials. Far from it—instead, they should receive a gift which, for a reasonable amount of time, will remind them of the fun they had on your big day.

The best wedding favours are useful, thoughtful, and reminiscent of the big day in a way which is not too overt. These are the top 7 all time best wedding favours, in our humble opinions.

Photo from Babe Cave.

Candles

Easy to make at home or to order online, candles are an amazing wedding gift. Send your guests home with a gorgeous, sophisticated scent for them to burn at home for the next few weeks. These don’t need to be huge, they just need to be good. Try matching the scent of the take-home candles to the scent of the flowers at your wedding, or burn the same candles around the bar or in the washrooms at your venue so your guests will associate the scent with your big day.

Pro tip: don’t adorn the candle holder with your names, your initials, or your wedding date. If you want to decorate it, try emblazoning the holder with the name of the city you got married in, or print the same subtle floral design from your invitations on the label.

Photo from Emmaline Bride.

Food!

You can’t go wrong with food. In small quantities, these options are packaged beautifully and should be truly useful and delicious. There’s nowhere to go wrong (just watch out for those nut allergies!). We recommend providing little jars of the jam you used for your hors d’oeuvres, or packaging up a s’more kit with the note “just add fire.” If you’re in a pinch, deputize a trusted guest to package up little bits of your cake to send home with your guests.

Photo from the Knot.

Tiny champagne bottles

Self explanatory. We suspect most people will be through these before the night is out. You really can’t go wrong.

Photo from Love & Lavender.

Pictures!

Don’t send your guests home with photos of you and your partner with a thank you note. They know what you look like. They know how much fun you had. They took photos with you at the reception. Those will live on in the digital world forever.

Instead, hire a photobooth to set up at the wedding for the reception. These are often not too expensive, and you can opt for a set up which will print the photos on site. This way, your guests will get great images of themselves with their dates or best pals, all done up for the wedding, and will have proof of how much fun they were having at your wedding. Prepare to see these stuck up on your guests’ fridges for years to come.

Photo from OilHerbAndMe.

Lip balm

Self care items are always a win. While body scrubs or masks might not suit your male guests as well (they really don’t know what they’re missing, though), lip balm strikes a good balance of being useful without too frilly, and luxurious without being too fussy. You can also make this favour at home, to minimize costs. Make sure you nail the scent/flavour, and decide on a cute design for the outside. This option is especially good for weddings which take place in winter, as a lot of your guests will probably have parched skin and lips.

Photo from Something Turquoise.

Coffee

We love the idea of sending everyone home with samples of coffee or tea, say, from the roastery that you and your partner went to on your first date. Get in touch with that coffee shop or roastery and see if, on this one occasion, you could purchase from them at wholesale rates. Design a cute package that is more or less airtight and send your guests home with fuel for the next few mornings.

Photo from the Knot.

Disposable cameras

Disposable cameras are one of the most underrated wedding favours of all time. They energize the dance floor and the reception because everyone will run around firing off flashes and snapping photos of each other, amping up the mood and the level of goofiness. Inevitably, some folks will forget their cameras on site, and you’ll get to develop or use the rest of their rolls. This favour is amazing because your guests will go home with photos they wanted to take specifically, of them and their friends having fun, but you’ll also get bonus wedding photos. Invite everyone to send in their favourites after the roll has been developed and put together another album of images that the photographer could never have captured.

What are you planning on supplying for your wedding favours? What’s the best you’ve ever received? Let us know in the comments!