Wedding favors are an age-old tradition that act as a way of thanking your guests for celebrating this new chapter in your life. While they’re certainly a nice gesture, way too many couples go way too bonkers over them! In fact, if your budget is just way too tight or you find yourself losing sleep over them, just nix them altogether. If you do decide to move forward with a small favor, keep these tips in mind:

  • Make it edible, drinkable or useful. Think a sweet snack your guests can nibble on during the ride home or a mini bottle of liquor they can enjoy during the event – not something that will end up in the junk drawer as soon as they get home.
  • Reflect your personality. The best favors are those that reflect you as a couple or some aspect of your relationship, history or wedding. Give out a specialty food that’s related to the location or seasonality of the shin-dig (little packets of hot chocolate for a winter wedding, for example). Or give out your grandmother’s legendary cookie recipe along with a sampling of the sweet treat.
  • But avoid stamping it with your name and wedding date. Unless it’s of the edible or drinkable variety (meaning, it’s ultimately disposable), most guests don’t want a long-term keepsake that has your name and wedding date on it. Things like candles and picture frames branded with your name won’t make it on the living room mantle and will likely end up in that dreaded junk drawer.

Most of all, keep it simple and don’t stress!  The favors are certainly not the end all, be all of your big day.