Fun Favors and Gifts

Not too long ago, we shared wedding trends for 2023 so now we thought it only right to look at wedding favors and gifts.

Fun favors and gifts — for guests and members of your wedding party — don’t have to be predictable or boring or even something that’s going to make people think, “What the heck do I do with this!?”

One of our best friends, for example, gave a fantastic wedding favor, especially in the eyes of this whisky loving guy. They handed out airplane bottles of Skrewball peanut butter whisky. Anyone who knew him understood exactly how perfect this was.

And that’s really what you want with all of this, right? You want something that’s not boring, not predictable, not useless, and says something about you as a couple.

(PSST! We would love to hear stories you have about the best and funniest and silliest favors and gifts!)

Whether you’re thinking about what to get guests or wedding party members, think about the overriding theme of your wedding and see if you can apply that somehow then it makes fun favors and gifts easy peasy.

For Guests

Let’s start with edibles (no, not that!):

• Little packs of cookies. Of course, in Erie, this is a common thing with the cookie table. And we have a great cookie store, don’t ya know?
• Mini honey pots and dippers. You could source this locally, which would be super cool.
• Chocolate bars. Again, we have some great options for local chocolate. (And we won’t link because we know Erie people have very strong opinions about which chocolate is best and you can figure that out for yourself.)
• Instead of a cookie table, you could have a candy bar! Complete with little scoops and personalized boxes or bags to commemorate the day.
• Mini cocktail kits including a recipe card and instructions.
• Bottles of olive oil. I mean, who doesn’t want/need more olive oil?
• Mini mason jars with some interesting salt. Sure, pink salt is popular but salts come in all kinds of interesting colors.

And I think you get the idea. Think of foods and treats that you love and then think of ways you could give this as a favor.

Beauty, art, and utility

• A CD of your favorite songs in a commemorative sleeve. Who doesn’t love music?
• Mini botanical prints of the flowers from your bouquet. You could roll these and attach a tag with the guest’s name and table number.
• Tiny candles. Choose a container that goes with the decor of your wedding and perhaps attach a label with your names and date.
• A potpourri or incense station could be a blast! Provide little bags with a wedding stamp and let people create their own mix.
• Sleep masks. We all need better sleep. You could have a few different scents to cover all noses’ preferences.
• Mini paintings. Have a local artist make these or set up an art station. (One of the trends in weddings is to have more interactive activities at the reception.)
• Another interactive activity? An old vintage typewriter that guests could type poems or little bits of memories on. They can take them home or leave them for a memory book.
• Since the pandemic, a lot more people have bigger plant collections so why not hand out mini succulents?
• Matches are a traditional gift but what about putting them in a small bottle or tin?
• Consider personalized champagne flutes or even coffee mugs or shot glasses.

Again, the key with all of this is to think about what you like, what says something about you as a couple, and then go from there. Fun favors and gifts aren’t totally random.

Moving on to the Wedding Party

Your wedding party is comprised of people who are important to you. These are the people who have been with you through thick and thin. Also very likely, they are also the people who have helped in countless ways to get you to your wedding day. A little something extra for them only makes sense.

For Bridesmaids

• Since there’s a good chance you’ll all be getting your hair and makeup done together, matching robes would be a fun gift. You can even get them embroidered with their names.
• Is there an activity you all love to do together or that brings up happy memories? Think about how to turn that into a personalized gift.
• Jewelry is always nice but again, personalizing is important. For example, an initial necklace or a zodiac necklace.
• Personalized tote bags could come in handy. (You could even use them to fill up with other small gifts!)
• Skin products and bath products galore!
• An extra soft throw blanket.
• Monogrammed travel jewelry cases.
• Personalized makeup bags.
• Spa in a box: candle, bath salts, lotion, loofah.

And For Groomsmen

• Monogrammed handkerchiefs.
• Monogrammed pocket knives.
• Monogrammed money clip wallets or card case. (You get the idea… get something and put initials on it. HA)
• Is there a sport you all love? Think along those lines.
• Leather travel pouches or toiletry bags.
• Traditionally, a watch is a pretty classic gift.
• A personalized shaving kit.

And Gifts that are more unisex

• Personalized, engraved flasks. (HUZZAH!)
• A book that is important to each of your bridesmaids or groomsmen. Write a note inside the cover.
• Leather journals and good pens.
• Excellent bottles of wine or whisky or whatever drink each prefers.
• High quality water bottles with… you guessed it… monograms or names.
• Small books of photos that show your lives together. These are so easy to print now via all of our socials.
• A wireless phone charger.

Whatever you do for fun favors and gifts, it really is the thought that counts above all else. And if you make it uniquely about you and your relationships and the shared day, everyone will be happy and feel well taken care of.