Is it still customary for couples to give out wedding favours?

Have welcome bags taken over, or is the wedding favour custom now obsolete?

If you’re wondering if brides and grooms still hand away wedding favours, the short answer is yes. But, as anyone who has attended a wedding in the previous few years knows, the definition of favour has changed. Gone are the days of personalised candies and pointless trinkets that will end up placed in the trash. Instead, couples are more interested in giving their guests something significant that will remind them of their wedding experience or something appetising they can enjoy immediately. Here’s everything you need to know about the new category of wedding favours.

You’re providing your visitors with an experience.

Weddings have gone a long way since our parent generation’s traditional church and ballroom ceremonies. Throughout your wedding weekend, you may host four or five different gatherings over several days. This means you’re giving your guests an experience rather than a physical item. If you can send them home with favour or something that reminds them of this particular moment, that’s fantastic. However, if you’re handing out wedding favours only because it’s something on your to-do list, relieve yourself of the worry and rest confident that your guests will leave with lasting memories.

Welcome bags have raised the bar.

With destination weddings becoming more popular, the gift-filled welcome bag has surpassed traditional wedding favours in popularity. If you have many out-of-town guests attending your wedding weekend, you should probably meet them with a welcome card, a good bottle of local cider, a box of doughnuts from the neighbourhood bakery, or a bag filled with delightful treats. In addition, you may include a fun and festive keepsake for a summer wedding, such as custom koozies or a copper mug for guests to take home and make Moscow Mules in.

Favours are still very much in use.

Wedding favours have grown from the old monogrammed box of chocolates or little framed portraits of the two of you to be more reflective of the time, place, and experience you’re having with your guests. What precisely does that mean? You may give your guests a bottle of wine from the vineyard where your wedding is being held, or if you’re getting married at a farmhouse famed for its great meals, you could give your guests the property’s cookbook. Are you getting married on the beach? Choose something guests will use all weekend, such as a colourful pair of sunglasses or a cool Turkish towel.

Choose something straightforward.

One of the most frustrating aspects of having favours is that guests leave them behind. Keeping things simple is a smart approach to reducing waste and ensuring you’re providing your guests with something they won’t forget at the end of the night. If your wedding is in an olive-rich region, infused olive oil, a cocktail kit for a nightcap, or a lovely brass bottle opener might all be fun, easy ideas.

Replace the favours with something edible.

If you want your guests to leave your wedding with something, edible favours are a great way to keep things simple. Set up a take away booth near the exit with bags of small-batch popcorn, freshly fried beignets, a mini s’mores kit, or huge, salty pretzels. While guests may not consume these sweets immediately, they will most certainly devour them when they return to their hotel rooms for the night.

Waste is important.

If you’re concerned about the environmental impact of your wedding, you could forego typical favours instead of donating to a charity or a local non-profit. For example, assume you’re planning a wedding on the California coast in a densely forested location. You may donate to the local fire department or forest service to show your appreciation for the place. Alternatively, if your wedding will be held at an urban art gallery, you may donate to a local non-profit arts centre for children. In any case, you can include the donation at the bottom of your wedding menu and even challenge your guests to match your contribution as a wedding door gift to you.