A guest favour is a small token of appreciation that you give to your guests when they attend your wedding. It's a way of thanking them for coming to celebrate with you, and it's also a way of providing them with something that they can take home and remember the day by.  Gift-giving is a way of expressing love, appreciation, and thoughtfulness, however, the cost of these favours can stack up. 

Your wedding might already be one of the most expensive days of your life, so you might need to source cheap wedding guest favour ideas. We are here to help you create the perfect wedding thank you gifts for guests without breaking the bank.

What is a wedding favour?

Favours are essentially thank you gifts for guests at your wedding.  You don’t have to give your wedding guests a small gift each, but it’s a nice touch, especially if you are opting for a more traditional wedding.  The tradition of giving wedding favours dates back centuries ago when they were given as tokens of appreciation for the hospitality received on behalf of the hosts. 

Today, they are more often given as symbols of good luck, love, and happiness for the newlyweds.  They are usually small, inexpensive items like chocolates, mints, or soaps. Wedding favours can be personalised to fit the theme of the wedding and to suit the tastes of the guests.

The easiest way to come up with ideas for wedding favours is to think about what you like and what your guests might like. You could also ask your parents, friends, or other people who have been married before for their advice on this topic.  There are no end of ideas on sites like Pinterest if you search for unique wedding favour ideas and we’ll cover some of the cheap and cheerful ideas below.

Wedding gift presentation ideas

Wedding favours are often handed out by the best man or maid of honour. For this, they are usually wrapped in decorative paper and tied with ribbons, but they can be put in a box or any container that the host deems appropriate and is easy to carry and hand out.

At some weddings, the favours are at each placemat at the reception.  The guests can then open and see their favours when they sit down at their seats.  When placed on the tables you’ll often find they are presented in organza fabric wedding decoration such as small sheer bags with ribbon ties.  You can choose from material bags, including jute, linen, organza and linen bags to match your wedding decor.  These are an affordable way to wrap wedding favours as you can buy the bags very cheaply, match the colour to your wedding theme and they look very picturesque on the guest tables!

Other options are to place them in a cute gift bag with some tissue paper, or to put them in an embroidered pouch and tie with ribbon.  To keep costs favourable, simply make sure you know exactly how many gift bags or boxes you need and purchase in bulk.  You can still organise an elegant wedding on a budget.

Cheap wedding guest favour ideas

There are plenty of creative and cheap wedding guest favour ideas that you can choose from. There are many DIY wedding projects that you can do yourself in order to save money. For example, you could buy some decorative jars or mason jars and fill them with homemade cookies, chocolates, or candies for your guests. 

Another idea would be to make some personalised thank-you cards for your guests with a handwritten note letting them each know why they are so special to you.  Include a message, a photo and signature from the bride and groom

Here are some more inexpensive wedding guest gifts and favour ideas that you can give your guests to show them how much you appreciate them coming to your special day:

• Sugared almonds: These are the most traditional wedding favour.  They are not only delicious but also a beautiful addition to your wedding table. Almonds symbolize fertility, love and prosperity. The traditional colour of sugared almonds is white, which represents purity and innocence.  But you could choose colours to suit your wedding theme, such as blue for a winter wedding, or yellow for a summer wedding.

• Wedding cupcakes: Why not kill two birds with one stone and save yourself some money in the process?  Instead of having a wedding favour for each guest and a wedding cake slab, why not have a tier of cupcakes for your wedding cake and guests can each take one as they leave?

• Miniature food:  A miniature box of chocolates or truffles are great options. You could also get creative and make something homemade like a mini jar of jam or a preserve.

• Decorations: Give your guests their very own table decoration! You can purchase inexpensive items like candles, flowers in vases and votives for them to take home with them. Small wooden heart wall hangings personalised with their initials can be cheap and creative.

• Seeds: One great idea for cheap wedding favour ideas is to give guests seeds. You could put the seeds in little packets or in small jars or vases. You can also put the seeds into little envelopes with a note inside telling the guests what kind of flowers they will be planting when they get home. Perhaps your wedding flowers and bouquet was sunflowers? Therefore, give your wedding guests a favour of sunflower seeds so they can enjoy growing something at home that reminds them of your special day.  The best part about these wedding favours is that they are green and eco-friendly.

• Candles: Candles are a perfect wedding favour idea. They can come in any colour and shape, and people of all ages love them. Candles come in many scents, so you can find one that matches your theme or your guests’ preferences. They are affordable and useful. If you have the time then you can even make candles yourself. There are lots of tutorials online. You can decorate the candle jar with a heart-shaped embellishment.

• Heart-shaped sweets: A small pack of sweets for each guest with a heart theme is simple and affordable. Think along the lines of a pack of Love Hearts for each guest or a packet of heart-shaped gummies. The shape and design of the heart symbolises love, romance, and affection. Heart-shaped sweets can be personalised with the couple’s name or initials by many online companies. They're inexpensive to order in bulk and can be packaged in cellophane bags or boxes with ribbon bows.

• Cakepops: A cakepop is a small cake on a stick that looks like a lollipop! The cake is usually covered in frosting and decorated with sprinkles, chocolate chips, or other toppings.  Cakepops are a great favour for any wedding. They can be customised with a favourite flavour, colour, and theme. The best part is that cake pops are delicious and easy to make! Or you can find a local cakemaker.  

Final word

We all know that the best wedding guest gifts are those that are thoughtful and personal, but sometimes we need to stick to a budget. Cheap wedding favour ideas are not hard to find. You just need to know where to look for them. There are many places you can find cheap wedding favour ideas. For example, you could search for some DIY projects on Pinterest or watch YouTube tutorials on how to make your own favours. There are also many stores that sell cheap wedding favours that aren't necessarily a part of the wedding industry like pound stores or craft stores that won't cost a lot of money; these can be used as a last-minute option if you don't have time to make your own.

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