Wedding Favors

Aine5

Hi Guys

My bro is getting married in Sept, the date was only finalised in Feb this year so the poor bride to be has had so much to plan in so little time.
I've been helping her and we were talking lst night about wedding favors and how expensive they are. I had a quick look at a few websites earlier today and they are pretty expensive - I was a little shocked.

I was wondering what your thoughts on them are? Did you/are you going to have them at your wedding? If you did where did you get them?

How Strange

Aine5 wrote: »

I was wondering what your thoughts on them are? Did you/are you going to have them at your wedding? If you did where did you get them?

They're a total waste of money. If you really want to give a favour to the guests donate the money to a charity and put a little card on each table saying you did so.

RentDayBlues

Agree, the biggest waste of money at a wedding. Quickly followed by Irish Dancers, fireworks etc

People are more likely to remember a charitable donation rather than whether the wedding had chocolate for favors or something more strange (I've seen candles made of tea cups!!!)

RentDayBlues

Sorry, also meant to add, if she wants to do something to "thank the guest", what about buying one of the bothar products for each table? http://www.bothar.ie/donateAnimals.html

Beruthiel

In this day and age, with money so tight, nobody expects you to spend money on irrelevant crap.
I don't know who spun the idea that these were required for a wedding, but fair play to them for making so much money on something so pointless.

bridetobeone

Well although I am not doing wedding favors, I was at a friends wedding recently who had personalised napkins as favors!! They were nice and she got them on Amazon.com you get 100 for $23.00 which is reasonable. It's up to the Bride and Groom really, it's their day so if they want to spend money on favors they can.

Clareman

Terrible waste of money to be honest, we had them and it's 1 of the things I'd definitely take back if I could (that and disposable cameras on tables).

Anyway, if you want to get something I'd recommend the trolley keyring that can be gotten from the cancer society, I think you can get them customized as well, not only is it a nice token but it also helps out

Zulu

We're not having them - I couldn't justify wasting money on that kind of crap to be honest.

John Mason

one wedding i was at, they bride and groom hand painted stones from the beach with everyones name and the date of the wedding.

they also had envelopes for everyon on the table with 5 love heart sweets and a little card, thanking everyone for coming to the wedding and apolgising if they had got to speak us get.

i thought that was lovely but lets be honest they are a complete waste of money and no even notices if they get one

tinkerbell

Total waste of money, don't bother! Wedding favours are always worthless crap that get left behind on the table.

Aine5

Thanks guys for your opinions. I really do think they are an extra cost that can be avoided.

I was speaking to 1 of the ladies from work and she was saying her sister got rolo labels printed up with the bride & grooms name and went to a cash & carry and bought the rolos and left a few packets on each table.
I'd never think of anything like that and she said it worked out way cheaper than any quotes they got.

Zulu

Just don't do them.

NO ONE cares about them.

tinkerbell

^^ I agree, just don't even bother wasting your time AND money, favours are just so unnecessary and pointless.

That Rolo idea is cringe. Don't do it!

sse

1) When I see these on a table I think what a complete waste of money
2) Pointless
3) Tacky


Some people are half cracked with the stuff they do at weddings

dollybird2

They are totally un necessary. We decided to donate some money to the Marie Keating Foundation and they sent us thank you cards for each table. The Rolo/love hearts/chocolate truffles ideas have been done time and time again - they are pointless really.

Limerickgal82

If the bride and Groom want them they can make them very cheap !! Get some material from Hickeys put some sweets or something into them and there you go done for practically nothing ! There is nothing wrong with wanting to have something nice on the table for family and friends . You do not have to spend a fortune on the little things for a wedding and they won't take long to do seeing as she has a very tight planning period ! Hope ye enjoy the day

Zulu

Limerickgal82 wrote: »

There is nothing wrong with wanting to have something nice on the table for family and friends .

Of course there's not but I would have thought that the meal and the bottle of wine would cover that?

aldeniro

Favours are completely a personal preference, some options out there are quite expensive and yes its true maybe most people dont care if they get one or not!. Maria's little wrappers in laois, do a personlaised Bar of chocolate with names ect on the actual wrapper, think roughly 1.20 per bar..... .

Casey_81

Its crazy the way those little things can add to the cost of the wedding! I've been to weddings that have and haven't had them and to be totally honest I cant remember which ones had. People remember the overall look of the room, place cards & center piece and all that... so personally I wouldn't bother with them.

She can save money on her table center pieces too if she is creative..

Sofiztikated

I'm saying this as a Groom to Be, and a someone who works a lot of weddings.

Complete waste of money, the majority of them get binned at the end of the night, very few people remember to bring them home.

Sweets and truffles end up getting fired around the place, walked into the ground, you get the idea.

And no, its not just low brow weddings, I've seen high society ones, I've seen dole patrol ones, they're all the same.

I reiterate, waste of money.

Heineken Helen

I'm only having them cos it comes with the package I've booked... but, to be honest, I'd MUCH rather scrap them and the chocolate fountain and get something that's NOT tacky and indicative of how much money people love to throw down the drain.

In saying that, if they're gonna do them, it would be nice to have them personalised somehow. If you're not arty, don't bother really! If you are, you could have a lot of fun making something.

hazeler

Zulu wrote: »

Of course there's not but I would have thought that the meal and the bottle of wine would cover that?

People expect a dinner and wine at a wedding! I'm not picking an argument but when was the last time anyone was at a wedding and thought, this is nice, they gave us dinner and wine!!?

If there are genuine favours on the table in front of you, people remember them IMHO. Im coming at it from a personal stance as we are having favours (but only 50 guests- so costs are very low!) and what we have planned is very typical "us", its not something people can use again or something we want them to cherish, but rather enjoy there and then and share with us.

It's up to each individual and their budgets, but if you feel strongly about having little boxes of sweets infront of each person with your names in hearts, go with it. If you can justify it in your wedding budget then do it, regardless of how tacky others think it may be. It's your wedding at the end of the day.

amdublin

They're a big load of rubbish. Don't waste your money buying them. And don't waste your time making personal ones. No one cares about them.

Graceomalley

As a bride to be I find it really irritating the lofty way people dismiss favours as a "waste of money". We're not having them but if we were we could easily do them for a couple of hundred quid. That kind of money pales in comparison to what a lot of people spend on their weddings. The real waste of money is €2K on a rubbish band, €2k on a ridiculously overpriced photographer, €2k on a wedding dress that cost the bridal shop €500 to buy in, €1K on wedding cars etc etc.
If you're set on having a big traditional wedding, the cost of favours is the least of your worries.

hazeler

hazeler wrote: »

People expect a dinner and wine at a wedding! I'm not picking an argument but when was the last time anyone was at a wedding and thought, this is nice, they gave us dinner and wine!!?

Considering the dinner is generally overpriced nondescript slop, not too many?
Maybe if people *expect* dinner and wine they should go back home

CoalBucket

Clareman wrote: »

Terrible waste of money to be honest, we had them and it's 1 of the things I'd definitely take back if I could (that and disposable cameras on tables).

Anyway, if you want to get something I'd recommend the trolley keyring that can be gotten from the cancer society, I think you can get them customized as well, not only is it a nice token but it also helps out

Can I ask what the issue was with the disposable cameras ?

amdublin

Graceomalley wrote: »

As a bride to be I find it really irritating the lofty way people dismiss favours as a "waste of money". We're not having them but if we were we could easily do them for a couple of hundred quid. That kind of money pales in comparison to what a lot of people spend on their weddings. The real waste of money is €2K on a rubbish band, €2k on a ridiculously overpriced photographer, €2k on a wedding dress that cost the bridal shop €500 to buy in, €1K on wedding cars etc etc.
If you're set on having a big traditional wedding, the cost of favours is the least of your worries.

Yep I agree. It is ALL a waste of money. We just happen to be specifically discussing wedding favours here.

SeekUp

Aine5 wrote: »

I was wondering what your thoughts on them are? Did you/are you going to have them at your wedding? If you did where did you get them?

I don't really think they're necessary, and I honestly can't even remember most of the ones that I've taken home. I say, if the couple has an idea of what they want to give people, or they want to send guests home with something that means something to them, then by all means, do so. But there's no way anyone should worry about it, or feel like they have to come up with something to give the guests. That money can be spent on something more memorable -- or not spent at all!

dollybird2 wrote: »

They are totally un necessary. We decided to donate some money to the Marie Keating Foundation and they sent us thank you cards for each table.

This is what we're doing as well -- donating money to a charity and they're going to send us cards to put at each table. At least if out guests throw away the cards, we'll know that the money won't have been wasted!

RIRI

Well we're not having them. Any weddings I have been at they just end up in a puddle of beer at the end of the night. I don;t think guests really notice whether or not you have them either. Would rather put the cash towards an extra round of drinks for my guests TBH

Miaireland

I was talking about this with a friend of mine who is the Wedding Manager at a large hotel. In his experience 99% of these end up in the bin after the wedding at best or walked in to the carpet at worst.

Clareman

CoalBucket wrote: »

Can I ask what the issue was with the disposable cameras ?

They cost too much, they are poor quality and cost a lot to get devoloped, there wasn't any "in the moment" photos, it's far better to get everyone's digital photos after the day rather than using those cheap disposables

newbie1234

my only concern is...do some people expect to see wedding favours at weddings? I do agree that they are left behind at the end of the evening....ive seen it at a few weddings Ive been at, and reckon for that reason they are a waste of money!

tinkerbell

newbie1234 wrote: »

my only concern is...do some people expect to see wedding favours at weddings?

Definitely not!

bamboozle

the most pointless costs at a wedding to me are the favours, buying presents for groomsmen & bridemaids and buying the round to toast the bride and groom

Zulu

Bingo bamboozle!
Bride & groom buying me a drink so I can toast them

RentDayBlues

Couldn't agree more with the last 2 posters! Guests really only expect food and maybe some alcohol but thats it. I couldnt tell you what thw favours were at the last few weddings but I'm sure they cost a ridiculous amount

Diddy Kong

We went down the route of donating an amount to a charity (ISPCA) and the charity provided some gifts that we left on the table (fidge magnets and we put them in envelopes that matched the menus and a not to say thanks and that in lue of favors we donated to charity)

We did see some of them left behind on the night, but at least we knew the money went to a good cause. If you buy gifts for people and they leave them behind its a bit of a waste. Just my 2c.

Sunny Dayz

The majority of wedding favours tend to be forgotten about by the time the wedding is over, and I would have thought that they should be something which your guests would remember, a token from your big day. A chocolate with your wedding date on it won't be remembered or savoured, it will be eaten and forgotten about. I can't remember from any weddings (bar one) I've been to what the wedding favours were or if there were even any.

One wedding last year had a donation in place of favours and that is the only one that stays in my memory.

My parents got a small bottle of wine as few years ago with the label personalised with bride and grooms names and wedding date - it tasted like vingear!

tinkerbell

^^ Yah anytime I see a favour at a wedding I think "ugh such a waste of money, I'd rather the bride & groom bought themselves a meal in a fabulous restaurant instead" or something. Nobody remembers favours - they are just so pointless and I seriously don't think anybody misses them.

tom thum

have a look at chloebeck.com . they are cheap enough.

kalamata

Try domeafavour.ie. They are Irish based and you can buy online.

They are cheap enough and have a great selection.