Wedding favors that are useful are super easy to find when you know where to look! We’ll tell you where to get wedding favors that aren’t lousy so you can give take-home favors guests will use. Be sure to subscribe now for the latest to your inbox.

Question: what is the best way to use your wedding favor budget?

Answer: by buying wedding favors that are useful!

Instead of getting tossed out, wedding favors that give back, are edible, or are simply wedding favors that aren’t dumb are all examples of wedding favors guests will use. :) No one wants wedding favors that are stupid, so let’s change the narrative with helpful, practical, and exceptionally fun wedding favors that are useful so guests enjoy the gift they take home!

In this blog post, we’re talking about wedding favors that aren’t stupid, boring, or dull. These are favors that guests can use and won’t have received many times before. This means you’ll be spending money on wedding favors that won’t be thrown away — and that’s an awesome thing.

But first, a few frequently asked questions to guide you on your wedding favor shopping experience.

What are good favors?

What are considered good favors for weddings? That’s easy: wedding favors that are useful! Think about things that guests can eat, plant, use, and enjoy.

Here’s a HUGE tip to ensure you are choosing wedding favors that guests will use is this biggie: DON’T buy favors just because they have your names and wedding date emblazoned on them, just for the sake of it.

For instance, a coaster where the design of your names is the focal point is fine, if the overall design means they will really use it and display it at home. These by NaKsWood are one great suggestion for wedding favors guests will use.

Wedding favors that guests will use should be more about your guests than you. :) Coasters that have a design that is useful in any setting, or tea they can seep on a cozy winter day, or a candle that has a nice scent and doesn’t overwhelm the design with your wedding date and your names? Those are brilliant alternatives.

Wedding favors that are useful are always your best bet.

For instance, examples of wedding favors that are useful include things like treats in favor bags — always a popular go-to for being cheap wedding favors in bulk, and also very tasty and easy to put together yourself. Plantable favors are wildly popular this year, especially these garden wedding favors which include seeds, trees, and plants as top picks for this category. You may also like garden markers for unusual wedding favors that are making headway by ClayHiveCo. These are incredibly cute and we love the colors!

You can get a set of 12 here.

For acrylic, try these as an alternate.

Utility wedding favors — the most practical wedding favors you can buy — include things like matches and candles, soaps, and cups. You’ll see what we mean about all of these weddings favors guests will use in this informative blog post.

This was inspired by a recent Ask Emmaline question from bride-to-be, Holly. She is interested in wedding favors that aren’t stupid or overdone; she wants useful favors guests will use so they’ll a) enjoy them, and b) she won’t blow her budget on wedding favors that get thrown away.

She writes,

“Dear Emmaline, I’ve been to receptions where the wedding favors are stupid knick knacks or things I’ll never really use. I know wedding favors are traditional, but I’d rather spend the money on wedding favors that won’t be thrown away, or at least wedding favors that aren’t boring. Do you know any tips on picking out wedding favors that are useful? And if you know where to get useful wedding favors bulk priced to save money, that would be so helpful. Thank you in advance.”

Hi Holly! Wedding favors that are useful, along with favors that aren’t stupid or won’t get thrown away are definitely the best ways to spend your budget. It is a great idea to think back on weddings where the favors weren’t your favorite so you can choose wedding favors that are useful instead.

While some people don’t buy favors at all, buying wedding favors that aren’t stupid is a good use of your budget, while wedding favors guests won’t use is an easy way to waste money, oddly enough.

Instead, take matters into your own hands and seek out the most practical wedding favors you can. We took the opportunity to do the heavy digging to find you the best wedding favors that aren’t stupid. You — and your guests — will recall these thoughtful wedding favors for years to come.

These don’t have to be super expensive to be appreciated, either. Many of these are wedding favors that are useful and bulk size ready, so you can save a little money and buy favors guests will love.

What Kind of Wedding Favors to Give?

The best wedding favors to give are useful, sustainable, charity, edible, or wellness, all outlined below.

Usefulness is at the top of the list: things guests can use around the home, especially. Here are a few of the wedding favors that won’t get thrown away because they’re incredibly useful to have.

Matches

Matchboxes are favorites on the list of useful wedding favors that are useful. Everyone can use a spare box of matches and they’re remarkably affordable, even for personalized options. These are made by ForYourParty and offer a ton of match sizes, box types, and styles to suit your wedding.

Candles

One of the most tried-and-true favors that guests will use? Candles! I love candles and honestly, who doesn’t? You can choose from these rustic candle holders which are wedding favors that are useful and bulk sized or smaller. By HappyTimesFavors.

Another option: wedding favors that are useful in bulk sized candle tins (or in smaller quantities). These are darling! By AriaBellaCandles — many styles available.

Soap

Everyone needs soap. Whether guests use these bars of handmade soap immediately or save them for the guest bathroom, it makes great wedding favors that aren’t stupid! They’re incredibly useful — and cute. These have tags for bridal showers, but they are customizable for your wedding, too. By BrowniesandGinger.

Prefer mini soap favors? Try LeBoxBoutique as a fantastic resource.

Bottle Opener

These favors that are useful and designed for weddings! Get them personalized and ready for giving to guests at WithTheGrainWeddings.

Drinking Cups

+ Stadium Cups: Reusable stadium drinking cups — personalized! — are a hit! They are certainly trending for wedding favors that aren’t stupid. These are a great option and are customizable in anything you can imagine, along with in different sizes, finishes, etc. By ForYourParty.

You can customize them in real-time and see what they’ll look like here.

Pashminas

These are surprisingly affordable and will keep guests cozy! These are by Mia Krafts Shop.

Can Coolers

: Keep drinks cold with these personalized can cooler favors. These are amazingly inexpensive wedding favors that are useful with bulk ordering available — and fewer quantities, too. In addition, these are fun favors guests will use all year long. By ThatWedShop.

Personalized Coffee Mugs

These personalized coffee mugs make great and obviously useful wedding favors guests will love. Imagine these as favors guests will use every morning! By DMHomeCompany.

And last but not least, you HAVE TO see these cute wine bottle stopper favors. They are amazing!

If you’re looking for wedding favors that give back to Mother Nature, these sustainable wedding favors will do the trick. These are also fun wedding favors that aren’t stupid, meaning guests will truly be able to use them. Here are a few of our top picks for useful wedding favors with eco-friendly flair.

Sustainable wedding favors — like trees, plantable seeds, or reusable straws — are a few of the wildly popular and useful wedding favors guests will love.

Plantable Tree Favors

Get beautiful, individually packaged wedding favor trees from WreathsByGreenGifts or DearlyBeelovedLLC at great prices. They are saplings and they look amazing!

Succulent Favors

You can buy succulents here as wedding favors that are useful and in bulk. Or buy them ready-for-giving dressed up in cute burlap-wrapped pots by QueenofSucculents… and they come highly-rated!

Seed Packet Favors

These are darling seed packets that guests will enjoy planting after your wedding. Choose from many designs to suit your style. Get them at PlainJane2424 for a great selection.

Also loving the sweet style of these seed packet favors by GloriasGardenandTea. The prints are darling!

For plantable seed favors, try SeedWeddingFavors or RecycledIdeas as two great options.

Flower Seed Balls

These colorful, plantable balls of seeds are fun to give and are definitely wedding favors guests will use. As a bonus, these are also cheap wedding favors in bulk with great pricing. These are handmade by WreathsByGreenGifts.

Stainless Steel Straw Favors

These straws are the ultimate in wedding favors that won’t be thrown away. Guests enjoy a reusable stainless steel straw, designed to replace any paper or plastic straws. These are surprisingly cheap wedding favors bulk sized or individually at LastStrawShop. You can even add a cleaning brush and linen back for an additional cost so they’re ready-for-giving as wedding favors. These are wildly popular as favors that are useful.

Bamboo Reusable Straws

If you prefer bamboo straws, you can buy cheap wedding favors in bulk from Duloro — and they’re even personalized!

Herb Garden Favors

If I were getting married this year, I’d put these herb garden favors near the top of my list. It would awesome to give take-home wedding favors that guests can use when cooking or for growing in the kitchen! By TheGiftedTomato.

From coffee to tea and cookies to trail mix, edible seems to be the wildly popular category for wedding favors that won’t be thrown away. If they can enjoy a snack on the car ride home, the next day, or at the wedding itself, it’s a great use of your wedding budget. I can solemnly swear I’ve never thrown away a wedding favor donut. ;)

Here are some helpful resources for edible favors. Let’s be honest: edible treats are one of the easiest wedding favors that are useful. Guests enjoy them and that’s it! Nothing left over to collect dust on a shelf.

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Coffee Favors

All you need is love and coffee! These are some of the best wedding favors that are useful: coffee! These are just the bags; you’ll need to add your own bulk coffee beans (like these). By Mavora.

What goes great with coffee? Donuts!

Donut Favor Bags

These are a perfect wedding favor for guests to take home and enjoy. By NottinghamPaperGoods.

Chocolate Candy

What do guests also really love? Chocolate favors! These custom wedding candy labels make it easy to personalize your wedding favors that guests will love. By LabelsRUs. Labels only; buy bulk candy to fit here.

Also love these gold-wrapped chocolates from ArmoniShop.

Tea Favors

If you want to give tea wedding favors, here is the perfect place to get them — they’re super cute!

S’mores

These are a hit! Add these bags and stickers to DIY s’mores for guests to enjoy at home. Useful wedding favors — and delicious! By Mavora.

Pretzels

Hot pretzels or chocolate-covered pretzels work great inside these custom favor bags! Um, these are probably the most delicious of the useful wedding favors and honestly, mine wouldn’t even last until the car ride home! I love pretzels! By PreppingParties.

Treat Bag Favors

Pick a treat for each partner and give them out to guests. This is a fun wedding favor that will be enjoyed, and it also adds a little personality: tell guests what your favorite treats are! By Mavora.

Richer or Poorer

These are the ORIGINAL richer or poorer candy favors. We love ’em! By LittleIndieStudio.

Mints

For amazingly affordable wedding favors guests will use, try these mints! By MomsOddballQuirks.

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Stroopwafel Favors

Get heart-shaped delicious stroopwafel favors that are personalized for your wedding from here.

Other notables? We’ve written in-depth about the following wedding favors that are useful and edible:

– Popcorn Favors

– Cotton Candy

– Cookie Favors

– Hot Chocolate Bombs

For wedding favors that give back, charity donations are the way to go. In order to do this, you simply make a donation to the charity of your choice and then have these cards printed to let your guests know.

Charity Wedding Favor Cards

These are customizable cards you can edit yourself with your charity of choice and your names. Get them at MarryMePaperBoutique.

Instead of cards, you can also have a custom sign printed to display on an entryway table at your reception. This is best placed by the guest book or card box, so guests won’t miss it. You can get a sign for wedding like this from Minty Paperie Shop and frame it.

This year, we’re finding wellness wedding favors that guests will use and won’t throw away (or at least will use during the day, like in the case of face masks for wedding guests), are a great option. Here are favors guests will use at your reception and beyond.

Wedding Mask Favors

These are perhaps the most popular wedding favors that are useful right now, for obvious reasons (i.e. COVID). Reusable or disposable favor masks are a great option for weddings this year. They’re personalized and, hey, it’s one less thing you’ll need to worry about for your sanitizing station. Check them out at ForYourParty.

Hand Wipe Favors

These are great for reminding guests to keep hands clean. They look stylish, too. By ForYourParty.

Hand Sanitizer Favors

And of course, hand sanitizer favors are wildly popular and definitely under the category of favors that are useful for guests. These are cute, custom designs and include the bottle of sanitizer and the label. By For Your Party.

We also wrote an in-depth blog post on the topic: read hand sanitizer favors for incredibly useful tips.

So, what do you think of these wedding favors that are useful? We think they’re awesome for 2021 weddings — and beyond. There are just some things that never go out of style, and useful wedding favors are one of them. :)

Of this list, what are the wedding favors that are useful in your opinion? Which ones do you think YOUR guests would enjoy? Tell us in the comment box below!

We hope this helps! Feel free to email us with any questions or comment below and we’ll swoop in to help.

Happy Planning!

xo
Emma