Singaporebrides | Weddings 101

June 2025

Wedding Favours Your Guests Actually Want—And Won’t Throw Away

By Elizabeth Chee

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Meaningful, appreciated wedding favours are few and far between—here’s how to gift guests with intentionality, according to an expert.

It’s no secret that planning a wedding takes tremendous effort, from choosing a breathtaking backdrop to fine-tuning the font size on the invites. The dainty details always matter in one’s matrimonial event, often turning into a sure yet unwarranted source of stress and worry for couples partaking in the wedding planning process. One such element of the celebrations that might cause more hassle than necessary? Wedding favours, the tokens of appreciations bestowed on guests by the newly-wedded couple—though they’re not always appreciated in return.

Whether it’s provided by the wedding venue or customised by the couple themselves, wedding favour options are limitless. But in an era where most shy away from overconsumption, it’s crucial to ensure said wedding favour won’t just be another item one’s guests eventually have to declutter from their homes. This raises the question: What wedding favours do guests actually want and appreciate, if at all? Hint: Most likely not anything engraved with the couple’s initials or wedding date. After all, it only makes sense for a gift to be more recipient-centric than not, and there are more appropriate ways to build a connection with guests than trusting in the delusion that they need to be reminded of one’s anniversary by a monogrammed trinket.

Completely forgoing the notion of wedding favours is, to the surprise of some, also a viable alternative. While common, they certainly aren’t essential—claiming the opposite would liken the wedding to a young child’s birthday party, where attendees would in fact expect goodie bags as an entitlement. Be assured that no dire consequences will arise from doing away with favours, especially if it’s just another wedding motion to go through. “If given just to tick off a box, I believe it’s best to skip it entirely, even if already included in the wedding package,” advises Daniela, expert wedding planner and Founder of Create Your Story.

But that’s not to say one has to leave their guests empty-handed. Executed with finesse, wedding favours can elevate the celebratory experience by a whole, memorable notch. “It’s worth giving if it’s meaningful,” Daniela emphasises. With ever-shifting wedding trends, the most important factors to consider when it comes to curated wedding favours are their practicality and enjoyability for the receiver, while remaining within the givers’s budget. Should you still wish to hand your guests a truly cherishable gift, read on to glean professional insights from Daniela and take inspiration from some creative wedding favour ideas we’ve curated.

Are practical gifts or decorative keepsakes better appreciated?

“Guests definitely prefer items that they can use again, or enjoy, such as edibles. Overused or cheap items are often left behind and keepsakes printed with a date that only holds meaning for the couple aren’t ideal,” Daniela explains. Indeed, some of the most popular wedding favours to date are consumable favours that won’t take up space, especially if it holds significance tied to either of the newlyweds’s culture, or a local delicacy from the wedding destination itself. If ordering artisanal treats in advance of the occasion, it wouldn’t hurt to let your guests feel cared for by providing the option to choose their preferred flavours, if applicable, on the RSVP.

How can couples incorporate sustainable or eco-friendly gifts without sacrificing style?

Daniela suggests choosing favours that are reusable or locally made. “Sustainable can still mean beautiful,” she adds. “Decorative items from the wedding destination such as a volcanic stone figurine from Bali or specialty glassware ornaments from Venice, for example.” For couples holding destination weddings where most guests might be flying in, consider personalised luggage tags for your guests that double up as place cards at their assigned seats. Locally, an abundance of businesses that offer sustainable wedding favours exist too.

What’s the biggest mistake couples make when choosing wedding favours?

“Choosing something just for the sake of it, without thinking of the guest experience. It’s always better to be intentional, even if it means not giving anything at all,” Daniela asserts. “Furthermore, wedding favours will be a part of the wedding budget. If it’s not meaningful, that spending could contribute better to other, more important elements of the wedding day.”

What do you think makes wedding favours memorable or meaningful to guests?

“It’s the thoughtful personal touch that leaves a lasting impression,” Daniela reminds. “It could be something tied to the couple, the location—think miniature liquors, olive oil or honey—or the guest. Items that reflect the couple’s story, preferences or the destination are always a hit. In one wedding, the couple hand-wrote a short love letter for each guest, which added to bespokeness significantly.”

In need of more ideas? Below, a curation of unique wedding favours for your inspiration:

• For something straightforward yet sophisticated, consider bottle openers, handcrafted candles and bar soaps, as well as personalised selections of coffee or tea.
• Succulents and plant seeds are prevalent possibilities, especially if aligned to a floral-themed wedding—so long as it’s convenient for any guests travelling across borders.
• An unconventional, anti-food wastage plan? The eco-friendly crowd might be more than satisfied with containers to take home leftovers from a buffet reception.
Lena And Yonglong’s Vibrant And Colourful Wedding At Artemis Grill & Sky Bar by Oddly Familiar Photography
• If the wedding is furnished with an open bar or followed by a high-spirited afterparty, hangover supplies including electrolyte-rich drinks, juices or liver support supplements prove to be apt and handy gifts.
• Lottery tickets or scratch cards are a sure way to amp up the fun, and an inexpensive one at that.
• To contribute to a bigger cause, philanthropic couples could make donations to charity in the guests’ names, in lieu of physical wedding favours.
• As for lovebirds who would like to incorporate a personal touch by sharing their origin story, get creative with the practical favours. For instance, a couple who met through their occupations in the healthcare sector could prepare travel-sized first-aid kits for guests.

Credits: Feature image from Pei Xuan And Phing Zhou’s Romantic Modern Wedding At Entier French Dining by Manoj Photography.

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