We used these babies to save $$$ on our favors.

If you are asking the question, “Are wedding favors necessary?” it’s probably because you’re trying to pare down on wedding expenses and/or you just don’t see the point of a little trinket to give to your guests. I get it. Wedding planning can get really over-the-top in terms of complexity and expense if you aren’t careful.

What does wedding favors etiquette have to say about the question of, “Do I have to have wedding favors?”

Well, the short answer (according to us, anyway!) is an emphatic NO. Wedding favors are an extra expense and, if you’re on a budget, they really aren’t necessary – especially since you’re probably already giving your wedding guests the gift of a good meal, some yummy wedding cake, and probably even some drinks (or two or three).

Are Wedding Favors Necessary? Do I Have to Have Wedding Favors?

When asking yourself, “Are wedding favors necessary?” you might be struggling with the fact that you want to provide wedding favors, but you aren’t sure you can afford it. If that’s the case, think about DIYing your wedding favors. (We did little chocolates that we bought from Costco with $25 worth of
personalized mini chocolate labels from the Knot – we got the baby pink and mint green ones to match our wedding colors.)

You might also want to try combining your wedding favors with something you’ll be giving your guests anyway, like a wedding ceremony program that doubles as a fan. (They’re under $10 for 24 on Amazon, and you DIY the printing with the easy enclosed instructions.) That way, you’re killing two birds with one stone.

Wedding Favors Etiquette: What Do the Stuffy People Say?

Basically, wedding favors etiquette dictates that either you have no wedding favors, or everyone gets a wedding favor. There is no in between.

What this means is that you can’t save money on your wedding favors by, say, limiting your favors to one per couple or only giving favors to your family, but not your friends. The reason for this is that you absolutely don’t want anyone to feel left out. Plus, how crappy is it to have rules at your wedding? It doesn’t look very cool to have a sign next to your favors that says, “One Per Couple, Please” – no matter how pretty the sign is!

Here’s another way of looking at it: the point of wedding favors is to say, “Thank you for shelling out a whole bunch of money and taking time out of your busy schedule to come to our wedding.” It will make you look cheap if you do anything other than give one favor per person.

So, when you ask “Do I have to have wedding favors?” remember that it’s all or nothing. If you opt not to do them, that’s fine. You can thank your guests in your wedding toast, during your receiving line, or in the thank-you cards you mail out. Wedding favors aren’t the only way to say thank-you, so don’t feel pressured to buy them if they don’t fit in with your wedding plan and/or budget.