Not too long ago, I was speaking to a client who told me about this wedding her and her partner had recently attended. “They had really unique wedding favours” She said, “Chocolates, instead of sugared almonds!”

At this point, it occurred to me that if you haven’t been to a wedding in a long time, or plan them like I do, you might not realise that times really have changed. I don’t think I’ve even been to a wedding since I was about 5, that gave sugared almonds as favours.

With this in mind, I then realised that with SO much choice for wedding favours, it can be really hard to decide what to give, if you’re even giving anything, that is.

So I decided to put together a list of a few of my favourites. Some are ideas that clients I have worked with have used, some are things I’ve spotted on Pinterest and find really cute.

Probably the one that I’ve seen most among all of our clients. Mini and/or personalised alcoholic favours. I’ve seen it all, from homemade sloe gin to very thoughtfully chosen spirits, differing depending on the guests particular taste. I think this will continue to be a running trend for years to come. It’s also a great way to give your guests a ‘drink on you’ at the wedding.

Keeping with the alcohol theme, instead of giving actual spirits or drinks to your guest, think about buying or making little bags of botanicals, for guests to add to their spirits at home. This is particularly popular for gin drinkers, but you can also use botanicals in other spirits and could even make or buy botanicals for mulled wine.

A couple of years ago, I worked with a bride who literally DIY’ed every single part of her wedding, and it was AMAZING. Something that I thought was notably well thought out, was her beautiful idea for personalised coasters. Coasters that she made with her partner! Like I said, amazing. For those of us that aren’t particularly crafty, or just don’t have the time, you can instead find some beautiful, personalised coasters for your guests online. Here are a few of my favourites.

A lovely idea, specifically for those of you who are eco-conscious and would like your wedding favours to actually be used to better the environment. Little paper bags filled with either your favourite flower seeds or wildflowers, for your guests to plant where they please.

Another one along the lines of ‘letting love grow’, giving a gift of a small succulent or other small house plant is a lovely way to thank you guests for attending your wedding. It’s also a huge growing trend to keep houseplants, particularly with the younger generations...

“My newfound obsession with botanicals is far from isolated. Since 2000, exports from the Netherlands (the world’s biggest producer of plant life) have increased from $6 billion to $9 billion in 2016. According to The Flowers & Plants Association, the UK’s flower and indoor plant market is worth £2.2 billion.” - https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/lifestyle_homes/a28445573/whats-driving-our-obsession-with-indoor-plants/

This one I actually read in a self-help book: “Rituals for every day” by Nadia Narain and Katia Narain Phillips. The book wasn’t wedding related, but I read it and thought “This would be a great idea as a wedding favour”

Now, when I say homemade, please, don’t panic! I am in no way a creative or crafty person but I’m pretty sure that even I am capable of mixing up some oils, salts and dried flowers and popping them into a mini jar or organza bag.

Here are the ‘recipes’ if you will, from the book itself:

This one is perfect for winter weddings and weddings close to Christmas. You can use this as a way to include one small item for the guest such as chocolate or a lottery ticket. Plus you can add some ‘ice breakers’ in there, which is particularly ideal for tables that have guests who don’t know each other very well.

(TWENTY-SEVEN / NOTHS)

Did you know that Krispy Kremes sell individual donuts in individual boxes? Yep, me neither until a couple had mentioned the possibility of them using these as their wedding favours. This one is great for those of you with a sweet tooth. And I mean, even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, who doesn’t love a Krispy Kreme donut? Am I right?

"A cup of tea makes everything better"- I can’t speak for anyone else’s family, but mine sure do love a cuppa. As does many of Debs’ family. Make this idea even more unique, by adding a flavour of tea that people might not have tried, or even heard of.

This one I stole from a hen party that Debs and I managed a few months ago. They had little gift bags for each party member, and within these bags was a little hangover kit. Painkillers, water, snack bars, mints, you can literally include anything you think might help your guests with their post-wedding hangover.