Wedding Favours for Guests: Ideas, Wording & Thank You Notes

Your guests booked a Saturday off, bought you a gift, travelled half the country, and danced with you until dawn. A small favour at the end of the night is a way to say "thank you for being here" before you get the chance to say it to everyone in person. Good wedding favours don't have to be expensive or elaborate. They just need to be sincere, practical, and accompanied by a short note from you. In this guide, you'll find 12 ideas for favours with price estimates, 10 ready-to-use messages to copy, and an idea for a thank you that reaches your guests after the wedding is over. Looking for words for your nearest and dearest, not your guests? We have a separate guide for thanking your parents.

Why give wedding favours at all?

A gift for your guests isn't an obligation, it's a gesture. A little something on their plate or by the exit closes the evening on a warm note and gives them something to take home — a physical memory of your day. The best wedding favours meet three criteria: they're small (they don't compete with the gift your guest brought for you), useful or tasty (they won't end up in the bin), and personal (they have your names or wedding date on them). The rest is a matter of budget and creativity — and we have plenty of both below.

12 ideas for wedding favours

We've described each idea the same way: what it is, how much it costs per item, and who it's best for. Prices are approximate and depend on quantity and personalisation.

• A small jar of honey: A classic that never fails. A small jar (50–120g) from a local beekeeper with a sticker saying "Sweet memories — Anna & Mark". Cost: €1.50–€3/item. For whom: Couples looking for a natural, rustic favour that fits a country or boho-style wedding.
• Liqueur or a miniature bottle of spirits: A homemade liqueur (like sloe gin or limoncello) or a 50ml miniature with a personalised label. Cost: €2–€4.50/item. For whom: Evening weddings with mostly adult guests — this is the favour that "disappears" the fastest.
• Seedlings and seeds: A small pot with a herb (basil, lavender) or a paper sachet with wildflower seeds and a note saying "Let our love grow with you". Cost: €1–€2.50/item. For whom: Eco-conscious couples, spring and summer weddings.
• Candles: A small soy candle in a jar or a wax melt with a cotton wick. A warm, "homely" gift. Cost: €2–€5/item. For whom: Autumn and winter weddings, and intimate receptions with an elegant feel.
• Glycerine soaps: Handmade soaps in the shape of hearts or flowers, wrapped in parchment and tied with a ribbon. They look lovely on the plate. Cost: €1–€3/item. For whom: Couples who value handmade crafts and aesthetic details.
• Personalised sweets or fudge: Fudge, lollipops, or chocolates in packaging with your names and date. A safe choice that will please everyone. Cost: €0.50–€2/item. For whom: Weddings with lots of children and guests of all ages.
• Photo magnets: A fridge magnet with a photo of you or a graphic design and your wedding date. It ends up on the fridge and serves as a reminder of your wedding for years. Cost: €1–€2.50/item. For whom: Couples who like practical, everyday keepsakes.
• Eco-friendly cotton tote bags: A canvas bag with a discreet print (date, initials). Useful and reusable. Cost: €2.50–€5.50/item. For whom: Zero-waste weddings and couples who want a favour "with a second life".
• Wax melts: Natural soy wax melts for a burner, packaged in eco-friendly paper. A light, inexpensive, and atmospheric alternative to candles. Cost: €1.50–€3/item. For whom: Budget-friendly weddings with an emphasis on aesthetics.
• Jams and preserves: A small jar of jam (strawberry, quince) with a custom label and a linen cap. A tasty, homemade gesture. Cost: €1.50–€3.50/item. For whom: Autumn weddings and couples who love a "straight from the pantry" vibe.
• Tea or coffee: A sachet of loose-leaf tea or a small portion of coffee beans with a note saying "For the morning after". Cost: €1.50–€4/item. For whom: Couples who want to give something useful and timeless.
• Place cards that double as favours: The cleverest option — combining two things in one. The place card is also a magnet, a seedling, or a chocolate with the guest's name. You pay once, and the item serves two functions. Cost: €1–€3/item. For whom: Couples who want to save money and reduce clutter on the tables.

DIY or ready-made favours?

This is the first decision to make, as it determines your budget and workload.

Do-it-yourself (DIY) works out cheaper per item and gives you full control over the final look. Homemade liqueurs, soaps, bottling your own honey, or hand-writing labels can cut the cost in half. The downside: it means hours of work right before the wedding when you're already short on time. DIY makes sense for smaller weddings (up to ~60 guests) or if you have willing family members to help.

Ready-made favours from a local artisan or supplier cost more but save you time and ensure a consistent look. With 100+ guests, this is usually the more sensible choice — the price difference is a small price to pay for peace of mind in the final week before the wedding. A compromise? Buy a ready-made base (e.g., honey, candles) and just add your own personalised labels.

What to write in your thank you notes — ready-to-use wording

For many couples, the hardest part isn't choosing the favour, but writing the single sentence on the tag. A short thank you note attached to the gift does the job perfectly. Below are 10 ready-to-use texts — short, touching, and with a touch of humour. If you're looking for a longer, warmer tone, the same principles apply to wedding wishes, from which you can borrow a style.

Short & universal:

1. "Thank you for being with us on our special day. — Anna & Mark"
2. "For your presence, your smiles, and for dancing with us — thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
3. "A small token of our thanks for the big day you shared with us."

Touching:

4. "The best moments are those shared with the ones we love. Thank you for being a part of ours."
5. "Your presence was the most precious gift. This little something is our 'thank you'."
6. "Today we started our journey together — we're so glad we took the first step with you."

With a touch of humour:

7. "Thanks for celebrating with us until the early hours. We recommend this honey for your tea tomorrow morning."
8. "We survived! Thanks to you (and this little tipple). Thank you for being here!"
9. "The dancing, the happy tears, and the empty dance floor at 4 am — thank you for everything."

Elegant:

10. "With our deepest gratitude for your presence and well wishes — The Newlyweds."

A short text, signed with your names and with one personal detail, works best. The favour itself will say the rest.

Thanking your parents — separately and warmly

Your parents aren't "just other guests," and your thank you to them should be separate. It's usually given with a microphone in hand or in a private moment — along with flowers, a framed photo, or a letter. A short, sincere sentence means more than a rehearsed speech:

• "Thank you for every day that led us here. You are our foundation."
• "For the love, patience, and the home where we learned how to love — thank you."

If you're planning a short speech, jot down one memory about each of your parents. It's the personal stories, not the generalities, that bring on the tears.

The digital thank you — a gesture that arrives after the wedding

The most underrated thank you isn't the one handed out at the door, but the one that arrives a few days later. After the wedding, you're left with hundreds of photos and videos — from you, your photographer, and your guests. They usually get lost on private phones, and no one ever sees them all together.

This is where the digital thank you comes in: a shared photo gallery for all your guests. Instead of (or in addition to) a small favour on their plate, a few days after the wedding you send a single link where guests can find photos from the entire day — including the ones they took themselves. For many, this is a more valuable keepsake than a fridge magnet: they can download their own pictures, see moments from other perspectives, and relive the evening all over again.

This kind of thank you costs you zero effort on the wedding day and arrives just when the emotions are still fresh. It also pairs perfectly with other ideas — like a unique guest book where wishes and photos end up in one place, or with wedding entertainment ideas that generate the most shared memories.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What should you give guests as a thank you for coming?

A small, useful, or tasty gift with your personal touch works best: a small jar of honey, a candle, a bar of soap, a miniature liqueur, or personalised sweets. The key is that it's small (it doesn't compete with the guest's gift to you) and has your names or wedding date on it. Increasingly, couples are also opting for a digital thank you — a shared photo gallery sent after the wedding.

How much do wedding favours for guests cost?

Realistically, between €1 and €5 per item, depending on the idea and level of personalisation. The cheapest options (seeds, sweets, magnets) are around €0.50–€2.50, while more expensive ones (tote bags, larger candles, liqueurs) can be €2.50–€5.50. For 100 guests, the budget for favours is typically €150–€500. DIY can cut this cost by up to half, but at the expense of your time.

What do you write on a wedding thank you for guests?

A short, sincere sentence signed with your names. A classic is "Thank you for being with us on our special day," while a warmer version might be, "Your presence was the most precious gift." Add one personal detail — that's what will set your thank you apart from a template. For more inspiration on tone, have a look at ready-made wedding wishes.

Are wedding favours for guests mandatory?

No — it's a nice custom, not an obligation. A wedding without small favours is perfectly fine, especially if you're on a tight budget. If you need to cut costs, wedding favours are one of the first things you can skip without detracting from the evening. A heartfelt goodbye and a personal thank you in person are what truly count.

When should you give guests their wedding favours?

Most commonly, at the end of the wedding as guests are leaving — they take the favour home with them as a nice memory. You can also place them at each table setting as part of the place card, so they're waiting for guests from the start. Digital thank yous (like a photo gallery) should be sent a few days after the wedding, once the photos are collected and the emotions are still fresh.

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After the wedding, the souveil gallery gathers all the photos and videos from your guests in one place — and a single link delivers it to everyone as a natural, digital thank you for sharing the day.