How To Do Wedding Favours On A Budget: Cheap And Chic Ideas

September 16, 2026

Favours are the easiest part of a wedding to overspend on and the part guests remember least. The trick is spending small amounts on something that either gets eaten or gets used, and putting the effort into presentation instead.

Below: what to spend per head, the bulk-buy ideas that work, how to assemble a hundred of them without losing an evening, and the favours to skip entirely.

What a favour should cost

This practical guide suits budget-conscious couples planning their reception timeline who want to keep costs firmly under control. Best used during your initial budgeting phase, it helps establish clear boundaries before you start shopping. A helpful tip is to sketch out your table layout first, as visualizing how the tables look can help you decide if you need one per person or just one per couple.

Work to 50p to £1.50 a head. Above £2 and you're funding a small extra course for no measurable return.
Count adults only, then add ten spares. Children get a different favour and a different budget.
Presentation is where the perceived value sits. A 30p item in an organza bag with a printed tag reads as far more than a £1 item loose on a plate.
One favour per person or one per couple? One per couple halves the cost instantly and nobody has ever complained.
Buy in bulk from one supplier in one order. Two deliveries of 50 costs more than one of 100 nearly every time.

Bulk-buy ideas that work under £1

These budget-friendly choices suit couples looking for crowd-pleasing tokens that guests will actually enjoy on the day or take home. Use these ideas when finalizing your table settings to add a touch of charm without breaking the bank. As a useful tip, try sourcing your items from local wholesalers or craft shops early in the year to secure the best seasonal discounts on bulk orders.

Organza or muslin bags filled with sugared almonds, chocolate hearts or retro sweets - the cheapest favour per head and still the most eaten.
Wildflower seed packets, printed with your names and the date. Pennies each in bulk and they get planted.
Wooden hearts or tokens with a guest's name burnt or printed on - doubles as the place card, so it comes out of two budgets.
Mini jars of jam, honey or chutney, bought in bulk and labelled yourself.
Tea bags or coffee sachets in a printed envelope, with a line about the morning after.
A single enamel pin badge per guest - small, keeps forever, and the one favour that survives the taxi home.
Bubbles or a small confetti packet for the send-off, which turns a favour into part of the day.

Presentation on a shoestring

Perfect for creative couples who love a personal touch, these styling ideas are best applied when designing your overall table aesthetic. They help you elevate inexpensive items into beautiful keepsakes that look incredibly thoughtful. For a quick tip, practice your wrapping and tying techniques on just one or two items first to ensure you have a consistent style before tackling the whole batch.

Print your own tags on card and punch them yourself. It's an evening's work and saves most of the cost.
Brown kraft paper and twine costs almost nothing and photographs beautifully.
Match the favour's ribbon or tag colour to the table flowers and the whole table looks planned.
Lay favours on the napkin rather than beside the plate. It's the first thing people pick up.
One handwritten word on each tag - the guest's name - does more than any printed design.

Assembling 100 favours without losing a weekend

This efficient approach suits busy couples who want to avoid last-minute wedding stress while preparing their reception details. It is best to schedule this activity at least a month before the big day to keep your final week clear. A sensible tip is to set up a comfortable workspace with plenty of surface area and put on a favourite wedding playlist to keep spirits high.

Production line, three people, one item each. A hundred bags take about ninety minutes.
Do it four to six weeks out, not the week before. The last fortnight has no spare evenings in it.
Weigh one filled bag, then use the scales rather than counting sweets into each one.
Box them by table as you go, labelled. Handing a box per table to the venue is the difference between a calm morning and a frantic one.
Make ten extra. Somebody always brings a plus one you weren't told about.

What to skip

This essential checklist suits any couple trying to streamline their wedding planning and eliminate unnecessary waste. Use this advice when narrowing down your final shortlist of ideas to ensure you only spend money on things guests truly appreciate. One practical tip is to ask a recently married friend what they did with their leftover items to help you spot potential pitfalls.

Personalised items with the date on that aren't useful - coasters, magnets, keyrings with two names. Most are binned within a week.
Anything fragile that has to travel home in a handbag.
Miniature spirits, unless you know the room. They cost the most and the drivers can't use them.
Favours that need refrigerating.
Anything that needs explaining on a card longer than one line.

Key things to remember

Spend the money on presentation, not on the item inside.
Make the favour double as the place card and it comes out of two budgets at once.
Box the finished favours by table, labelled, before they leave your house.

Frequently asked questions

How much should you spend on wedding favours in the UK?

50p to £1.50 per head is the sensible range. Beyond £2 you're spending meaningful money on the part of the day guests are least likely to remember - put it into food or drinks instead.

What are the cheapest wedding favours?

Sweets or chocolates in organza bags, seed packets printed with your names, and wooden name tokens that double as place cards. All three come in under £1 a head when bought in bulk.

Do you need wedding favours at all?

No. Plenty of UK weddings skip them entirely and nobody notices. If you want the table to feel finished without the cost, a name card and a scatter of table confetti does the job.

When should you buy and assemble wedding favours?

Buy the bulk items two to three months ahead and assemble four to six weeks out with two or three helpers. The final fortnight before a wedding has no free evenings in it.

Do you sell wedding favours?

Not as a favour range. We make greeting cards, art prints, enamel pin badges and party bits in the UK, and the badges, confetti and prints work well on a wedding table. Bulk favour supplies like organza bags, seeds and sweets come from elsewhere, and any outside link here may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

More ideas you might like

Funny Cute Wedding Anniversary Card with Envelope for Him/Her Happy Tin Anniversary

This delightfully funny and cute wedding anniversary card comes complete with an envelope to help you celebrate your tin anniversary in style. It is a wonderful choice for your partner, bringing a lighthearted touch of joy to this special milestone.

Funny Socks for Women "If You Can Read This Bring Me Wine" Socks

These playful socks feature a cheeky message on the soles, perfect for putting your feet up after a long day. They make a brilliant, lighthearted gift for any wine-loving woman in your life who appreciates a cosy night in and a good chuckle.