Should You Buy Extra Wedding Favors?

When you’re planning a wedding, your wedding budget will play a big role in the details of the big day, from your venue to your dress to your cake.

And, another thing that your budget will dictate is what kind of wedding favors you get for your wedding guests.

Choosing what type of wedding party favor to buy is the first part of the equation. But, from there, you have to determine how many of those favors to buy. Do you buy one per person, one per couple, or one per family? And, once you know how many to buy, should you grab some extra wedding favors—just in case a few get lost, damaged, or broken before your guests have a chance to bring them home?

*Photo Credit * // Ashley Mintz Photography

Determining How Many Wedding Favors to Buy

First things first, before you can determine whether you should buy extra wedding favors, you need to figure out how many wedding favors you’re going to initially need based on your guest list.

There are a few different options when it comes to buying wedding favors. You could buy one wedding favor for every wedding guest who RSVPs “Yes” to your wedding, which means that every guest will take home a favor to remember your big day.

But, depending on your budget (and the cost per party favor) that can get expensive quickly. So, some couples opt to buy one wedding favor per “unit,” whether that’s a couple or a family—so, even though each guest won’t walk away with a wedding favor, each household will have a keepsake to take home after celebrating your special day.

As a general rule of thumb, if you’re going with wedding favors that fall on the more affordable end of the spectrum (such as a personalized matchbook, bubble wand, or sweet treat), you may want to consider buying one for each wedding guest. The same rule applies to any DIY favors; if you’re making the personalized wedding favors yourself, it’s probably worth it to invest the extra time and budget into crafting wedding favors for all of your wedding guests.

On the other hand, if you’re investing in a more expensive wedding party favor (such as a picture frame or personalized wedding coaster), it’s appropriate to stick to one wedding favor per household.

To Buy Extra or Not to Buy Extra—That Is the Question

Once you’ve settled on the perfect wedding favor strategy—one wedding favor per person or one wedding favor per unit/household—and your RSVPs roll in, you’ll have a good idea of how many wedding favors you’ll need to cover your bases.

But, the question is, should you order extra?

There’s an argument to be made for ordering extra wedding favors. Having extra wedding favors can come in handy if some of the favors are damaged, broken, or get lost during the shipping process. This is especially applicable for destination weddings where you may not have enough time to get a new shipment before the big day. Having extra wedding favors is also clutch if you have any last-minute additions to your guest list.

But, unless you are buying bulk wedding favors, purchasing a bunch of extra individual wedding favors can get expensive—especially if the price tag for your favors is on the higher side.

Ultimately, you have to decide whether the convenience of having extra wedding favors on hand “just in case” outweighs the additional cost. Here are a few points that you may want to keep in mind when making that decision:

• Price per wedding favor. If you’re investing in pricey custom wedding favors, you may not want to spend the extra budget only to have extras on hand. On the flip side, if your wedding favors are $1 apiece, having an extra 10 on hand isn’t much of additional investment—and it may be worth it for the peace of mind.
• The likelihood of needing extra favors. If you’re ordering something fragile that’s likely to break—or you have a sneaking suspicion that some of those “No” RSVPs are going to change to “Yes” the day before your wedding—it may be worthwhile to have extras on hand.
• Your comfort level with not having enough wedding favors on your special day. If you don’t buy extra wedding favors, there is a chance that a few of your guests might not go home with a favor. If you’re ok with that (chances are, they won’t even notice!), you’re good to go—but if that thought gives you major anxiety, do yourself a favor and keep some extras on hand.

Buy the Amount That Is Comfortable for You and Your Budget

*Photo Credit * // Blue Wedding Photography

Ultimately, you should keep the number of wedding favors on hand that you—and your budget—are comfortable with. Now that you know the tips to keep in mind as you’re deciding how many wedding favors to buy—and whether to invest in extra—you have everything you need to make the right decision for you, your wedding, and your budget.