Wedding favors have a bad reputation, and mostly it is deserved. Personalized koozies, monogrammed matchbooks, tiny jars of jam nobody eats. The average favor is in a trash can within 48 hours, and couples know it, which is why favors are usually the first line cut from a budget.
Count place settings, not guests
Unlike save the dates, favors go one per person, not one per household. Your favor count is your confirmed headcount plus about 10 percent for the guests who take a second one for a spouse who could not come.
| Confirmed guests | Order |
|---|---|
| 75 | 85 |
| 100 | 110 |
| 150 | 165 |
| 200 | 220 |
The actual cost per guest
At our 200-pack pricing, a favor magnet runs $3.35 per guest. For comparison, most catered dessert upgrades run $6 to $12 per head, and a mid-range favor from a wedding vendor lands between $4 and $9.
So favors are not where your budget goes. The question is not whether $3 per guest is affordable — it is whether the $3 buys something that survives the weekend.
What to put on them
The favors that get kept are the ones with a photograph on them. A monogram is decoration. A photo of the two of you is a thing a guest recognizes on their own refrigerator four years later.
Most couples use an engagement photo with first names and the date. Some use a different photo from the one on their save the dates so guests end up with two. Anything longer than about eight words will not read at two inches.
Presentation at the reception
Three approaches, in order of how well they work:
- At each place setting, on the napkin or plate. Highest take-rate by far, because guests do not have to decide to take one.
- On a favor table near the exit with a small sign. Take-rate drops to around 60 percent.
- In welcome bags for destination weddings, where guests get them before the ceremony.
If you are using a favor table, order 15 percent fewer. If you are doing place settings, order the full count.
When to order
Favors need 3 to 4 weeks before the reception: about a week for proofing, 7 to 10 business days production at 200 units, and transit. Build in a buffer — the week before a wedding is not when you want to be tracking a package.
If you are also doing save the dates, order both together. The 675 Wedding Pack covers save the dates, favors, and spares in one proof cycle at $2.59 each, which is less per magnet than ordering either one alone.