Essential or Extra: Favors?

I wouldn't say they are essential but it's a nice touch. I think I'm doing wild flower seed packets.

I think essential. But in all forms! Edible, Keepsake, Charitable donations, Photobooth take away. I love this tradition and think it should be kept.

Extra, we were going to skip this but it was very important to my mom.

I think they're extra but unfortunately necessary. I'm actually bummed about it because my mom, his mom, my sister, and his sister and my maid of honor have all told me they're mandatory but that I could make a donation to a charitable organization instead.

My maid of honor did make a great point though; they add to the table setting if you want to tie them in as a decor piece. So we found little lock and key keychains that will be engraved, and used to go around the rolled napkin for guests to keep. Done and done.

Essential and Extra, depending on the favour, the wedding's feel (casual vs. more eloquent, etc), and the number of guest. I definitely am not a fan of useless trinkets as favours, but food or something useful yes.
We have been playing around with an idea my FH saw at a wedding of a friend of his years before we met (and that couple has says they are fine with us copying their idea): They didn't do a dance for their wedding. They combined the entertainment budget and favour budget to buy a bunch of board games. People got to pick their game, could open and play them there with everyone at their table, and then take it home to play with their family for years to come! I think the idea was brilliant, especially at a wedding with a lot of kids or families attending.

I think that for the most part they can be scrapped and no one would even notice. Most of the time at least half of them are left at the end of the night and the ones that do get taken home end up in the back of a drawer somewhere. As a guest, if a couple is trying to stay within a budget, I'd rather have good food, good music and/or a good drink selection than a keychain or mini jar of chocolates.

We are having a destination wedding so we will likely to welcome bags rather than favours. But honestly, if we need to cut them or cut down what's in them in order to have a more enjoyable reception while staying in budget, that's what we'll do.

Essential. It’s a thank you to your guests. It’s up to them whether they want to take them or not.

100% ESSIENTAL! This is non-negotiable in my mind due to the fact that it is a thank-you to your guests who have given you a gift, shown up, and celebrated your wedding with you.

(I know some people think that the wedding is a "thank you" to their guests, however, I think it's polite to send them off with a little extra favour )

I think they are extra. It really depends on what is given. Usually a bottle opener or a little trinket gets lost easily. Whereas if it’s edible then you eat it right away. Although it might not appeal to everyone’s taste. We are doing flower seeds for forget me nots and wild flowers. We are getting married on what would have been our daughters due date. I miscarried July 2017 and so we are getting married to celebrate her life.

Extra, but I think edible favours are fun to have during the cocktail hour!

Extra but we decided to do them

I told my FH we are having them, I just need to narrow mine down right now. Toying with small maple syrup, hot chocolate in Mason jars, or as I call them, dollar store mitts( the little stretchy ones) .I think the mitts with hot chocolate for the kids would be a great idea as our wedding is in the fall and kids loose them all the time. Maybe adult hot chocolate in Mason jar mugs.

They mostly get wasted from what Ive seen. We had decorative cookies as a snack during "cocktail hour" as we didnt serve food

Definitely an extra. We won’t be having any at our wedding.

Its a half toss between both.

Essential if your giving edibles or small bottles of wine/liquor to be consumed. Some favours may be items that can be used for decor.

Extras if the favours are housewares or dishes that will sit in your home for regifting purposes. Other gifts such as matches, luggage tags, etc. Seem useless and left behind to waste.

I had thought about what would be perfect as a favour due to our holidays and as a piece of decor.

I feel that favours are optional. I won't be having favours because the last wedding i went to, i couldn't tell you where the favour has gone now, so I feel like it's just a waste of money.

It depends on what the favours are. Some are practical and some are just paperweights.

One wedding gave very basic candles.. pretty sure i threw it out a month after the wedding

One had honey in a jar or hot sauce in a jar. FH used the hot sauce with dinner and we didn't bother bringing home the jar.

We will most likely do something edible so people can enjoy it and not just waste our money

It's a toss up... I have never expected or really enjoyed many of the favours we have received at weddings. The one exception being something edible lol. Most times it's just stuff we'd never use. That being said we will likely do favours - probably small jars of honey.

These are an extra! I never really care for the favours I get when I am a guest, and it is an extra cost that is just not needed.

Extra for us. The only way I was willing to do favours was if it was something edible! But that’s totally just our opinion!

I think it's definitely a something extra that guests will appreciate, it doesn't have to be anything extravagant but something small to remind them of the special day is something I want to give out to guests for sure

My fiance and I do a lot of crafts and we make homebrew so for our wedding we're planning on making our own wine and those will be our souvenirs you can customize the labels and make them look super cute without breaking the bank!

Extra, and we probably will not do this. It's totally not necessary, we are paying for their meal, drinks and entertainment for the night and I think that is thank you enough. We appreciate all our guests for coming and giving them a fun night is how we will say thank you.

It is my way to say thanks for showing up (along with our thank you cards we are laying out with them). I don't think they are essential. I wouldn't be disappointed if someone didn't have them at a wedding I attended.

Essential! Even if it’s something small

Essential, people are expecting it and both of us really like it. Fiancé even really wants something they can keep and we're convinced it will be kept because it's partly a Canadian souvenir as most people will come from the Netherlands

Essential! I have always loved getting them at weddings and it wasnt even an option! Needed it for ours! Doing homemade wine!

Extra. i know people feel about these, but, i really struggle convincing myself that this is necessary. i understand you want to say thank you to people for attending your wedding but the best way to do that is by, you know, saying thank you to the people attending. we have a few small giveaways for friends and family, but the idea that they're supposed to get some sort of throw-away thing seems so wasteful.

Essential, to a degree.
I have a love/hate relationship with favors: I hate trinkets. I'd rather give my guests something they can use/eat/drink that night, than something they have to bring home.

Essential. No matter how small or inexpensive they may be, they are expected at a wedding. Most people use their candy bar as the favours and the dessert to save on money and time so there has yet to be a wedding that I have gone to that does not include a favour.