As you excitedly tick things off your ‘to do’ list and yet, at the same time, see your budget getting tighter and tighter, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking to yourself “how important, really, are wedding favours”? The answer is, if you are planning a traditional wedding celebration at least, quite!

Wedding favours may only be small in size but they carry with them a big message. Traditionally, wedding favours are gifts from the bride and groom to their guests as a gesture of gratitude for being a part of their wedding day and for supporting them in their life as a couple up until that time.

Whether you’re feeling impassioned by the idea of offering your sincere thanks to your family and friends or you are of the view that you have already paid out rather a lot for them to be there with you (not that you’re counting the pennies, of course…), we can all agree that any gift is far better if it is unique and thoughtful, right?

So, here’s a guide to some of the most fun, original and unique wedding favours we’ve come across in our time!

Personalised liquor bottles

Forget sweets or flower seeds, give your guests what they really want – more alcohol! Using websites like Etsy, you can find some lovely handcrafted bottle labels which can be tailored to your theme. One of my favourite ideas is the “We tied the knot, take a shot” one, with gin being my chosen tipple to toast any bride and groom with!

Name-tagged scratch cards

If you think about it, it’s hard to purchase any gift for £1 or less, so why not spend your pounds wisely and get hold of a scratch card for every one of your guests. What’s exciting about this present is that you can guarantee that at least one of your dozens of guests is going to get a nice win and that your efforts will be well-received and appreciated. You can get individualised card sleeves by contacting a designer on Etsy or a similar selling site.

Customised matchbox puzzles

Matchbox puzzles from Not On The High Street can be made in 15 varying designs and tailored to your event. As well as being super cute, these miniature games can also help to entertain guests during any lulls and can act as an interesting ice breaker when strangers come together at one table. If you are organising a vintage-themed wedding day then these retro items will fit in just perfectly!

Original temporary tattoos

If getting inked is one way to show your love for something or someone, then a temporary tattoo… well, it lets you show your appreciation for somebody for one day at the very least! Have fun getting creative and designing your own tattoos for your guests to transfer on to themselves during the wedding reception. Though they aren’t that sentimental, they are sure to be a fantastic talking point and the focus of many a photograph taken on the night of your big day! Ask your loved ones to ‘tag their tats’ on Facebook or Instagram with your distinctive wedding hashtag.

So there you have it – not all wedding favours need to be edible and offered in organza bags. What I hope you take away from this is that there’s bags of potential to come up with something fun and unique to impress your guests with!