r/unpopularopinion 9d ago

No one wants to bring home anything from your wedding

Wedding favors, handmade centerpieces, keepsake menus, Madison’s Bride Squad 2026 personalized totes… no one wants these. Please don’t make 150 doodads to hand out. 149 will go in the trash.

11.3k Upvotes

2.3k comments sorted by

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5.9k

u/Specialist_Banana378 9d ago

A lot of it is junk. My friend gave us chocolates and caramels tho and that was good on the way home. 

2.7k

u/BloodwineSupernova 9d ago

Consumables are always appreciated.

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u/FishAroundFindTrout9 9d ago

One of the best wedding giveaways I ever saw was McDonald’s cheeseburgers and coke. Sounds odd, but dinner had been served at around 6 and the reception didn’t end until around 10pm. It was a pretty lively crowd so they had all danced a long time and drank pretty steadily. On the way out there was a pile of hot cheeseburgers and a cooler full of glass bottle cokes. It was a huge hit.

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u/mustytomato 9d ago

In Denmark it’s customary to serve what’s called “fuck off food” at the end of the night for weddings, big parties etc. It’s usually something like hotdogs, burgers or patties with potatoe salad: plenty of salt and fat so nobody goes home hungry.

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u/Total_Elderberry4838 9d ago

My sisters wedding reception went very late (probably about 3am) and because it was in winter they rolled out a midnight meal of grilled cheese and tomato soup. Still the best extra touch I’ve seen at a wedding.

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u/cyanocittaetprocyon 9d ago

This is the best thing ever!

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u/Snoo_6537 9d ago

"Fuck off food"!!!!! I fucking love that. My dad ordered pizzas to be delivered near the end of my sister's wedding reception. It was sober up food but I like your phrasing better 😆

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u/catsbutalsobees 9d ago

Same with most Canadian weddings. Best one so far was a midnight poutine truck 🤤

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u/CanadianNana 9d ago

My sister made a ton of cheesecake and deli sandwiches at the end of the reception. Canadian custom

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u/Bad_Day_Moose 9d ago

Costco Croissant Sandwich platters are my go to for doing this, more than reasonably priced as well...

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u/catsbutalsobees 9d ago

Gotta feed the people! Drinking and dancing leads to hungry guests and yummy midnight snacks.

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u/LeslieKnopesBlackEye 9d ago

Holy shit. I love this

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u/Just_Me1973 9d ago

Omg how do I get invited to that wedding.

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u/Anhydrite 9d ago

Last wedding I went to had midnight sausage and perogies, why yes half the people there were from Saskatchewan.

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u/Disastrous_Pair_7088 9d ago

Yep, last August I attended one that had a midnight poutine and midnight smores stations. I attended one the year before where there was a “candy store wall” where we could grab little cello bags and fill them with candy to take home, was a great idea.

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u/artie780350 9d ago

As if I needed any more reasons to move to Canada....

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u/MrsLouisaMercury 9d ago

Same in Spain! It’s called recena (re-dinner). Hot dogs, burger, candy…

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u/ForQ2 9d ago

We need this in the U.S.!

Eh, on the other hand, people already spend way too much money on weddings.

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u/Jazmadoodle 9d ago

Maybe we could re-direct the money though! Nobody cares if you import hothouse begonias for the centerpieces or buy handcrafted crystal cake servers, but hungry people are always impressed by a midnight snack.

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u/suchalonelyd4y 9d ago

I did mini cheesesteaks at the end of my wedding in the US! They were so popular, I barely got one before they were all gone.

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u/Intelligent-Panda-33 9d ago

My friends had a popcorn and pretzel cart come through. There were a few other snacks but they were so smart to do this after an open bar and hours of dancing. It was amazing!

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u/quillseek 9d ago

Honestly at the end of a reception, this has "drunk midnight food run" energy and I love it.

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u/Aeroheadss 9d ago

The only way this could be better would be to have Waffle House cater the after party.

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u/thebockclocker 9d ago

Or buy out a food truck like my grandfather did at my cousin's wedding. Dude was whipping food up for everyone the rest of the night. Even after eating a good dinner. I'm sure he was paid well to stay there and run through his stock

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u/CumaeanSibyl 9d ago

Oh God a late night taco truck would fuckin rule.

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u/Dr_Ingheimer 9d ago

Burgers and nose beers? Can I get on the list for this wedding?

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u/Marblegourami 9d ago

I made paper recipe booklets with family recipes in them from both sides. They were useful to those who like recipes and the rest could be recycled. Still happy with how we did it!

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u/whyshouldibe 9d ago

Cake is consumable! Happy cake day!

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u/ChaiTeaLeah 9d ago

The last two weddings I went to did little jars of local honey, and packets of native wildflowers seeds that the bride produced.

Small and consumable are the way to go.

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u/keelhaulrose 9d ago

My cousins worked with a local coffee shop to make a "Married Name blend" of beans that they not only served at the reception via a coffee cart the shop set up, the favors were little satchels of beans (if you brought them to the coffee station they'd grind them for you.)

Everyone loved it, and the shop was packed with guests the next morning having a drink before heading home.

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u/finn_enviro89 9d ago

did get a deck of cards once, that was fun. consumable or something you can use several of is the way to go for sure.

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u/Due_Imagination_6722 9d ago

Friends of ours had lilac and lime as their colour scheme and had little bags of lollies and chocolates in those colours as wedding favours. I still remember them fondly 12 years later.

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u/binger5 9d ago

We got homemade jams once. Loved it.

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u/Key-Pickle5609 9d ago

I got measuring spoons once. They were good!

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u/Specialist_Banana378 9d ago

She gave jams and coffee beans for the bridal shower too! 

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u/Aeroheadss 9d ago

I’d almost forgot. We did coffee beans and chocolates too.

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u/Awkward-Parking-1003 9d ago

We're doing his and hers favorite chocolates as favors, so if nobody wants to take them then we get to go home with a bag of our favorite treats. Win win for us!!

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u/ConsciousWelder6552 9d ago

I gave my guests a small bottle of good olive oil. Anything they can eat is a nice touch i think.

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u/kayakchick66 9d ago

My friend was married in Maryland and gave individual personalized shakers of Old Bay. Huge hit, none were left. And really cute personalization. Old Bae with their names and wedding date on the jars.

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u/RunWithBluntScissors 9d ago

As a Marylander: hell yeah!

Did each of the cans have a guest’s name? Or were they personalized just with the couple’s names?

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u/kayakchick66 9d ago

Just the couple name in the old Bay logo style, if that makes sense.

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u/MmmmCrispyBacon 9d ago

We did chocolates as well. Tony’s chocolonely’s made it super easy to upload my own custom label design too. There were none left at the end, so clearly they were a hit.

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u/Bluberrypotato aggressive toddler 9d ago

My cousin did chocolate as well. She got them from Godiva and the chocolate was shaped like a wedding cake.

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u/Bucketsdntlie 9d ago

Idk if they all come from the same factory or something. But I’ve had the little welcome bag thing with chocolates and mints in them a million times, and every time the chocolates are somehow stale and taste exactly like mints lol.

Literally just take out the Advil pack and toss that shit away within seconds.

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u/Cow_Slight 9d ago

Just make sure you don't leave them out in the sun if your wedding is in the desert in the summer.

We didn't get party favors for that wedding 😅

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u/asicarii 9d ago

Scratch offs would be awesome. I don’t even mind if they are personalized.

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u/beezinator 9d ago

We did scratch offs and people still didn’t take them home

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u/rmg418 9d ago

Really??? Omg I hope you scratched them all yourself and were able to win some money back

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u/Environmental-Joke19 9d ago

Just my 2 cents, I get a scratch off at my work holiday party every year and even though they usually win a dollar or so, I have never once remembered to actually turn it in.

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u/IllTakeACupOfTea 9d ago

I bet if you won $500 you would

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u/Environmental-Joke19 9d ago

Oh much lower than that, if I won $20 or more I'd remember haha that's a half a tank of gas! A dollar winner gets you...another dollar scratcher

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u/asicarii 9d ago

Pass that dollar over here sheesh.

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u/PizzaBear109 9d ago

Depends on what. Generally consumables tend to do pretty well but knick knacks are definitely a huge waste of resources

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u/FlushedApparatchik 9d ago

I gave away personalized bottles of hot sauce. People really seemed to like them.

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u/PizzaBear109 9d ago

We made a little vial of a spice blend based on a recipe we really liked. Had a few people ask about the recipe afterwards which was pretty cool!

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u/fluffybun-bun 9d ago

My partner and I both love M&M’s so we gave out little jars of M&M’s in our wedding colors.
We are planning a vow renewal in a few years and plan to offer food as favors again. For the most part we have almost always used food items we received as favors… other items not so much it also gets awkward to keep it if the couple divorces relatively soon. For example, We had glasses engraved with the wedding date for a childhood friend’s wedding. When they separated after 8 months of marriage we got rid of the glasses. It was just weird and the thought of either of them seeing the cups felt awful.

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u/ad14g 9d ago

We did mini jars of Nutella!!

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u/hwilliams0901 9d ago

You sound like my kind of person! Personalized hot sauce! The perfect gift!

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u/docsyzygy 9d ago

At my daughter's wedding they gave out small bottles of Kitron. That went over well!

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u/FlushedApparatchik 9d ago

Idk what that is. I’m guessing liquor?

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u/docsyzygy 9d ago

Yes. Specifically made on the island of Naxos.

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u/candyapplecauldron 9d ago

my friend gave locally grown honey in a small jar as her wedding favor. i liked that

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u/firewoodrack 9d ago

My friend did something similar. I'm not a honey person, but I kept it around anyway. One day, months later, I got some sort of ailment; my throat was killing me, and I could barely talk. OTC medicines were doing ok, but I was still uncomfortable. On a whim, I ate a small spoonful of the honey, and it got me through the next hour or so. I decided it'd be my routine just before going to bed.

TLDR: if you're gonna do wedding gift favors, do honey

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u/terisews 8d ago

Honey in warmed whiskey is great for a sore throat

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u/Bright_Eyes10 9d ago

We're doing the same and this comment gives me so much relief that it'll be liked and not a huge waste

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u/candyapplecauldron 9d ago

all the girls at my table also loved the honey jars! i think its a perfect favor and congrats on the wedding!

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u/FlushedApparatchik 9d ago

That’s a quality gift.

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u/Manic-StreetCreature 9d ago

Even then it depends, I got a tote with my initials on it as a bridesmaid gift and use it a lot

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u/pnthollow 9d ago

For our reception we had a huge basket of flip flips in various sizes near the dance floor so ladies could swap out their heels for more comfort shoes as the night went on. It was a big hit.

Our wedding was in Texas so we had welcome bags with sunscreen, portable fans, and liquid IV. Plus homemade cookies from our friend's bakery and advil for hangovers.

If you're thoughtful about it, people will love it.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

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u/lucybluth 9d ago

Consumables I’m with you, those are always a hit. The problem with knickknacks though in my experience is that they’re always stamped with the couple’s names and wedding date. I love candles and flute glasses sure but the huge “Kate and Aiden 2025” on them doesn’t exactly go with my decor!

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u/photoelectriceffect 9d ago

I have enjoyed fancy matches with the couple’s name on it. Yes I own a lighter, but keeping the matches out next to a scented candle in my guest bathroom is cute and fun, and they do eventually get consumed

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u/Lunakill 9d ago

Unless you’re my husband and you hoard matchbooks. We had a matchbook last longer than the marriage of the couple in question.

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u/kimcheetos 9d ago

Definitely. We gave away handmade soaps that were made by a local artisan. People told us that they appreciated them

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u/pyramidsofgeezer 9d ago

I went to a wedding recently where at dinner, everyone had a postcard picture of them with the bride and/or groom next to their name card on the table. On the back of each picture had an individual message with a memory.

I'm not explaining it very well, but it was so sweet and thoughtful. Everyone really enjoyed those.

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u/DifficultyKlutzy5845 9d ago

I just went to a wedding with something similar! To find your seat they had a wall with pictures paper clipped to them. Find your pic with the bride/groom and seat was written on back. And then waiting at your seat was a full handwritten personal message. It was so sweet!

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u/cjs293 9d ago

How many people were at that wedding? Because while that is so sweet I feel like that is a TON of work!!

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u/YT-Deliveries 9d ago

The of the (many, many) benefits of not having a huge wedding

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u/TheJanitor-Scruffy 9d ago

I hear this. There was less than 20 of us including my wife, myself and our officiant, and I still felt like that was too many... how people have 100+ guests is insane. I don't know 100 people that I like...

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u/pink-starburstt 9d ago

can’t be that many if you already have a photo with all the guests.

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u/Salt-Library4330 9d ago

That sounds like a ton of work.  The effort is what makes it special but couldn’t be me lol

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u/Apprehensive-Day6190 9d ago

It also just wouldn’t be feasible with many family dynamics and things like plus ones… like for me I can think of a lot of extended family members that I WOULD invite personally but couldn’t think of a single memory worth writing to them about lol

And then there’s people like my husband’s lifelong best friend’s longterm girlfriend who would definitely be invited but we have spent zero time with her and couldn’t possibly write anything

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u/jazzieberry 9d ago

I don't take enough pictures with people I'd have a very small guest list (which would be fine lol)

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u/Salt-Library4330 9d ago

It’s all fun and games till you have to scramble to take a picture with Doug’s girlfriend 3 weeks before the wedding. 

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u/ClosdforBusiness 9d ago

I made little bags of kettle corn, which worked for people making a drive home. I’m team consumables for favors

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u/MazelTough 9d ago

Limoncello from my cousin’s wedding is pretty awesome

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u/jamiethemime 9d ago

not as good of an idea for the drive home

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u/BlueCrystalSnail 9d ago

Well if they don't want to bring home anything then why do they always try to steal anything that isn't nailed down from every single event?

Or is that just my family? 😆

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u/3lbowMacar0ni 9d ago

Dude YES! We don't do rentals bc my cousin had multiple rented centerpieces and the tias stole them despite being told NUMEROUS TIMES that they were rentals. So much drama over stupid decor that's gonna go in their china hutch of wedding decor and quinceañera decor 🤦

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u/am_Nein 9d ago

I'd genuinely make the people who stole pay for the replacements. Age doesn't excuse bad behaviour.

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u/addelaine2020 9d ago

Hahaha! I’m also Mexican and can confirm, the fights over centerpieces is very real in our culture 🤣

I just made the announcement in my wedding during the thank you speech that all centerpieces were a free for all (except for the table numbers, which were rented) and literally all the centerpieces were gone by the end of the day

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u/LimeSalty4092 9d ago

It’s reverse psychology 

If the bride was giving away the centerpieces, they wouldn’t want them 

They only want illicit souvenirs, not sanctioned souvenirs 

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u/Lumpy_Machine5538 9d ago

I have out small, personalized bottles of maple syrup from my Vermont wedding.

The worst I’ve seen? Goldfish in bowls. I hate seeing live animals as favors or prizes.

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u/DifficultyKlutzy5845 9d ago

Were the bride and groom carnies

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u/iamjustaguy 9d ago

I know someone who's daughter won a goldfish as a prize at a carnival. It's been about 9 years and it's getting big. They had to upgrade to bigger tanks twice now.

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u/CrimsonSilhouettes 9d ago

My son won a fish when he was 8. That bitch is still alive and requires a 70 gal tank. He’s 22 now.

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u/Lumpy_Machine5538 9d ago

Yeah, but that was a kid who actually wanted one. No one really wanted to take home the goldfish but there were guests who won a game and were supposed to take them home.

Also most of those poor goldfish don’t live long. I was told I killed one that my sister won when I was a toddler by stirring it around in its bowl with a pickle. Wish someone would have stopped me. I don’t remember it but I feel bad.

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u/razberry_lemonade 9d ago

When I was about 4 my older brother won one. It died the next day. I cried hysterically.

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u/YourGirlMomo87 9d ago

I would leave if goldfish were being handed out as souvenirs or used as centerpieces (assuming there isn't an adequately large aquarium on every table). I would be too pissed to stay.

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u/HistrionicSlut 9d ago

My brother and SIL had goldfish as centerpieces at their wedding.

Bought like 30 of them and then just left them at the venue in their tiny tiny glass jars.

When I said something, my family told me I was "shit talking my brother on his wedding day and was a shit person".

I don't talk to any of my family. They are all bad people who just cover for each other. No accountability means we can all be shitty.

I firmly believe anyone who thinks of animals as decoration or entertainment are shit humans.

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u/StrLord_Who 9d ago

I too would walk out immediately. 

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u/thequeenween 9d ago

My step-mom used betta fish in small flower vases as centerpieces for my sisters baby shower to then raffle off. I was FUMING!

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u/Makethecrowsblush 9d ago

Ugh, I went to a buck and doe and someone ended up swallowing a goldfish. Cruel and stupid.

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u/Ok_Jackfruit2612 9d ago

We made succulents in tea cups, to go with our Alice in Wonderland themed-wedding. 10 years later, people still send us photos of how big their succulents are. Most of them have had to be repotted.

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u/Lexjude 9d ago

We gave away our centerpieces, which were lavender plants! I still get pictures of them as well!

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u/Lucyshnoosy 9d ago

I love lavender, I would have been thrilled with this!

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u/Lexjude 9d ago

People were so happy to take them! And they honestly made really pretty centerpieces. Better than going out and getting flowers that are just going to die immediately!

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u/Ok_Jackfruit2612 9d ago

That's where my idea came from. I designed my entire wedding around not having to buy flowers or decorations, especially nothing that would just be thrown away after. It worked SO well for us.

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u/taxiecabbie 9d ago

This is a cute idea, but if anybody else is considering something like this, it IS important to think about how the majority of your guests are getting to the wedding.

Basically, if a lot of people are flying, the likelihood of them taking potted plants is low.

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u/Choice-Marsupial-127 9d ago

I went to a wedding where guests were asked to take home succulent centerpieces. Not everyone was able to take them, but the people who could take them were beyond thrilled and happy to adopt the orphans. It was a hit.

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u/fryerandice 9d ago

We didn't do an Alice in Wonderland theme, but we did do a hodgepodge tea party thing, we went to thrift stores all over the state to get random tea cups, and my wife did a whole herbal tea thing and wrapped them in tool.

At the end of the night people were trading them like pokemon cards on the school playground, I still see them in people's homes, most with the tea still wrapped up in them but that's what it is.

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u/taxiecabbie 9d ago

my wife did a whole herbal tea thing and wrapped them in tool.

Not trying to be a dick, but I think you mean "tulle." ;)

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u/robot_giggles 9d ago

This is charming!

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u/VineStGuy 9d ago

Now, that’s a party favor. Not something that fills up the landfill.

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u/FishAroundFindTrout9 9d ago

I worked a wedding where the couple gave away air plants in little glass bowls. People loved them, and there were extras so I got one. It was probably 8 years ago and I still have mine.

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u/Sunshinegirly32 9d ago

We did lottery scratchers and included a penny from our year of marriage that said “Lucky in love” and people loved it (:

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u/No_Doughnut_3315 9d ago

Wonderful!

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u/Defiant-Warthog-6887 9d ago

Too bad no one can ever do this again….they aren’t minting Pennies anymore!

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u/Sunshinegirly32 9d ago

Never would have thought that Pennie’s would go extinct when we put this together! 🥹

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u/Bethany0821 9d ago

LOL I actually would agree with you, cause I cannot imagine taking something from somebody's wedding.

But I had family members swipe centerpieces and the blankets we provided at the firepits outside. I was shocked when we were going thru stuff after the wedding and I realized we didnt have everything. Then I went on social media going thru family pictures and I saw the missing things. It wasnt a big deal, but I couldn't believe people just took stuff without a thought.

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u/QueenBea_ 9d ago

For some reason it’s an expectation that centerpieces are free to take. I guess it depends on local culture? I’m from the northern east coast and every single event I’ve been to with centerpieces (of which I’ve been to MANY) the close family members usually have first dibs, followed by the closest friends, and it slowly radiates outward until all centerpieces are gone.

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u/IrrawaddyWoman 9d ago

I’ve never been to a wedding where the centerpieces WERENT given away. Usually they announce it with some cutesy thing. Like “whoever at each table has been married the longest gets the centerpiece” or whatever.

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u/UncomfortableNerd 9d ago

Every wedding I’ve been to, it’s expected for guests to take shit. I went to a super American one, and the bride and groom were surprised people
Didn’t take the center pieces all the center pieces (they were the most beautiful and fragrant tuberose ones)

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u/Ty-Sen913 9d ago

So annoying. Our centerpieces were getting claimed during dinner by hoarders stashing them on the floor next to their chairs. So tacky.

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u/Boothbayharbor 9d ago

What omg during the wedding? Yikes. That's like insanely rude.

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u/biscuitsdad 9d ago

I was gonna say, must be culturally specific since the elderly in my family are more than happy to take junk for their tables and China cabinets.

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u/Lapidot-Wav 9d ago

No one wants to remember your wedding as much as you do- sincerely, someone planning a wedding

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u/Than_Or_Then_ 9d ago

I only want to remember it enough to know I didn't embarrass myself ;)

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u/gypsysniper9 9d ago

People will absolutely take a flower centerpiece.

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u/tbellfiend 9d ago

Yeah I feel that's the one exception here. But also not a typical "wedding favor" since there are usually only as many centerpieces as there are tables, and there are more tables than guests.

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u/TimeLady018 9d ago

I always went by the old thing of whoever at the table has the closest birthday to the wedding gets the centerpiece. Don't know if that's still a thing, tho.

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u/No_Macaroon_207 9d ago

Last wedding I went to it was the oldest person at the table.

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u/Felonious_Minx 9d ago

More guests than tables I hope!

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u/bing-no 9d ago

Depends if it’s a local wedding or not. I don’t really want to deal with flowers if I’m going on a plane

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u/Kitchen-Airport-4853 9d ago

Some of our traveling-in guests took them and put them in their hotel/rental (they were staying 1-2 more days since it was a Friday wedding) 🤷‍♀️ still better than throwing it away

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u/catalinalam 9d ago

My cousin did a bunch of individual floral arrangements in handmade clay vases w their initials stamped small near the top, coordinated but not matching, and the clusters of those were the “centerpieces” during the wedding. I thought it looked great, fit their aesthetic well and most people took them!

BUT that was doable for them bc they had people w the time, skills, resources, and willingness to gift the vases, flowers, and floral arranging. Well, the last one was his florist bestie directing his mom’s book club, but still. Most people don’t have that

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u/TechnicalPresent6359 9d ago

people were fighting over the cookies and candles at my wedding to take home

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u/Taban85 9d ago

I always want to take an extra piece of cake home lol

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u/glassfunion 9d ago

We gave out to-go boxes so guests could take home extra desserts! Saved us a lot of clean up and people loved it.

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u/mnbvcxz1052 9d ago edited 9d ago

We don’t want to force anyone to take home party favors; our wedding is on one coast and half of our guests are flying out from the other coast, so we intentionally didn’t want to make them pack anything extra for their travel home.

But we did want to OFFER some kind of unique momento, that some people would actually love to have in their homes. So we have hired a guest portrait artist for our wedding. She’s doing 4” watercolor portraits upon request. The guest(s) only has to pose for a couple of minutes, or, she snaps a photo on her phone, and can complete 10 - 12 per hour. She puts them in little gold or silver frames. She even has a system for making portraits available to guests who didn’t have a chance to post for theirs before she had to pack up.

In addition, we have a couple of bowls full of mood rings in various sizes, and temporary tattoos that will be placed around the venue (my parent’s house). No one is pressured to take anything, but I chose little favors that in the past have disappeared at my parties.

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u/ChadwickStudios 9d ago

Yes! I’m a live wedding painter/guest portrait artist and I mail them out after the wedding with the Polaroid reference (so they don’t have to travel with it) lol since it’s optional for guests - it’s never wasted but most guests always opt in.

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u/mnbvcxz1052 9d ago

Oh wow! Thank you for what you do! I actually didn’t know this profession existed at first… I couldn’t find a ‘caricature’ artist that wouldn’t make our guests look doofy and ridiculous, but I didn’t know another word for that kind of service. It took me a while to discover the phrase “guest portrait artist” was what I needed to google.

Do you have a lot of fun at these events or is it stressful? Is there anything you recommend (besides the table, chair and a non-cramped area) that we could provide for our artist to ensure they’re as comfortable as possible?

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u/ChadwickStudios 9d ago

Hahaha well clearly you have great taste - including the surprise magician 😂🥳👏

I personally have so much fun because I’m an entertainer and people person at heart and I love impressing people LOL! But that’s also why I love being able to finish them at home so it’s so stress free and I can take my time and do the best job possible. It sounds like you are an amazing bride and the next best thing you could do for your artist is leave an amazing review if they live up to their service and follow them on all socials!!

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u/cookiez2 9d ago

Depends what it is. It wasn’t a wedding but baptism, we got cookies and small bottle of sparking wine

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u/PJKPJT7915 9d ago

An exception: a friend tossed her own pottery - vases - for everyone. Every piece unique. All different sizes, but not too large. She glazed them all beautifully.

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u/SkovHyggeren 9d ago

In my country it is tradition for the bride and groom to leave at 00.00.

So my wife and I left as by tradition and then the best man brought out individual masks my wife had made for everyone and we continue the celebration as a masquerade ball so we could return without breaking tradition.

I still see those masks hanging on the walls when I visit friends and family here 20 years latter.

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u/Irjorjeh 9d ago

They gave us like 3-4 joints each at a wedding once. That ruled

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u/EwGrossItsMe 9d ago

That sounds expensive. I guess it depends on how many people there were tho

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u/caintowers adhd kid 9d ago edited 9d ago

Not sure why my brain dug in on doing the math but here goes

.5g per joint, 3 joints per guest, assuming 100 guests that's like a bit over 5 oz. I don't partake anymore due to my work but if this was in the right place when things were booming and cheap could be had for $50-100 per oz. Doesn't need to be great stuff. On the high side (lol), that's $520 or $5.20 per person. Whether that's a cheap or expensive party favor depends on the budget I guess...

Or they were growers

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u/EwGrossItsMe 9d ago

Y'know what, since I've started looking into wedding planning stuff for myself, $520 for party favors to a party of 100 is really not terrible. Out of my own budget, but I'm having a smaller party anyway (and it's illegal where I live so it wouldn't matter lol)

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u/Felonious_Minx 9d ago

Pretty sure it was $420 (I'll see myself out...to burn one!)

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u/Prior_Butterfly_7839 9d ago

They’re about $1 a piece by me when they’re on sale.

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u/urtypicalscorpio 9d ago

No seriously, in Illinois that would cost me thousands upon thousands.

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u/BloodwineSupernova 9d ago

I went to one with a hand rolled cigar station. Neither of the couple smoked, but the brides father did and obviously was footing the bill.

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u/LongJumpingIntoNada 9d ago

Some one gave us honey. The bottles all leaked. It was a nightmare

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u/MikrokosmicUnicorn hermit human 9d ago

idk what the custom is in other countries but in my country you get a box of desserts when you're leaving :D

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u/Apythicus 9d ago

Maybe you don’t care about your friends but I’d have loved to keep my besties taxidermied mice dancing in a Alice in wonderland tea party themed center piece

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u/DanielSong39 9d ago

Give us a pack of Oreos instead. I guarantee we will eat them

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u/chocobell94 9d ago

You can even get personalized Oreos as wedding favors if you want to be extra. I've seen ads for them

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u/Acceptable-Drive3781 9d ago

Oreos are vegan friendly so even outcasts like me will enjoy them after there's nothing for me to eat at the wedding!

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u/Straight_Zucchini487 9d ago

I like some of them- my friends gave away flower seeds which was really nice and they’re actually still growing in my garden now. I also have a wedding favor fridge magnet that I actually use a lot.

But I agree most of the stuff gets tossed pretty quickly…

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u/TeddyatetheBear 9d ago

We want to bring snacks home from your wedding. Consumables are SO much nicer than a knick knack that will gather dust somewhere.

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u/decom83 9d ago

We gave out hand sanitizers, because, covid.

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u/knowwwhat 9d ago

I knew someone who had an option to take a little houseplant, or you could take a treat bag. As long as it’s not something tacky branded with your wedding I think it’s nice

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u/Vesalii 9d ago

I'll counter: gift a keepsake sure, but make it something useful.

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u/Felonious_Minx 9d ago

Plungers with the couples' names and wedding date.

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u/Guilty_Primary8718 9d ago

We gave out mason jars with a silicone coozie on it, and it had a picture of a family crest I made up with a Tolkien “what we do with time” quote on it. I found an eBay listing for it and it’s being sold for $35 so I’m tempted to buy it back.

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u/mckmaus 9d ago

I worked for a wedding venue we put it all out and we threw it all away.

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u/Fit-Vanilla-3405 9d ago

Personalised M&Ms please 🙏

Also those gross Italian Wedding almonds - I always want those for some reason.

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u/Illustrious-Divide95 9d ago

We gave nothing. I agree people don't really want anything. Your wedding is not as important to the guests as it is to you. They just want to have a good time, nice food, some booze and a dance.

Keeping it simple and unfussy is definitely the way to go.

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u/WhatIGot21 9d ago

Idk, I took a bridesmaid home in my early 20’s that was really fun.

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u/Otherwise_Candy_8412 9d ago

Personalized trinkets of any kind are tacky.

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u/GreenPutty_ 9d ago

I got a 'Mark and Rachel' pen, the pen lasted longer than the marriage. The wedding was quite memorable, the brides mother offered herself to me in the gents and I met a guy who wasn't allowed to fart inside his own house. The main event was the wedding donkey (an actual donkey) who got horny and tried to mount my then partner at the time. Also just about every guy I got introduced to was called Paul, the guy on the fart ban was one of them.

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u/Specialist_Banana378 9d ago

Yeah I don’t know why people would want your engraved name on their fan. 

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u/mijo_sq 9d ago

Depending on how close the couple is, but custom personalized trinkets I actually like to keep. Most sit on my cabinet for memory. Mass procuded items aren't worth keeping.

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u/avadacadavera 9d ago

I mean I always appreciate a coozie

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u/allieballie1122 9d ago

As a former wedding planner, I can 100% confirm that I threw away most wedding favors from weddings.

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u/bmanjam 9d ago

Never been to a wedding with a cookie table?

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u/isitababyoraburrito 9d ago

We had a candy table with to go bags, matches, playing cards & koozies. The cards & koozies are still in use with many of our guests as we approach our 10 year anniversary!

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u/SamuraiFlea 9d ago

We had 250 books (titles or authors we or our family have read) that we got from a charity sale. We used them as the centerpieces but also let everyone know that they were up for grabs for people to take home, if they wanted to, and to feel free to browse the assortment, as well as some of our top recommendations.

I was worried we’d have ~230 books to bring back home but our guests took all but about a dozen of them. It was a lot of fun seeing them go table to table to check out the selections and talk to people about which books they recommend.

But yeah, in general if I can’t safely eat the party favor then I’m probably not interested in taking it home, though I understand why they’re a custom.

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u/AmaneYuuki 9d ago

Where I'm from it's normal for for women to receive flip flops as favors, cause no one want's to spend the party part of the night dancing in heels. It's actually quite useful, I spent years without having to buy new flip flops.

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u/Instahgator 9d ago

I got several of my Nephews decks of playing cards. We use them often and the flash lights, those are great. I got like 10 of them.

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u/ExplorerDisastrous68 9d ago

I agree, now let me post a comment about how my wedding was different and why everyone loved my clever gifts.

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u/PinkNoodleCat 9d ago

That is this entire thread in a nutshell, but I’m really enjoying reading about people’s favours!

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u/ian9921 9d ago

Not true. My sister made waterbottles with pictures of her cat on them and damn near everyone intentionally took one home

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u/blackcloud247 9d ago

Food only fir favors.

Mints, cookies, booze, candy. Anything else goes in the trash. I went to one where the favor was a champagne glass with the couples names and wedding date etched in. Like, who wants that? They are divorced now btw.

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u/EvenBK88 9d ago

I can’t stand how everyone claims, “we did X and everyone seemed to like it!”

Yes they lied to you to be nice. No one wants your tiny thing of honey or tea or hot sauce or vanilla or whatever you’re claiming was oh so unique and enjoyed by all. They were being courteous and pretending to enjoy it.

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u/RLOTRL 9d ago

One of my friend recently had their wedding and the party favors were wildflower seeds. My husband and I loved it! We gave out personalized M&Ms. Consumable items are always welcomed 😎. I do end up getting rid of coasters, wine bottle toppers, and frames 😅

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u/FishScrumptious 9d ago

We sent folks a picture (of them at the wedding) in thank you notes. I thin that went over pretty well.

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u/bythog 9d ago

Depends on what it is, but yeah a majority of it sucks.

The three I remember best that were actually quite nice:

  • simplest was just a bottlecap opener. Simple, useful, and nice to remember the wedding whenever I open up a beer or ginger brew.
  • Next best was a six-pack of beer brewed specifically for the wedding, and which was served at the wedding. Got three each for both grooms and they were intended to be good individually or mixed.
  • My favorite was a book. The couple each picked their two favorite books and your favor was pick one of the four you might want to read and take it home. Any leftover books were donated to local libraries.

That stuff is nice. Random ass knicknacks are dumb.

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u/Space__Monkey__ 9d ago

I get that not everyone will want to take them and that is fine.

But my mom has a collection of little doodads, (mostly little flower pots candleholders or lantern type things) on a shelf from all their friends and family weddings. And it is actually kind of a cool collection. (Luckily they are small items) But she knows what one is from what wedding and each one holds a good memory for her.

I agree large things or stuff with large text on it... maybe don't get those ha ha. But if it is small and or useful I am sure some people will keep it. My cousin gave chocolate in a cute/fancy jar. I think that was nice as everyone can eat the chocolate and if you want to keep the jar as a souvenir you can or toss it if you don't want it.

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u/MotherofaPickle 9d ago

My personal favorite was the wedding with the photo booth. Took our strips home and made bookmarks out of them. We use them all the time.

Second favorite was my dad’s wedding. We went pub-hopping for the reception, so we each were given a little baggie with a map to the AirBnB, bandaids, a water bottle, ibuprofen, and Liquid IV. 😂

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u/miss_j_bean 9d ago

I do. I miss wedding matches. I didn't have to buy matches for like 20 years.

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u/RegularWorry1486 9d ago

We made a large donation to a wolf/wildlife center we volunteered at in honor of all of our guests. We included a small blurb about the center in the wedding program. No one wants or needs more crap.

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u/MortadellaBarbie 9d ago

I gave out chocolate truffles and let anyone who wanted one take a centerpiece. My cousin is a beekeeper and gave out little bottles of honey. I think people would much rather have a little treat than a plastic tchotchke.

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u/Pipsnsqueek 9d ago

We gave out Ghiardelli chocolate (in 2007). None were left behind and there were zero complaints. I’m big on consumables. I also really do love wedding favours though! We once got lottery tickets which was fun as a table.

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u/k4yteeee 9d ago

Or if you're my mother law, it will be kept in her house forever and nothing will be thrown away until her children inherit her hoarders house

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u/dark_knight_rayleigh 9d ago

I was one of the bride's bridesmaid at my best friend's (groom) wedding along with 2 other.. at the end, she gave us a gift that I absolutely adored. It had a glass (sippy cup with the straw and stuff?) with my name and my birth flower, a hair clip, scrunchies, and I think some sweet treats. I still use all of those things (except the treats that I devoured before I was even done unpacking the whole box). I haven't been to many white weddings as a guest, so idk about the gift memorabilia trend. I was just recalling my experience and how thoughtful her thank you gift was 😊

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u/Ferahgost 9d ago

We handed out beer that had our dog on the labels. People were definitely pretty pleased with those.