Gifts for wedding guests. 20 ideas

Why should you give your guests gifts?

The bride and groom often invite guests from the farthest corners of the world to their wedding, and sometimes even from the other side of the world. A very nice way to thank you for their visit, which often involves long travel, vacations and very high costs, is to give them a special gift. However, even if your guests come to your wedding from nearby parties, such a symbolic gift is always an extremely nice gesture and a bow to the invitees to thank them for their presence and participation on such an important day. Once the wedding is over, each gift will be an extension of your celebration and an item that will become a memory of that special occasion.

Useful little things

If the bride and groom want to give each of those present at the wedding not just a memorable or tasty gift, but also a useful one, then there are several ideas that will definitely be useful to the newlyweds. Useful and inexpensive gifts should be such that they will definitely be useful in any household. For example, a set of beautiful paper or fabric napkins. In addition, you can present small boxes with decorative candles or handmade soap to your guests. Just remember that such gifts must be paired. That is, you cannot give just one candle or one soap.

Small bottles with various aromatic oils or special bath salts are perfect as a useful gift. They can be packed in cute bags that are available in every souvenir shop. These can also be incense sticks that will bring joy, happiness and prosperity into the house.

Tea is perfect as a gift. It should be the type of tea that all guests will enjoy. To make the box different from an ordinary pack of tea, you can order special stickers with different inscriptions. For example, “From a young family”, “Enjoy your tea” and others. A paired set of some spices will also be a useful gift for each of the guests. Try not to choose rare and expensive spices. It is better to give preference to such classic spices that everyone uses. In addition, you can purchase original sets of salt and pepper shakers in advance - such a thing will definitely come in handy in every home.

Nowadays you can easily find such items in the form of doves, which will be very symbolic for a wedding gift.

It’s a good idea to give a beautiful stand for a teapot or pan. Today, many craftsmen make similar items with original inscriptions or memorable dates. And this is exactly what you need for a gift. You can also purchase original and unusual coasters for mugs. They can be made of wood, silicone or some other material.

You can present each guest with an original tea strainer. For example, it can be in the shape of a heart. And as an addition, you can put several tea bags or a whole pack in the gift bag. Such a useful little thing as a notepad will be useful to every person. Therefore, each guest can be given such a gift. Now there are many different notebooks of various shapes and with different inscriptions on the cover. For such a case, you can choose, for example, notebooks “For joyful moments”, “For important meetings” and other suitable ones.

In some countries, there is a tradition when at a wedding celebration the bride and groom give small sweet gifts to everyone present. Any chocolate candies in beautiful and bright packaging are perfect as a sweet gift. For them, you should purchase small souvenir bags in advance. Don't forget to check the exact number of guests so that there are enough bags of sweets for everyone.

The bags can be ordinary ones from a souvenir store, or you can make them to order.

In this case, a logo can be made on the bag - the initials of the bride and groom, and the date of their marriage. If there are a lot of guests, then you should not order bags that are too large. A size that will fit eight to ten large candies will be sufficient. By the way, there should be an even number of sweets. That is, each candy must have a pair.

Now you can order chocolates of any shape with any inscription. Each guest will be pleased to receive a box of delicious and memorable chocolates from the bride and groom as a gift. By the way, the box can also be made to order, for example, with a photo of the newlyweds. Homemade cookies or marshmallows are also suitable as a sweet gift. These homemade sweets can be packed in beautiful cardboard boxes. To make your sweet gift special, you can bake unusual cookies. For example, fortune cookies. It is easy to prepare, and guests will be pleased to treat themselves to them and read warm wishes from the newlyweds.

Gifts for wedding guests – Honey

An interesting and sweet idea is to give a jar of honey. You can buy honey from a local beekeeper and tiny jars from an online store. For decoration, use a tag that includes your names and wedding date or the word "Thank you." A little accent like that can really add a lot of fun...

We make presents with our own hands

Nowadays, thanks to the Internet, making many things has become much easier. The video shows a master class that describes in detail how and from what materials bonbonnieres should be made:

In order to emphasize the theme of the celebration, you need to select the necessary additional elements for decoration. You can also add small cards to the chocolate, on which words of gratitude are written to loved ones who came to the celebration. to individually sign each chocolate bowl with the name of the guest.

Personalized wedding bonbonnieres with chocolates

For small sweets, paper wrappers are made with photographs of the newlyweds or with wedding symbols (rings, wedding cake or doves). Ready-made gifts are placed in handmade boxes.

Currently, in stores you can find everything you need to make and decorate such gifts yourself. It should be noted that the figures themselves must be prepared in advance so that everything can be done in a timely manner without rushing.

Gifts for wedding guests - homemade canned food

Homemade, delicious canned food is another gift idea for invited guests. Handmade jam should delight every palate. You can prepare these preparations a few weeks before the wedding. Don't forget to decorate the jar beautifully. The decoration can relate to the theme of your wedding.

Gifts for wedding guests - sweets

Beautifully packaged scones, sweet chocolates, and white almonds or macaroons and lollipops will be a nice way of thanking your wedding guests. Everyone loves sweets, so you can definitely give such a gift to everyone.

Gifts for wedding guests – alcohol

Another gift idea, but only for adults, is alcohol. A small, beautifully decorated bottle of alcohol will not go to waste. You can buy tiny bottles of champagne in the store, and we also recommend making a homemade tincture. A delicious quince, cherry or raspberry pie will allow your guests to have a pleasant evening at home and remind them of your wedding.

Gifts for wedding guests – magnet

Or maybe a wooden magnet with your initials and wedding date on it would be a good gift idea for your wedding guests? Through thick and thin! A magnet is certainly a gift that you can personalize to your liking in terms of colors, shapes, motifs and messages, but above all, it is something that will stay with your guests forever!

A little history

The custom of giving gifts to guests dates back to the 16th century. Such luxury was available only to very rich people. As a rule, they gave then rare Indian sweets in richly decorated boxes. Later, in France, they began to give chocolate-covered almonds in such boxes.

From the French word “bon-bon” (candy) comes the name of a beautiful, small, elegant box - “bonbonniere”. Five candies were placed in the bonbonniere as a wish for health, longevity, fertility, wealth and happiness.

A modern wedding is a whole event with a luxurious ceremony and a delicious and cheerful banquet. Guests are given not only small gifts as a token of appreciation and gratitude to the newlyweds, but also prizes for participating in competitions. There are many options for designing sweet “compliments” and prizes. Also, you need to think about at what point the newlyweds will present gifts to their family and friends.

Gifts for wedding guests – figurines

Luckily, a glass angel, a heart of gold or perhaps a porcelain elephant? You can also choose this gift to match your wedding theme. This is another type of gift that will become a memory of your holiday and will become an important decoration in the homes of your loved ones.

What to give to guests?

Prizes for wedding competitions can be anything, the main thing is that they are appropriate. You should buy gifts in advance so as not to waste time on shopping on the last day.

However, the newlyweds do not always decide which prizes to buy. Quite often the choice is entrusted to the toastmaster. In this case, be sure to check out the list of competitions and prizes to avoid any unpleasant situations.

Useful little things

Gifts for wedding competitions can even be sold in the nearest supermarket . Your own imagination will help you choose them. For example, a chocolate bar can be a nice prize if you give it to a guest with a wish for a sweet life. Go to your local hardware store and you'll see some good prizes there too. For example, a set of hair ties can be a wonderful gift in competitions designed specifically for girls.

Important! You should not give low quality items. Even if the gift is very cheap, it should look decent. There are a huge number of things that you can buy for a ridiculous amount, but play in such a way that all guests will want to get such a thing.

And if you go to a low-price store, which is now available almost everywhere, a huge scope opens up for creative ideas. Here are some very simple examples of things that can serve as prizes for competitions:

stationery - pens, rulers, notepads;
household goods - soap, shampoo or dishwashing sponge;
beauty products that are advisable to use in competitions for girls - washing sponges, beautiful hair clips, hand creams;
kitchen utensils - tea strainers, cup stands, baking tins;
useful little things - a shoehorn, clothespins, silicone cloths for cleaning laptop keyboards;
just cute things - soft toys, anti-stress pillows, head massagers.

Many of the listed souvenirs cost less than 100, or even 50 rubles.

Alcohol

If you give alcohol, then only good alcohol. However, not all newlyweds can afford a bottle of expensive cognac, and it is inappropriate to give too expensive gifts. It is optimal to give small bottles (about 200 ml) of good alcoholic drinks; it is inexpensive and quite convenient. If you really want to give a large bottle as a gift, you should organize a special competition for this, where this prize will be a worthy reward.

Sweets - which ones to buy?

If you give guests a delicious candy, a small cake or a lollipop as a prize, it will all be simply eaten, especially if the award is given for a table competition. It turns out that the guest will not even take anything with him from the wedding, he will only have time to taste the edible prize.

Note! If you give edible prizes, then only those that cannot be eaten right away, so that the guests have at least something left as a memory of your holiday.

For example, a good gift would be a jar of jam, which, moreover, the presenter will be able to play correctly. Here are some more examples of sweet gifts:

beautiful packaging of macarons;
lollipops;
marmalade;
cookies in a holiday box.

Handmade

Handmade gifts are not always good . Firstly, handmade items can be quite expensive, in which case they fall into the category of inappropriate gifts that will embarrass the guest. Secondly, a handmade gift made unprofessionally is also unlikely to be appreciated. The exception is if it has some kind of emotional connotation, for example, it was made by a child specifically as a prize.

But, despite these shortcomings, there are plenty of excellent souvenirs among the handmade prizes:

postcards using scrapbooking technique;
Stuffed Toys;
Handmade soap;
stylish decorative figurines.

Photos

All guests will be pleased to take the photographs with them as a prize. These do not necessarily have to be photographs from the wedding; you can also use previously taken photographs of memorable moments.

One option is photographs of newlyweds . Please note that only close relatives or friends will be pleased to receive prizes with such photos; others may not appreciate such a gift. Photos do not necessarily have to be printed; you can put them on some souvenirs, for example, magnets.

Another option is to give funny photos of guests . These should be personalized gifts intended for specific people. The photographs can depict significant moments or just some funny shots. Try to choose a photo so as not to offend the person. In this case, competitions need to be tailored to specific people. You can trust this to the toastmaster.

Souvenirs

Wedding gifts with images can be very different; it is not at all necessary to put photographs of the newlyweds or guests on them. They may also contain original inscriptions or congratulations. Texts can be universal or intended for a specific guest. You can put inscriptions on pens, mugs, T-shirts and other things.

Also, the prizes may have some kind of symbolism designed specifically for the event . Of course, the presenter must explain to everyone the meaning of the symbols.

This is interesting: you can arrange a whole quest with adventures, the reward for which will be a gift, the meaning of which is understood only by the people present at the event.

Various funny pictures and inscriptions look great on the prizes. A funny picture will definitely cheer up the guests and enliven the event. The main thing is that the picture is not offensive, vulgar or offensive.

Presentations with images can be made in the form of predictions . Then you can arrange not a competition, but a comic fortune-telling. For example, come up with good wishes that every guest would be pleased to receive.

You can also put text on the prize stating that it was made at your wedding, the date of the event and the location. Of course, this should not be simple, but beautifully designed text.

Cool stuff

It doesn’t hurt to add a little humor to any event program with competitions. You can laugh not only during the competition itself, but also at the gift that comes with it. Examples of cool prizes:

colorful ties from a carnival store;
clown noses;
fan pipes;
firecrackers.

An interesting idea: you can turn even the most ordinary thing into a comic prize if you correctly tie it to the theme of the competition and come up with a good joke for it in advance.

Original ideas

What gifts are usually given for competitions? Most often, completely ordinary things. But some newlyweds do not want to give something standard, but want to present their guests with original prizes. Such things can also be found for very little money:

Board games are great entertainment for a large group of guests. They help create a relaxed, comfortable, fun atmosphere at any party. Therefore, a board game as a prize is a wonderful and, moreover, very unexpected option. The stores sell a huge number of small board games, for example, “Mafia”, “Uno” or “Svintus”;
A beautiful lamp is also a very good and useful gift. In stores you can find lamps with very unusual designs;
A heating pad with a charger function will not only help you charge your phone at any time, but will also keep you warm in cold weather. This is a very unusual, but at the same time useful prize.

In addition, original prizes may be related to some theme . If the wedding itself is themed, you can tie gifts for guests into this. For example, an original prize at a Japanese-style wedding could be the book “Memoirs of a Geisha.”

Another unexpected gift is a gourmet book. Every country has unusual dishes that are worth trying. This book has a whole list of such dishes with their descriptions and country of origin. Such a prize can motivate a person to make gastronomic discoveries and he will definitely like it.

Of course, there can be much more original, beautiful and unusual prizes for a wedding. These are just a few examples of what you can give. Please note that original gifts often cost an order of magnitude more than ordinary things and are much more difficult to find, so think in advance where you will look for such prizes.

Gifts for wedding guests – flower

Tiny cactus pots look super cute and fit in with the latest wedding trends. This mini flower is a truly elegant gift that will bring a smile to everyone's face. Or perhaps there is a chance that many of your guests will grow them into a plant that will decorate their homes?

What to gift?

In the pre-wedding bustle, it’s easy to forget about gifts for guests, because you need to choose a host, book a location, buy a bride’s dress and do about 148 other important things. Such inattention to compliments is undeserved, because they are the ones who will retain warm memories of the wedding.

The choice of wedding favors is influenced by two parameters: cost and usefulness. In pursuit of affordable options, you risk making unnecessary and banal gifts - for example, a refrigerator magnet or a pocket calendar.

On the other hand, expensive and exclusive compliments will hit the family budget, and guests will feel awkward - after all, they should take care of significant gifts, and not vice versa. This means that the best option is universal and original gifts at an average price.

Healthy sweets

Honey is one of the most obvious gifts to give to guests. After all, the newlyweds are beginning their honeymoon, and small jars of healthy treats will give loved ones a piece of the warmth of a new family.

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Another way to sweeten the lives of your loved ones is to give them a jar of homemade jam. The bride can prepare it herself or order it from Hello, honey - the workshop works not only with honey, but also with jam.

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Wax candles

Another way to share the warmth of the family hearth is to give handmade beeswax candles. You can make these at master classes in the “Park of Crafts” at VDNKh; they also sell ready-made ones there.

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Succulents

An evergreen plant in a jar is a gift that will preserve wedding memories for many years and will grow stronger with your new family. Such a souvenir does not require complex care, fits easily into any interior and simply looks stylish:

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Succulents are a fashionable trend in wedding compliments. The variety of plants allows you to choose different options and not repeat them with anyone else. For this purpose, Hello, honey has 18 flower gifts, check them all.

Gifts for wedding guests – photo frame

If you decide to hold an engagement party, you can frame the most beautiful picture and give it to each of the invited guests. Such a gift is a really nice souvenir that will be kept in the homes of your loved ones and will leave you with the best memories of this special time.

Gifts for wedding guests - scented candles

An interesting gift idea for wedding guests are candles with a wonderful aroma. Can you give all your guests the same type of candle, or maybe those ladies with the scent of the queen of flowers - rose and men with the deep scent of blackcurrant? Consider personalized lettering too!

Almost without investment: ideas for free gifts for guests from newlyweds

An option with virtually no material costs would be notes with wishes and words of gratitude.

They are made in the form of miniature scrolls, tied with twine or ribbon. The scroll itself is made from thick paper, which can be decorated with appliques, lace, and prints.

Write words of gratitude on such a message and hang small gifts for your wedding guests on the wish tree or place them near the guests’ plates.

An inexpensive option would be fruits or gifts made from natural materials. It is enough to attach a leaf with a wish to an apple or pear and an almost free gift for guests is ready. This option is especially interesting if such fruits are grown in your own garden.

You can use pine cones as natural ingredients.

They are given an original look by spraying gold, bronze or silver paint.

You can attach a pointer to such a cone using a toothpick, which will also serve as a means of indicating the seating areas of guests and will provide an opportunity to write brief words of gratitude.

If you are into herbs, you can worry about it in advance and prepare aromatic plants.

You can make original collections from them. All that remains is to sew the sachet bags.

Gifts for wedding guests – soap

Fragrant soaps are something pleasant for the soul and body. The scent you choose can stimulate the senses and make using it a unique experience. This gift soap can come in a variety of shapes, colors and be packaged however you wish. Also consider making your own soap - it's not that difficult, search online for natural cosmetics ingredients and check out the recipes!

Tips for choosing gifts for guests

The tradition of giving gifts to guests at your own wedding dates back to Ancient Rus'. According to custom, the bride prepared gifts in advance for the groom's close relatives: she sewed and embroidered scarves, shawls and tablecloths for the future mother-in-law and the boyfriend's sisters, shirts and muslin for the future husband and his brothers. The future husband also did not remain in debt and gave gifts to the bride’s relatives. The richer the betrothed's gifts were, the more enviable the groom was considered.

Today, gifts for wedding competitions to guests are designed to please their recipients and lift their spirits. Interesting and practical, they make you want to take part and win the competition. However, when choosing a prize, there are several important points to consider:

Take into account the age category. It is clear that gifts for young people are not entirely appropriate to give to representatives of the older generation.
Don't buy expensive things. The main recipients of gifts at a wedding celebration are young people. This is a tradition and it’s the way it is. Gifts to guests for competitions are a pleasant bonus to the feast. If a guest is given something significant for his usual participation in a competition, then the person will develop a sense of obligation to the donor. Also, saving on cost is especially important if the planned budget for the event is not too large.

You can create a gift right at the wedding by making a unique keychain out of a wine cork

When buying inexpensive gifts, do not forget about the quality of the item. In any store you can find nice, inexpensive little things of good quality. This is especially true for rewards for children and food products.
It is advisable to prepare gifts for wedding competitions in quantities slightly larger than you plan to give. This must be done in case the competition goes to several participants at once.
If you are planning a themed party, then the idea of the gift and its design should not stand out from the overall picture of the holiday.
It would be great if the rewards for participating in different competitions were different. Thus, each guest will receive a pleasant unexpected surprise. This forethought will also come in handy if the same person participates in several competitions.

Gifts for wedding guests - badges and keychains

This is another great idea to stop this moment forever! Pins and keychains with your initials, names, wedding date or photo or favorite slogan can be worn by guests attached to a backpack, bag or corkboard. Keychains, on the other hand, provide a practical gadget that guests can carry with their keys or other accessories after the wedding.

Gifts for wedding guests - fortune cookies

Or perhaps introduce a bit of a mysterious aura, a world of prophecy and wonder? Make traditional Chinese cookies with fortune notes inside. The prophecies can be tailored to your expectations (would it be best to relate to love, or perhaps be fun?) and be distributed randomly to guests. This is a very attractive and original form of gift!

Gifts for wedding guests - soap bubbles

A new trend that is becoming increasingly popular. Especially among the young wedding participants, but not only. The magic and charm of soap bubbles will steal the hearts of guests of all ages. This is also a unique idea for an event setup. Give your guests bubbles in advance and ask them to blow them after leaving church, during the first dance, or during the session. “Wow” effect is guaranteed!

Gifts for wedding guests - individual key

A gift with a hidden message? Here he is! Order a custom key design that fits with your wedding theme (although the most impressive are keys styled after older models with "soul"), and on the included tag write your names, wedding date and a short thank you note that will refer to the key itself, for example, that you thank guests for jointly opening new doors in your life.

Gifts for wedding guests - lottery ticket

Sometimes guests give lottery tickets to the bride and groom, but maybe surprise your guests this time? This is a nice gesture that proves that the couple wishes their guests to prosper, and at the same time is a form of play and surprise, the ending of which will only be in the future. A thrill, and ultimately, maybe a big win?

The perfect gift for wedding guests? Of course, one that evokes positive emotions, but above all, one that relates to you and reflects your hobbies and interests, as well as the style of your wedding. Every guest will appreciate your gesture and will undoubtedly have a pleasant time with you!

Candy buffet

Eye magnet! An assortment of candies in color, shape and type is sure to delight your guests. You can even replace dessert with this sweet buffet! Give your guests personalized wedding gift bags and let them get their fill of delicious candy.

Once you've chosen which candies to add to your wedding, you need to decide how to present them to your guest. You can do the following:

Wrap the candies in cellophane, tulle or organza gift bags. Your guest will appreciate your thoughtfulness if you wrap the chocolates in wedding favor bags as it is very convenient for them when interacting with other guests. It's even better if the bags match your wedding theme, say your wedding theme is flowers, then choose floral prints for your wedding bags.
Place candy in wedding favor boxes. If desired, you can place candy in wedding favor boxes and place them on each table. Decorate the boxes in the colors of your wedding bouquet or in the colors of your wedding surroundings; not only will this provide an interesting conversation piece for your guests, but the boxes can be reused in the future.
Make candy with a different offer. If you have a budget, you don't have to limit yourself to providing just one service. Variety is what can make your wedding special.

You can give candy as another gift, such as putting candy in personalized shot glass wedding favors. These two gifts together subtly evoke the “intoxicating sweetness” of your wedding celebration.