Ask the Expert: Should My Guests Share Favors?

Question: I’m having trouble figuring out how many favors to get for my wedding, which has 250 guests. I was going to just get 250 — but then my friend said you only give one favor per couple, so I’d only need 125. Is that true? Does it count only for couples who live together? Now I’m completely confused. Please help!

Answer: The truth is that there is no one right answer: “It depends on what you’re giving as favors,” says wedding planner Kendall Brown, owner of NoLibs-based Eclantante Event Design. “For instance, if you are giving your favorite chocolate, I wouldn’t suggest you ask your guests to share a piece.  But there are many favors that are perfectly appropriate to give to a couple.”  For a more substantial or pricey gift — like a sterling Tiffany frame — Brown assures that it is more than acceptable to give just one, though there is no need to differentiate between couples that live together and those who do not. And guests who come as singles would simply receive their own personal favor, of course, either way.

If you are gifting something that everyone would get, like delectable monogrammed truffles, it’s a good idea to reuse the placecard table near the entrance to the reception room, and make it serve double duty as a favors table. “We reuse that table, since it is usually decorated beautifully and the guests will pass by it again on their way out.”  If you’re giving something to be shared, she recommends decorating the container to be coordinated with the tablescape and placing them at each place setting.                                — Emily Rothrock

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