Although you do not need to give prizes for games, doing so adds to the fun. Consider a bag to give each guest as they leave with a sweet treat, tea bag, and one or two other small items.
There's no doubt, that party favors are traditional accoutrements for weddings, bridal showers and baptisms, but when given to guests at dinner parties or tea parties they provide that finishing touch that shows just how much attention you paid to the details while planning your event. Guests generally expect to see some sort of personalized memento when attending celebrations for more formal life events, but your friends and colleagues certainly will not expect a guest gift at a simple weekend dinner.
That is what makes these small mementos all the more meaningful as tokens of your appreciation to thank them for coming.
If you are interested in taking your gatherings to the next level with party favors that are sure to be remembered, there are lots of budget-friendly options you can pick up at the last minute or make by hand before your event. Here are just some of the social gatherings that you can easily enhance by adding a little something for your guests to take home with them:
- Weddings
- Vow renewals
- Dinner parties
- Baby showers
- Bridal showers
- Couple showers
- Bachelor and bachelorette parties
- Graduation parties
- Birthday parties (for kids or adults)
- Baptisms
- Retirement parties
- Garden parties
- Tea parties
- Holiday parties
- Sunday brunches, lunches and dinners
- Funerals, celebrations of life and memorials
Keep in mind that your party favors should be related to the theme of the party, if possible. Your budget and number of guests will guide you on how much you spend on each one of them. For smaller parties, you can spend a little more time or money on the guest gifts and make them a bit more personal and special for those attending this more intimate gathering. For larger events, you will need to choose a favor that is affordable enough to keep you in budget while still giving every guest something to take home.
If you are particularly crafty or really enjoy do-it-yourself projects, you can make favors for larger parties by hand, but this is a time-consuming endeavor that may take away from your other party planning tasks. Depending on the type of event, you might even be able to have your guests create their own mementos as a fun activity that is part of the party.
