How many wedding favours do you need?

Wedding favours are a small thank-you for the people who share your day. The most common question is simply how many to order. This guide gives you a quick way to work it out by guest count, with a few tips so you don't end up short on the day.

One per guest, or one per couple?

There are two usual approaches, and both are perfectly fine:

One favour per guest. Everyone gets their own, and every place setting looks the same. This is the simplest choice if your favours sit on the table at each place, or double as place cards.
One favour per couple or household. Couples and families share one favour. This roughly halves the number you need, which helps if you've chosen a larger or more detailed favour.

Many couples mix the two: one per couple for most guests, plus individual favours for the wedding party, parents, grandparents or anyone who has travelled a long way.

How many favours to order by guest count

Use your final guest list, not the invitation list, and add a small buffer of about 5 to 10 percent. The buffer covers last-minute plus-ones, a favour that gets damaged or lost in transit, and a few spares for the couple to keep as a memento.

Guests	One per guest (with buffer)	One per couple (with buffer)
30	32 to 33	16 to 17
50	53 to 55	27 to 28
80	84 to 88	42 to 44
100	105 to 110	53 to 55
120	126 to 132	63 to 66
150	158 to 165	79 to 83

The "per couple" column assumes most guests come in pairs. If your guest list has a lot of single guests, families or children, count households instead, and round up.

Day guests and evening guests

If you have separate day and evening guests, decide early whether evening guests get favours too. A common approach is to put favours at the wedding breakfast place settings for day guests, and then leave a basket or tray of spare favours near the exit for evening guests to take as they leave. In that case, add your evening numbers to the total, or order a slightly smaller extra batch for the basket.

Children at the wedding

Think about whether a favour is suitable for each guest. Candle favours, wax melts and anything with a flame or small parts are best for adults. For younger guests, you may prefer to leave them out of the count, or give their favour to the adult they are with.

Budgeting for favours

A quick way to budget is to multiply your number of favours by the price per favour shown on the listing. Always check the Etsy listing for the price per item, quantity options and personalisation choices before you order, as some favours are listed as sets or boxes rather than single pieces. For larger numbers, message me on Etsy to talk through options.

Making favours match your wedding

Colour. Several of the candle favours come in a custom colour, so they can match your flowers, bridesmaid dresses or table linen.
Other occasions. The same favours work for birthdays, showers and corporate events. See favours for every occasion.
Names. Some favours can be personalised with a tag, and the shell favours can carry guest names so they double as place cards.
Packaging. Boxed favours with ribbon are easy to place at each setting and easy for guests to carry home.

Order in good time

Handmade favours are poured and finished in small batches, so give yourself plenty of time before the wedding, especially for larger numbers or personalised details. The easiest way to check timings for your date is to message me on Etsy with your guest count, colours and wedding date before you order.