Wedding favors and thank-you gifts - how much do they cost?
Pick a favor and decide whether every guest or every household gets one. Add gifts for the people closest to you, and we will add it all up with a realistic price range.
Prices updated: · United States (USD) · free, no sign-up
Calculator result
Favors and gifts in total
$1,380
from $800to $2,550
- Guest favors
- 115
- Per guest
- $4
- Favors, place cards, welcome bags
- Your people
- $980
Where the money goes
- Guest favors115 × $2.50$290
- Place cards115 × $1$115
- Parents2 × $150$300
- Grandparents2 × $40$80
- Wedding party8 × $75$600
- Order 5% more favors than guests - someone is always added late, and something breaks or goes missing when the tables are set.
- A favor that doubles as an escort card (e.g. a cookie with a name tag) is two in one - less on the table and a lower cost.
How we calculate
- A favor for every guest or for every couple and family - in that case we assume about 2 guests per invitation.
- Prices are per piece, packaging included. DIY is the cost of materials only, usually 30-50% less.
- Place cards are counted for every guest, since everyone has their own seat. Welcome bags are counted per hotel room.
- Gifts for parents, grandparents, and the wedding party are counted separately at the level you choose.
Cheat sheet: prices and good practice
Cost per piece (2026)
- Candy, cookies, custom chocolates: $1.50-4
- Mini honey or jam: $3-6
- Mini liquor bottle: $4-9
- Succulent or seed packet: $2-5
- Escort or place cards: $0.50-2
- Welcome bags: $12-35
Gifts for your people
- Parents: $100-250 per couple, often given at the rehearsal dinner
- Wedding party: $40-150 each, given at the rehearsal dinner or the morning of the wedding
- A handwritten note often means more than the gift itself
Questions and answers
Are wedding favors required?
No. Many couples skip them or replace them with a donation, a dessert bar, or late-night snacks. If you give favors, $2-5 per guest is typical.
How much should we spend on wedding party gifts?
Usually $40-150 per person, depending on how much they spent to be in your wedding. Many couples also give each set of parents a gift of about $100-250.
Calculate next
- Wedding invitations Invitations counted per household, not per guest, with extras only for printing and postage only for what you mail.
- Wedding decor Tables, arch, lighting, backdrop, and chairs - with tables counted from your guest list and a DIY option.
- Wedding budget A full wedding budget in 30 seconds - from catering to wedding bands, with price ranges.
- Dessert table How many mini desserts per guest, how many kinds and what it costs - with the display and add-on stations.
For the party itself
Games every guest plays at once
Couple trivia, awards and a finale on the big screen. Guests join with a QR code on their phones, no app to download.