42+ Adorable wedding favors and gifts for the kitchen

It's a known fact that the kitchen is seen as the heart of every home, and rightly so. That is why adorable (and affordable!) wedding favors and gifts for the kitchen is definitely the right way to go when deciding how to thank your wedding guests.

Most people love to eat, drink and socialize, so anything that can indulge the senses or make kitchen entertainment easier, is a good choice.

I’ve decided, as a renegade foodie myself, that this post should definitely happen right now! Why? Because in this point in time, people are realizing the value of good company and great food. Enjoy the collection, and check out the end of this post for some helpful tips and frequently asked questions.

Cooking & Serving

Your wedding guests do not have to be aspiring Michelin star chefs (or maybe some of them are…), but people need to eat. Giving them a favor that will help them with cooking, or simply to entertain them while they’re making their dinner, is always a good idea.

Also, remember that there will be plenty of couples at your wedding, so you can always do gender specific gifts for each table if you like. If you want to give cute, personalized spatulas as wedding favors for her, opt for giving something more masculine to the men, like bottle openers for example.

Barware & Bar Accessories

Barware and accessories are always great tools to have on hand when entertaining guests in your home. These types of wedding favors can be specially handpicked and even personalized to give that extra touch. Anything from bottle openers to wine stoppers can be given as wedding favors, and there is a wide range to choose from. I especially love the unique ones, like an ampersand/word bottle opener, or a useful two-in-one type of item.

Organizing the Kitchen

You don’t have to necessarily give something for the specific purpose of organizing the kitchen, but think about how the wedding favor can be used after the wedding. For example, giving magnets, so that important memos can be pinned to the fridge, or, giving jars and containers filled with edible gifts, which can be used afterwards to store spices and pantry items.

Setting the Table

Most of your wedding guests will set out a table when entertaining people in their home, so why not give them something to help decorate the table with? Cutesy items like matching salt and pepper shakers, or coasters that will complete the look. Think of practical items, and also consider things that can be personalized to make it extra special.

Drinkware & Accessories

Drinkware and accessories are popular gifts for wedding favors, and can be used in the kitchen over and over again. The possibilities are endless as more beautiful ceramic and glass items are entering the market. I especially love personalized glassware, and have listed some of my favorites here. You can also give accessories, such as tea infusers, cup holders and coasters (see the previous section).

Linen Favors

Beautifully embroidered or patterned linen for the kitchen (such as tablecloths, tea towels, etc) make perfect wedding favors, because you can incorporate it into your wedding decor as well if you want to. If you have a specific style, such as floral elements, at your wedding then you can give floral napkins or tea towels as gifts. Don’t forget about the guys that will attend your wedding: think about things they can use at the bbq or grill (see next section).

Grilling & BBQ

I though I’d include this section here as well, because technically it will be part of the kitchen… because, you know… food. Wedding favors for the grill and bqq will be quite popular with the men at the wedding, and kudos if you can give them something they can use every other weekend when having friends over for a game. These make great wedding favors for small weddings, where you can splurge a little more on items for your wedding guests or the bridal party.

Edible wedding favors

The best wedding favors to give at a wedding are edible ones. Guests will always take these home, and if they don’t, someone else will. The options really are endless here, and you can personalize your packaging with stickers and ribbon of you want to. See the next section on packaging ideas for your wedding favors.

Packaging ideas for your wedding favors

Don’t forget about presentation! You can use anything from boxes to jars and cellophane packets for your wedding favors. Try to find colors and themes that will match with your wedding style, and add a ribbon if you like. Personalized packaging will also make your gifts extra special, and will remind your wedding guests about this day whenever they see that jar or tiny box. Don’t be afraid to get creative with this — and also keep your budget in mind.

7 Tips for choosing wedding favors for the kitchen

1. Choose something useful to give to wedding guests

Useful wedding favors will rarely get left behind. So make sure that you give your guests something that won’t end up on the mantelpiece, or worse, in the trash.

2. Stick to your budget

Your budget is the most important key to ensure that your wedding is successful, and that you don’t end up with a lot of debt afterwards. In fact, it’s so important that it is one of the first things I designed for brides to help them create their wedding budget from scratch. View the printable wedding budget planner and tracker for brides over here if you still need to set yours up.

3. When in doubt, go with something edible

If you are really clueless about what to give as wedding favors, the best option is to go with something they can eat (or drink). Anything from sweets to snacks, and hot chocolate mixes will fill your guests’ hearts with joy — and I can guarantee that no wedding favor will get left behind.

4. Personalized is always a good idea

It just makes the wedding favor extra special if you add a custom thank you note, or your names and the wedding date to the item. Also, to save some money, add each guests’ name to their wedding favor to double as their place cards for when they need to find their seat.

5. Check expiry dates

A side note on giving edible wedding favors: always check the expiry date! If your wedding is only a few months later, rather buy/make your edible favors closer to the big day to ensure a longer shelf life.

6. Package for perfection

It’s a great idea to choose wedding favor packaging that will go with your wedding look and style at the reception. If you use a specific color palette, why not buy ribbon in that color, or specific colored boxes. You can also add a glam factor to your tables with glitter or metallic pouches or boxes.

7. Be creative and unique

Your wedding guests will appreciate the wow factor you bring to your wedding reception if you deciding on giving something different than “the usual”. You can give unique gifts with creative packaging if you feel like it — it’s your wedding! If you want to write a special note for each guest and add it to their wedding favor, do it! If each favor’s packaging is a different color of your wedding palette, then make it so. You can do anything you like, as it really is the thought that counts.

Tanya Viljoen

Founder of The Wedding Club

Tanya is a wedding industry pro and content creator. She is passionate about all things wedding, and aims to give useful and actionable info for brides, as well as wedding planners. When she’s not planning, researching and writing content, her teacher skills kick in and creating courses and eBooks is the next stop. She also loves drinking chai tea!