Estimating costs for make your own wedding favors

Estimating the cost of making your own wedding favors is both easy and efficient

Photo Credit: Mindy W.M. Chung
By Christina VanGinkel

Weddings are often one of the most expensive ventures that we as adults will partake in next to a house or vehicle purchase. Thankfully, there are ways to save on various costs. One small way to start is to make your own favors for table decorations. Estimating the actual costs will give you a good idea on whether it is monetarily worth creating your own or if you should just take the plunge and put them on your list of needed purchases. With all the hustle and bustle associated with a wedding, also keep in mind that any time spent making items needs to be weighed into the equation.

Estimating How Many Needed

Consider how many favors you are going to need. Estimate the number of guests that will be in attendance and how many tables need to be decorated. If the guest list is small, you can figure one per guest. If the guest list is high, you can turn to the table count and decide on how many per table will make a nice visual display. Then add in at least enough to provide for about fifty percent of the number of guests.

Comparing Purchased to Made

Next, start making a list with prices of favors that you could purchase already completed. Make sure to take all costs, including any shipping charges, into consideration. If the favors vary greatly in design and quality, also make special note of this.

Next, look at what you would need to create favors yourself. If you are planning on a simple design, such as mints in tulle with a bit of ribbon, as long as you know approximately how many finished pieces you will need, you should be able to do a relatively simple quick estimate. If you are planning to do something a bit more dramatic and detailed, make a list of any materials you will need, including individual cost of all items, and include any additional materials needed for assembly including glue, stamps, etc.

Half-and-Half

If you come across a pre-made favor that is very inexpensive, but a bit dull, consider if it would be cost and time saving to combine purchased and made by dressing up these dull but inexpensive favors. One favor I saw resembled a small treasure chest that could be filled with small candies. Cute ideas for a beach wedding, but the chests themselves were blah. By adding some spray glitter to each before filling and tying closed with some ribbon, those very inexpensive favors could be transformed for just a small amount of extra money and time.

Estimating

Once all materials are listed, add the total, and times it by the amount of finished favors needed. Also, consider the amount of time that would be needed to make all the favors in comparison to ordering and picking up already made favors. Put a value on your time. If you are already short on time, consider if the amount of money you will save is worth the time you are going to have to spend making the favors, or delegating the task to someone else. Looking for remote Python developers ? Contact us.

After all is said and done, favors will be a relatively small part of this special day in your life. Keep this in perspective as you consider dollar amount you will end up spending no matter the choice, and time used if going the route of making them yourself.