Almost every favor order reaches us with the same question attached: how many. It has to be answered first, because the quantity drives the lead time, the packaging and whether it can be ready for the date at all. This guide is the order we work through it ourselves, from bulk orders we have put together in Medellín.
How many favors to order
The most common mistake is counting by person. A favor is not taken home by each guest separately, it is taken home by each group that leaves together. A couple takes one, a family of four takes one or two.
So count by invitation, not by head. A list of 120 guests is almost never 120 favors, it usually comes out at 70 to 85. On top of that number add a 10% margin: someone always turns up late, and you always want to leave one for whoever helped with the flowers or the music.
Ask for that margin at the start. Adding eight pieces to the original batch costs less than reordering eight afterwards, because a second order restarts the whole process from zero.
What people order most
The resin keychain with the initial of the guest's name, bagged one by one with a card. That is what the photo above shows: each bag carries the initial, the name on a small tag and a written line for that person.
The practical advantage of naming each piece is that it does two jobs: the favor is also the place card. It sits on the plate, people look for their name to find their seat, and you do not have to order table cards separately.
The other presentation people ask for a lot is the small box with a bow, when you want the gift to look closed on the table rather than bagged.
Named per guest, or one design for everyone
Both work, and the choice comes down to one concrete thing: whether your guest list is closed or still moving.
- Named per guest. Doubles as the place card, gets kept the longest, and needs the final list. If people are still confirming two weeks out, this one will stress you.
- One design for everyone, with the couple's initials and the date. It can start before the list closes, and that head start is usually exactly the time you turn out to be short of.
Resin, wood or acrylic
We work in custom resin. You will probably also be quoted wood and acrylic, and the real difference is not the price but where the name sits: in wood and acrylic it is engraved or cut into the surface, in resin it goes inside the piece, along with the color, the glitter or a dried flower. That is why a resin piece does not wear off from daily use on a keyring.
The downside of resin is time, and it is worth being blunt about it.
How far ahead to order
Resin cures in batches, and each batch needs three to five days depending on the thickness of the piece. An order of sixty favors is not one batch: it is several batches back to back, plus the individual bagging, plus each card.
We are not going to print a number of weeks here, because it depends on the quantity and we would be making it up. What does work is counting backwards: start from the wedding date, subtract the production time we confirm for you, and leave a week of margin to close the name list. Send us the date and the quantity and we will tell you the real lead time before you pay anything.
Budget favors that do not look like it
What makes a favor feel cheap is almost never the size of the piece. It is the packaging and the message. Something small, properly bagged, with a written line lands better than something bigger handed out loose from a basket at the door.
Three things that cost little and change the perception a lot: individual packaging, even if it is just a sealed clear bag; a card with a line of your own rather than the generic one; and a piece color that matches the wedding palette instead of going its own way.
What we need to quote you
- Approximate quantity, counted by invitation.
- The date of the event.
- Whether each piece carries a guest name, or one general design with the initials and the date.
- The wedding colors.
- The card text, if you want something different from our default.
Delivery in Medellín and the metro area
We deliver the whole order on a single date to a single address, yours or the venue's, in Medellín, Envigado, Itagüí, Sabaneta, Bello and La Estrella. If the reception is at a finca or a venue outside those municipalities, send us the address and we will check it.
Frequently asked questions
How many favors do I order for 120 guests?
Count by invitation, not by head. A couple takes one and a family takes one or two, so a 120-guest list usually comes out at 70 to 85 favors. Add a 10% margin for late additions and for the people who helped you put the day together.
Can each favor carry a guest's name?
Yes, and then the favor doubles as the place card on the table. For that we need the final name list, because each piece is made and bagged separately.
How far ahead should I order wedding favors?
It depends on the quantity. Resin cures in batches and each batch needs three to five days, so sixty pieces means several batches back to back. Send us the date and the quantity and we confirm the real lead time before you pay anything.