Wedding favours: how much, when, how

In planning a wedding, the favour is usually one of the last items. The venue is settled, and so are the menu, the music and the dress, and at some point in spring it occurs to you that something should be placed in front of the guests too.

We think this item deserves more attention than it usually gets. Not because it has to be expensive, but because it is the one thing the guests take home from the day.

What is a wedding favour for?

It is not a repayment. The guest brought a gift, and that cannot be, and need not be, evened out. A favour simply says: we are glad you were here.

Every other decision follows from this. If that is its role, it does not need to be big. But it is good if it is personal, and very good if it does not end up at the bottom of a drawer.

How much should we spend per guest?

A realistic budget is between one and three thousand forints per guest. For a hundred guests that is between one hundred thousand and three hundred thousand forints, only a small part of the whole budget, but for the guest one of the most tangible memories of the day.

If the budget is tight, it is better to give less, in better quality, than a great variety cheaply. A single, carefully chosen thing says more than a bag of small items. We have written about budgets in general elsewhere too.

How many do we need: one per guest or one per couple?

There are two customs. Either one per guest, which is more common, or one per couple, which roughly halves the budget. In our experience the following split works:

• Per guest: the number of adults at the ceremony, plus five spares.
• Per couple: the number of invited households, plus three spares.
• Child guests: a separate favour is usually not counted for them.

The spares aren’t over-caution: numbers always change in the final week, and the photographer, the master of ceremonies and the musicians will appreciate one too.

A wedding favour is not a repayment. It simply says: we are glad you were here.

What works well on a wedding table, and what is best avoided?

Something edible. The safest choice. It needs no place at home, and no one has to decide whether they like it.

Something that fits in a bag. By evening the guests are tired. Anything big or fragile stays on the table.

Something already wrapped. On the wedding day nobody has time to wrap.

Something that decorates the table, too. The best wedding favour works twice: first it decorates the table, then it goes home.

Items with a logo or a date that the guest cannot use later. Scented things, because that is a matter of taste. And anything fragile, which will have broken by the end of the evening anyway.

When should you order?

Count backwards. The gingerbread is handmade, so for larger orders it is worth allowing at least six weeks, because we also print the custom accompanying card and agree the text by e-mail after the order. In the last two weeks before the wedding, do not deal with this any more: by then it should be ready and in its place.

The gingerbread keeps its quality for one year from the day it is made, so it can arrive early too. All our products are available to pre-order, and delivery begins in early November 2026.

Where should it go, and what fits on the accompanying card?

The most common solution is the place setting: the box goes next to the place card, and is decoration and gift at once. The other good spot is the door, as guests leave. In that case someone must hand them out, because nobody takes anything from a table by themselves.

Their names, the date and a short sentence fit on the accompanying card: one line that can be read standing, glass of sparkling wine in hand. For larger quantities, by individual agreement, we take this on.

What kind of wedding favour have we made?

The GALAMBOM box begins on the table: thanks to the satin ribbon it needs no separate wrapping and decorates on its own. Inside is a handmade gingerbread, baked at the Milimári Sütiműhely bakery in Budakeszi, made with, among other things, white rye flour, local farmers' blossom honey and cane sugar. Next to it is a hidden satin ribbon with a single sentence: a Christian saint's thought becomes visible when the ribbon is pulled out.

We have twenty-four different messages, in Hungarian and English, so more than one is heard at the table. Guests have been known to read out to one another at dinner what they drew. We did not plan it that way, but this is the moment we do all this for.

From a ten-piece pack the unit price is €4.00 (€40.04), between twenty and forty-nine guests €3.89, from fifty €3.61, from one hundred €3.33, and from two hundred and fifty guests €3.05, the latter by individual quote. Prices include VAT. If you cannot decide what would be right, write to us: we are glad to help with the counting. Our piece on mindful gift-giving follows a similar line of thought.

We believe a good favour is not loud. Quietly it sits beside the plate, and years later it still brings back an evening.

Frequently asked questions

Wedding favours: how much, when, how?

Couples usually set aside between one and three thousand forints per guest for a wedding favour. Order as many as there will be adult guests, plus a few spares, and start the order at least six weeks before the wedding for larger quantities. A favour is not a repayment, but a small sign that we were glad to have the guest with us.

How much should we spend on wedding favours?

A realistic budget is between one and three thousand forints per guest. For a hundred guests that is between one hundred thousand and three hundred thousand forints, which in most wedding budgets is one of the smaller lines. GALAMBOM is €4.00 each from ten pieces and €3.33 each from one hundred pieces.

How many wedding favours do we need?

If you give one per guest, take the number of adults at the ceremony and add five spares. If you give one per couple, take the number of invited households and add three. Children are usually not counted separately for a favour.

How long before the wedding should we order?

For larger quantities, please get in touch at least six weeks beforehand, because the gingerbread is handmade and we also print the custom accompanying card. The gingerbread keeps its quality for one year from the day it is made, so it can arrive early.

Can our names and the wedding date go on it?

Yes. For larger quantities, by individual agreement, your own text goes on the accompanying card: your names, the date or a short sentence. We agree the text by e-mail after the order.

What makes a good wedding favour for the table?

One that is edible, fits in a bag, is already wrapped and also decorates the place setting. A gift like that works twice: first it adorns the table, then it goes home with the guest.

When will the GALAMBOM box be delivered?

All our products are available to pre-order, and delivery begins in early November 2026. If your wedding is earlier than that, or the order is a large one, write to us and we will see together what is possible.