What do guys want for wedding favors? It’s a question that weighs heavy on the mind for those perfectionist planners among us — whether or not you’re rocking the girly factor by handing out mini glass slippers on satin pillows, or going for a little more red carpet and a little less lace.
So we figured it was high time to knock out this question … settle it for the ages. How? Coercion, of course (a language guys intuitively understand). We locked 8 9 a lot of guys in a room together and refused to let them come out until they’d answered the question definitively. Or ran out of beer.
In a way, the results were predictable. 48.42% of our subjects (despite having attended multiple weddings) offered earnest responses but sadly, weren’t able to suss out the subtle difference between a wedding favor and a bridal party gift ($20-30, approximately). 15.24% veered toward the strongly socially unacceptable in their suggestions. 39.24% loved the idea of getting something useless from Sharper Image or Gamestop, whether or not said tchotchke came in the form of a wedding favor.
Information you can take to the bank? Only you can say. At least we know now what the men are really thinking, even if that thought bubble simply reads, “HUH?”
When Men Really Want … for Favors
THE INFORMATIVE
Heliel: That’s easy. Beer.
Scott: Booze.
Steve: Can you go wrong with alcohol? … well, I guess you could if there were minors there … but then again, it might be fun.
Juan: If you can eat it or drink it, I’m usually cool with it.
Kyle: I like candles. Only because it’s the only thing I can ever remember getting at a wedding.
Mark (slaps the table): Okay. I wanted to have s’mores for my wedding, but the wife ixnayed that idea.
But imagine — graham cookie, marshmallow, Hershey’s mini chocolate, and another graham cookie on top, all dropped in a ‘fishnet’ [translation: tulle] sack and tied to a little stick”¦ Have a candle/hibachi centerpiece, and voila! S’MORES! (Gazes at ceiling blissfully.)
Gerald: I don’t like the idea of any fishnet sack that’s tied to a stick.
THE SOCIALLY QUESTIONABLE
Steve: Hmm, still thinking here. Anything sports-related. Sports stuff is great for guys … and butchy girls, or so I hear. Naked body parts … done tastefully, of course. Elegant heiny candy. Miniature handcuffs. Special dice that swear like a sailor when you roll them. Things that vibrate are probably more for the women.
(room falls silent.)
Oh, and for younger guys, video games are always good …
THE TERMINALLY CONFUSED
Daniel (hesitantly): A billfold-type wallet?
Darren: Barring bite-sized body parts, I would have to say the optimum “man-gift” for a wedding favor would involve a gadget of some sort. You could do something inexpensive like a keychain/flashlight. Or an inexpensive leatherman tool.
Big bang, memento-wise. A guy will likely use this kind of doodad again and maybe store it in his pocket.
Marc: For me, the best favors were when I went to a wedding and they had disposable cameras at every place setting. (Brides: maybe make the instructions on those tent cards very large and clear: CAMERAS ARE FOR PHOTOGRAPHING THIS WEDDING.)
Brian: As far as gifts go, I’ve always liked anything that lights up. Like, Brookstone has these cool “wobble clocks” that a friend gave out to the groomsmen. It’s an egg-shaped digital clock that has a timer, alarm, shows the ambient temp, etcetera. The cool thing about it is you just wave your finger over the top, and it lights up.
Your Turn
Maybe you’re just naturally one of those people who can wander the desert and stumble into a wellspring. And maybe you’ve collected a cool idea or two for a guy-friendly little memento. Don’t be shy … share the wealth.
wedding favors for men