If you’re planning a funeral, or helping someone who is, then the favors will eventually come up. They’re not the most important part of a funeral overall but still mean a lot to those involved. They’re also a way to have people leave with something that reminds them of the person you lost.
If you’re not sure – funeral favors are small keepsakes guests take home after the service. They aren’t expected and nobody will notice or mind if there aren’t any. But when they’re done well they can be one of the things people remember most about the day.
So if you’re having trouble deciding or coming up with ideas for funeral favours this guide has inspiration and ideas for different budgets and different kinds of people, ideas for religious services and for children, wording you can use on tags and cards and a few tips on how many to make and where to put them.
If you’re also putting together the printed pieces for the service our prayer card wording examples and funeral program wording pages might help too.
Do You Need Funeral Favors?
No. Favors are optional. There are lots of lovely funerals that don’t have them and a printed program or prayer card already does the same job for many families.
They make most sense when you want guests to have something personal to hold on to or when the person who died was known for something you can easily share, like a recipe, a garden or a favorite candy.
If you don’t have much time, money is tight or you just don’t have the energy then skip them. Those who attend won’t be expecting or thinking there should have been a gift.
Simple and Budget Friendly Funeral Favors
These are cheap to make in bulk and easy for a friend or relative to put together the night before. Most of them just need a printer, some card and a bit of ribbon.
- Seed packets printed with their name and dates
- Bookmarks with a photo on one side and a short verse or saying on the other
- Prayer cards or memorial cards with their picture
- A small bag of their favorite candy with a printed tag
- Tea bags or hot cocoa packets with a note like “Have a cup on me”
- Tealight candles tied with ribbon and a name tag
- Fridge magnets with a favorite photo
- A printed copy of their best-loved recipe
- Small stones painted or stamped with their initials
- Wildflower seed bombs wrapped in tissue paper
- A printed photo from a happy day, with their name and dates on the back
- Lip balm or hand cream with a custom label, if they were always offering you theirs
Seed packets are probably the most popular funeral favor. They’re cheap, easy to post and people get to watch something grow in the months after.
If you choose them pick a mix that suits your area. A local garden center can usually point you to one.
Memorial Forget Me Not Seeds for Celebration of Life – Funeral Favor Packets – 50 Pack
Funeral Favors That Reflect Who They Were
The favors people keep are the ones that remind them most of the person. Start with what they loved, what they were always doing or what they always had in their pocket.
- The gardener: seed packets of the flowers they grew, small potted herbs or bulbs to plant in the fall
- The baker or cook: recipe cards with their famous dish written out or a small bag of homemade cookies using their recipe
- The coffee lover: sample bags of their favorite roast with a tag that says “Coffee’s on ______ today”
- The fisherman: a fishing lure or fly with a tag tied to the hook eye
- The golfer: golf balls or ball markers printed with their name
- The reader: bookmarks, or one of their own books for close friends to take home
- The sports fan: team keychains or a pack of trading cards with a note
- The music lover: guitar picks printed with their name or a card with a QR code linking to their favorite playlist
- The crafter: small pieces they knitted, sewed or painted, laid out for guests to choose from
- The animal lover: paw print keychains or a card saying a donation was made to a local shelter
- The traveler: postcards of places they went, with a short note on the back
- The joker: their favorite joke printed on a card, or a pack of the gum or mints they always handed out
One idea I really like is a “take one” table of things they owned. Ties, scarves, books, mugs, costume jewelry etc.
Guests pick something that reminds them of a moment with that person. It does need a family that’s ready to part with those things so only do it if it feels right.
Quelay 50 Sets Funeral Favors for Guests with Rosary & Memory Cards
Lasting Keepsakes for Close Family and Friends
Sometimes you want something a little more lasting for the people who were closest. These cost more so it’s not uncommon to make just a small number for family, pallbearers and those who helped with the service.
- Engraved keychains with their name or handwriting
- Small framed photos
- Memorial ornaments for the Christmas tree
- Pocket tokens or coins with a short message
- Bracelets or charms in their favorite color
- Small potted succulents or tree saplings
- Pieces of jewelry made from their clothing fabric or a favorite shirt
- A printed booklet of stories and photos from friends and family
These usually need ordering a week or more ahead so they may work better as gifts handed out later rather than favors on the day. Nothing says a keepsake has to be ready by the funeral.
Hicarer 60 Set Funeral Favors Angel Keychains Organza Bags
Religious Funeral Favors
For a church service or a family with a strong faith a favor with a prayer or Bible verse can feel comforting and right.
- Prayer cards with a photo and a favorite prayer or psalm
- Rosaries or prayer beads for a Catholic service
- Small cross or angel keychains
- Bookmarks with a Bible verse they loved
- Votive candles with a printed blessing
- A printed copy of a hymn sung at the service
Sureio 25 Sets Funeral Rosary Favors Lily, Necklace Prayer Cards
If you need help choosing words for these, our pages on Bible verses for a funeral and prayers for funeral cards have some ideas. For an Irish family a short blessing on a card can be a lovely touch too. Our Irish blessings for funerals page has some.
Funeral Favors for Children
If there will be children at the service a small favor just for them can give them something to hold and focus on.
- A small teddy bear or soft toy
- Crayons and a card where they can draw a picture of the person
- A packet of sunflower seeds they can grow at home
- Bubbles to blow outside after the service
- A sticker sheet or coloring page with the person’s favorite animal
The drawing cards can also be collected and put into a book for the family afterward. Children like knowing their picture “went to” the person who died.
12 Set Mini Plush Bears Bereavement Gifts for Boy Girl
Funeral Favor Tag and Card Wording
Most favors need only a tag or small card with a few words, their name and their dates. Short is best here. People read these standing up usually with tears in their eyes.
Short and Simple
- In loving memory of ______
- Remembering ______, [year] to [year]
- Forever in our hearts
- With love and thanks for being here
- Thank you for celebrating ______ with us
- Gone from our sight, never from our hearts
- Always loved, never forgotten
- Thank you for being part of ______’s life
- Take a little piece of ______ home with you
- Loved always
For Seed Packets and Plants
- Plant these in memory of ______ and watch them grow
- Love grows here. In memory of ______
- Plant a little love for ______
- As these flowers grow, may your memories of ______ grow too
- ______ loved a garden. We hope you’ll start one for them
- Forget me not. ______, [year] to [year]
- Something to grow, something to remember
- Scatter these where the sun shines, just like ______ did
For Candles
- Light this when you think of ______
- A little light in memory of ______
- Their light still shines
- Light a candle, share a memory
- For the days you miss ______ most
For Food and Drink Favors
- ______’s famous recipe. Make it and think of them
- Have a cup on ______
- A little something sweet, just like ______
- ______ never let anyone leave hungry. We won’t either
- Raise a mug to ______
- Bake this with someone you love
Religious Wording
- Forever in God’s care
- Resting in the arms of the Lord
- Safe in His keeping
- May God hold you close as we remember ______
- Gone home to be with the Lord
- Until we meet again in heaven
Longer Cards to Put In With a Favor
If you’d like a little more than a tag, a short note on a card works well with a keepsake for close family or helpers.
Dear ______,
Thank you for being with us today. ______ loved you very much, and we wanted you to have something small to remember them by.
With love,
________
******************
Dear friend,
______ spent every spring in the garden, so we hope you’ll plant these seeds somewhere they can grow. When they bloom, think of them.
With thanks,
________
******************
Dear ______,
These were some of ______’s favorite things. We hope this one finds a good home with you and brings back a happy memory or two.
Warmly,
________
How Many Favors to Make and Where to Put Them
A few things that make favors easier on the day.
- How many: plan for roughly one per household, not one per person, plus a few spares. Couples and families rarely need more than one.
- Where: a small table or basket by the exit works best so people pick one up as they leave rather than carrying it through the service.
- A sign: a little card that says “Please take one in memory of ______” lets people know they’re for them.
- At the reception: you can also set one at each place or in the center of each table instead.
- Delegate: this is a perfect job to give to a friend who keeps asking what they can do.
- Keep it light: skip anything fragile, heavy or messy that’s hard to carry home.
- Leftovers: send them with family members who couldn’t come or put them in your thank you notes later.
If you do end up with spares they go well with funeral thank you notes for people who sent flowers or helped from a distance.
Tips for Funeral Favors
- Choose one idea and do it well rather than three in a hurry.
- Something they loved will always mean more than something expensive.
- Check printing and delivery times before you order anything custom.
- Keep wording short and include their name and dates.
- Think about allergies if you’re giving food and make sure you label anything with nuts.
- Ask the funeral home or venue if they have a table you can use.
- Don’t feel you have to have favors at all if it’s one thing too many.
A favor isn’t really a big thing. But people will keep a seed packet or a bookmark from a funeral for years in a drawer or a favorite book. Its the little things that end up being part of how someone is remembered.
So choose the favors that feel right but also don’t worry about getting it perfect. The people who come will understand why you did it.
For more ways to keep their memory close after the service take a look at our ideas on how to keep a loved one’s memory alive.
