Favorite First Communion Party Favors
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I remember my First Communion celebration like it was yesterday. The beautiful white dress. Pristine shoes with no scuffs on them. Yet. The elegant decorations.
First Communion is a rite of passage in every Catholic child’s upbringing. And planning a First Communion celebration can be lots of fun. It’s almost like planning a mini wedding ceremony. You get to select beautiful First Communion invitations. Choose a delicious cake. Stunning flowers. And sometimes even plan the menu.
The one part that seems to muddle even the best event planners when planning a First Communion is deciding on the First Communion party favors. But thanking your guests for coming is a really important touch.
Like a wedding, choosing the best First Communion party favors can feel daunting. You don’t want the favor to be too big or too small. It also needs to be somewhat useable and commemorate the occasion. You certainly don’t just want to give a trinket that will just sit there.
After planning multiple First Communion celebrations, I’ve created a list of my favorite First Communion party favors that guests have loved. These ideas are also perfect for Baptism party favors. In case you’re planning a Baptism celebration too.
Here are some of my favorite First Communion party favors that I’ve used at our celebrations.
Light a Candle
Just like at a child’s Baptism, candles have a special importance during First Communion. The candle symbolizes the light that came to the world through Jesus Christ. By choosing a candle for your First Communion favor, you can share this light with guests.
The best part is that they can take their candle home and enjoy the candle’s soft glow. It is also a beautiful memory of your child’s special day.
For a ready made candle favor, you could use these handmade jar candles (affiliate) and add a customized label to the top to commemorate your event.
If you would like to make a more DIY candle favor, start with a set of glass votive candleholders (affiliate). Then, add a small white votive candle (affiliate). Attach a First Communion favor tag to the candleholder. You can also personalize the glass with a cross or other design.
Gift a Cookie
Guests are always happy when you satisfy their sweet tooth. Especially after the event.
Send guests home with a commemorative cookie (affiliate). Cookie art is beautiful these days. Bakers can customize these sweet confections with your child’s name, event information or even a design to match your invitation.
For cookie favors, be sure to order with lots of time. From experience, customized cookies are works of art. They can take a lot of time to make. So, you want to be sure to give at least two weeks for the artist to create them.
Wrap a Chocolate Bar
One of my favorite classic favor ideas is the chocolate bar. Guests love receiving chocolate bars to take home. They are the perfect post-event treat. And you can customize the chocolate bar wrappers to add a memorable touch.
To make this First Communion party favor extra simple to make, you can purchase Hershey chocolate bars in the silver foil without the wrapper (affiliate). Then, you can add your own customized wrapper. Check out the chocolate bar wrapper tutorial here.
And if you would like to add customized chocolate bar wrappers to your chocolate bars, we have a number of editable designs in our shop.
Set up a Candy Buffet
When brainstorming favor ideas for our wedding many years ago, we decided to set up a candy buffet. We had a lot of guests visiting from out of town and some who had to drive home that evening. The candy buffet gave them some goodies to enjoy on the way home.
Although this party trend might not be as popular now, it certainly is one of the tastiest. Plus little guests love it.
When setting up the candy bar (affiliate), choose a variety of candies and sweets that guests will enjoy. For our wedding, we chose the theme of the 1920s. All of the candy that we served was from this era. You could also choose a color theme or just pick your little Communicant’s favorites.
Be sure to have some paper bags for guests to fill with candy. If desired, you can purchase the bags pre-printed with your event information. Or purchase a printable First Communion sticker design, print and add to the front of the bag. This is a wonderful way to tell guests thank you.
Prefer to send home a small box of candy instead? Setting up an entire candy buffet can be a lot of work. Instead, check out these organza bags. They feature my favorite Lindt chocolate truffles and can be personalized with a sticker label. Or choose mini chocolate bars and have them wrapped with a customized First Communion candy bar wrappers.
Plant a Seed
When a child receives their First Communion, it is a way that they grow in their faith and with God. Giving a small plant, succulent or package of seeds helps symbolize this growth. It’s a wonderful reminder of the sacrament that guests just witnessed.
One First Communion party favor idea is to purchase small succulents from your local nursery. You can then attach a “Love Makes It Grow” tag or make your own plant stakes to place in the plant.
Another idea is to give guests customized seed packets to plant their seeds when they get home. Make your own seed packets here or purchase pre-made ones (affiliate).
These pretty seed paper crosses (affiliate) also make a beautiful favor option. The seeds are embedded in colorful paper and attached to a favor card. Guests plant the paper and flowers will grow.
Make a Donation
If you don’t want to send guests home with a physical party favor, you could always make a donation in their name. Decide how much you would spend on the party favors and donate that amount to a favorite organization. You can even have your child choose a cause that is special to them.
Let guests know that you have made a donation by announcing it on a sign or small card. They may even want to contribute an additional amount to the gift.
Keeper of the Keys
Another useful First Communion party favor is a beautiful key chain. It’s a wonderful reminder of the event and will keep your guests’ keys extra safe.
With these key chains (affiliate), you can choose the color of your cording and a cross charm is added. They even package in a pretty box with a tag so it’s all done for you.
Cup of Tea
Invite guests to enjoy some quiet time when they get home with a cup of tea. Wrap your favorite tea bags with a custom tea bag wrapper (affiliate). You can even make your own tea bags from your favorite loose leaf tea.
Quick note… Although it might be tempting to include a mug with your tea bags, I would advise that this isn’t the best First Communion favor. Most of your guests probably have enough mugs at home and don’t need another to add to their collection. If you really want to include a mug, maybe have one custom made with your child’s favorite Bible verse or psalm (affiliate).
Photo from White Confetti Box (affiliate)
Sweet as Honey
Your child’s First Communion is one of the sweetest moments of their young lives. Let guests remember it fondly with a jar of honey to enjoy when they get home. These mini honey jars can be personalized with your child’s name and event date (affiliate). It’s a “sweet” way to commemorate their special day.
Save your Page
You can also thank your guests for coming with a beautiful bookmark. They can use it to hold the place in their current reading selection or add it to their Bible for a special reminder of your event.
Create your own customized First Communion bookmarks with these beautiful printable designs. You can add your child’s photo, a thank you message and a favorite Bible verse. Once you’ve customized your design, print it on medium to heavy white cardstock. You can find more ideas for printing here.
Don’t want to print them yourself? Check out Prints of Love for easy bookmark printing options (affiliate).
Potpourri Sachets
Send guests home smelling sweet with a homemade potpourri sachet. To make, fill a little organza bag (affiliate) with your favorite potpourri. Then, cinch the bag closed and attach a favor tag. You can even add a little cross charm (affiliate) for a special touch.
Guests can keep them in a drawer, car or in the closet. They are a great way to keep the world smelling a bit sweeter.
A Little Trinket
Send your party guests home with a little blessing to always remember your special event. This religious themed trinket box is just the right size to protect tiny treasures and makes a beautiful keepsake from the event (affiliate). My favorite part are the glittery rhinestones on the top. They really make the box sparkle.
Pretty Rosary
Encourage your guests to enjoy more prayer time with the gift of a rosary. These mini pearl ones (affiliate) are perfect to keep in a pocket for an unexpected prayer time. You can even customize the color of the pearls to match your event
To give to guests, place in a basket with a thank you sign or on a cake plate at the door. Guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness and always think about your First Communion during prayer time.
Tips for Choosing the Best First Communion Party Favors
Although selecting First Communion party favors can seem like a daunting task, it doesn’t have to be. When thinking about which favor to choose, start with your budget. Knowing how much you want to spend will help you select the best favor idea.
If you have a smaller budget, but a large guest list, choose a favor that can be purchased in bulk. Buying favors in larger quantities can sometimes keep costs lower.
Another idea is to DIY your First Communion party favors. Making your own bookmarks, wrapping a candy bar or filling a seed packet can all be less costly options. This is also a great way to get your First Communicant involved in helping plan their own party. Kids love being involved with celebrating.
Be sure to make your First Communion party favors extra special by adding a customized favor tag. Printable designs are a wonderful way to add a personalized touch without it costing too much.
And if you really aren’t sure what to give, it might be best to make a donation to your favorite charity. Guests aren’t attending your First Communion party expecting a favor. Making a gift in the guests’ name is also a lovely way to say thank you.
Planning a First Communion party and need some more ideas? Check out our First Communion party planning guide here. It’s filled with lots of ideas to make your First Communion celebration extra special.
And if you want to save these ideas for First Communion party favors for later, be sure to pin here.
Happy Celebrating,
Natalie
