Just heard that Goody Bags from Eugenie’s wedding are for sale on-line… 
(yes, I know this is not a First…)
But, where did this trend, of giving out gifts to guests, come from… and isn’t it time to stop ???
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Heartly agree with you Stella. I don’t like this trend at all ! 
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Daughter can organize a party for our grandson… without blinking an eye… but spends ages worrying/thinking about what to put in the Goody Bag that has become essential for some reason…
Didn’t have them in my day… although sometimes there was an extra piece of birthday cake to take home… 
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Wedding favours are quite a thing. My son got married February 2011. They live in North Wales where there is a lot of slate. They bought plain slate coasters quite cheaply and my dil hand painted each one with the guests name and the wedding date. It combined a table place name with a gift.
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Yes I remember those tiny wrapped slices of cake we took back home, such a treat.
I was in an Action shop the other week and the young couple in front of me at the till had a trolley full of toys, paper plates and, cups bags of sweets even ‘little girl beads and sparkles’. I commented that it must be expensive to do all that for each child’s birthay. The mother said not only was it expensive but it was also stressful trying to think of what to buy that was different from their daughter’s friends birthday parties. hat more it’s an expected thing so they have to go along with it!
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There was a time when the Invitation and/or Name Tag (at table) would have been considered a suitable souvenir.
My point is that it now seems to be the norm… to give presents to guests… which (in many cases) puts unnecessary pressure on the purse … 
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My son also was trying to find suitable gifts for our grandsons birthday goody bags in April. A more fun and easier way that I did with my daughter was to buy 1 v. Small gift per child , wrap them up in newspaper and make a bran tub. Starting with the youngest child they get to pick one thing each. The children loved it and with a piece of cake had something to take home.
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It is simple…………so many people are stupid and do not have the capacity to think for themselves.
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I wish someone would be brave enough to simply NOT give goody bags… I reckon many other parents etc would breathe a sigh of relief… 
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Well it would reduce plastic usage. Perhaps that should be used as a reason to stop.
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Perhaps (as has happened with Christmas cards ) say to people 'we aren’t doing party bags we are making a donation to ***** Charity instead ’
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I miss christmas cards tho’…always added to the festive feeling. Putting up emails with messages about charitable donations (and did they really give anything?) doesn’t feel the same. Nor does getting cartes de voeux sometime in January…
Our family, including grandchildren, don’t do goody bags at all. Never have, and I don’t know any other families that do. is it really that widespread?
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I do Christmas cards, but I do miss the contact with people who have stopped
Not wishing to offend anyone here who gives them, but I think it is the weak of mind that have to follow every new fashion. Goody bags are just one more thing to waste money on.
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Part of the reversion to the infantile which is prevalent - goody bags started at children’s birthday parties and since everyone now seems to have the attitude of a child no matter how old they are, the expectation is that goody bags will be provided be it at a birthday party, a film premiere a sporting event or a wedding. Friday’s wedding seemed to be more about showbiz than anything else.
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Pretty much what I said before Richard.
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We used to buy goody bags at the local newsagent, they cost an arm and a leg, “sixpence”. Everything these days is commercialisation. A very longstanding friend of mine’s daughter got married some time ago, she took out a loan for €30k to pay for it all. They are off their rockers
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My sentiments entirely. And you didnt offend me by stating what a large proportion of posters on here think but havent the gall to say it.
Excellent idea.
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My daughter is getting married next year and both us and her fiancés parents have given a sum of money on the basis that whatever is left they can keep. They are now actively working towards a lovely wedding that will not cost a fortune.
So far they have booked a not for profit run venue in a beautiful village hall in the countryside who also provide a wedding planner and all the necessary set up, a bar and a list of outside caterers.
A hotel would be more than double for the venue alone.
It is difficult though because weddings are so commercial.