All About the 2″x2″ Wedding Favor Box (and a Wedding Candy Calculator)
Let's talk about wedding favor boxes. These innocent-looking little boxes actually give rise to some confusion. For instance — when we say "favor box," are we talking about something that holds a few truffles? A slice of cake? A wine bottle stopper?
Most of the time we say "favor box" without giving a special description, it's the traditional kind, on the small side and designed to hold candy. For that matter, it's designed to hold traditional candy. These boxes are usually 2 inches square, and can easily handle five Jordan almonds, the gold standard for weddings.
Okay, but let's say want to fill those boxes with some other kind of candy. After all, many people like to hand out M&Ms in their wedding colors, and Champagne bubble candy is popular, too. In that case, how much candy fits in a traditional favor box? We heaped up our favorite 'Something Blue' boxes with some bride-tested candy choices — all in the interests of science. Enjoy.
1) White Chocolate Dutch Mints.
These beautifully matte mints are all the rage for weddings, and no wonder. With their assertive mint taste, they remind us of a sophisticated, super-creamy version of that mint chocolate chip ice cream that was worth being good for on Sundays years ago. About 36 Dutch mints fills the box to the top.2) Espresso-Flavored Jelly Bellies.
Jelly bellies really appeal to left-of-center brides, with flavors ranging from tongue-in-cheek chic (espresso or champagne) to down-home goodness (Key lime pie, hot cider). Of course, aficionados and mad scientists like to invent savory concoctions like Blackberry-peach cobbler. By our count, 75 espresso Jelly Bellys filled up the favor box.3) M&Ms.
You probably at least considered this time-honored crowdpleaser. And as you've doubtless heard, you can order M&Ms with custom messages and colors at MyMMS.com. We counted 90 M&Ms in a filled-up favor box.4) Hershey's Kisses.
Who doesn't love 'em, with their reliable chocolate punch and their unpretentious shine? Winking at you from the shelves of any store, Kisses are an easy way to play on the theme of love — no wonder they're so popular. 11 chocolate kisses filled our box to the top.5) Champagne Bubble Candies.
These chewy little lovelies taste as sophisticated as they look, with a complicated white grape flavor and a citrusy kick. (Despite the name, they're safely alcohol-free). Perfect for any celebration, we think they look especially divine in robin's egg blue. Thirty-two champagne bubbles filled the box.6) Jordan Almonds.
Bestowing health, wealth and happiness (among other blessings) on the marrying couple, Jordan almonds are the most traditional of wedding candies, and always in the best of taste. The traditional number to include in a box is either three or five ... or if more, the number's traditionally odd (like us). We simply heaped our boxes to the top and found that they held about 15 almonds.But note: during the rigors of testing, one of our programmers helped himself to a scientific taste test, and practically broke a tooth. (Hear Cornel attempt to eat a non-premium Jordan almond).
Which reminds us to remind you that at weddings, Jordan almonds graded Super Fine or Premium are the only way to go. Anything less is encased in jaw-breaking armor of pure sugar that obliterates the taste of almond. And probably makes your fillings really grouchy, too.
7) Pastel Melty Mints.
Wherever weddings abound, melty mints can't be far behind, with their soothing pastel colors and little candy beads. These nostalgic little bonbons are great for showers of all kinds, too. And if your wedding has a retro kick, they're even better. We heartlessly stuffed 12 melty mints into one box — not that you'd have to.8) Pillow Mints.
So classic they're almost retro, the reliable pillow mint (also known as the "after-dinner butter mint") has graced gazillions of receptions through the years. The cool thing is that now you can bypass ye old random mix and buy them in one color — blue or green, say — which can look really cute in a nice container. A hefty 62 mints filled the box.
| Candy Type | Average per Pound |
|---|---|
| M&Ms | 530 candies |
| Premium Jordan Almonds | 120 almonds |
| Jelly Belly beans | 400 beans |
| Hershey's Kisses | 100 kisses |
| Champagne Bubbles Candy | 200 candies |
| Chocolate Dutch Mints | 210 mints |
| Pillow (or Butter) Mints | 270 mints |
| Silver Mini Candy Hearts | 380 mints |
Below, we've pre-set our calculator with the maximum number of candies you can stuff in a 2x2 favor box. But in reality, you probably don't want to fill your boxes completely full. After all, if you filled 100 boxes to the top with M&Ms, you'd end up buying about 17 pounds of M&Ms — which is a lot.
You might actually improve your presentation by using less candy, especially if you use some attractive paper shred underneath. The best approach: start with a real live favor box, come up with a presentation you like, and then use the calculator based on the actual favor and fillings you've designed.
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I have a question in regards to the amount of candy that should go into the favor box. I plan on putting hershey kisses in mine, but I have rectangle favor boxes and it would take about 15 per box. I didn’t want to put that many in one, but the box looks so empty with it not being so full. Any suggestions on what I could put in the box with the kisses so it looks fuller? Please help.
Hi Darcy, I’m doing the same exact thing. The boxes I bought from Michaels are more rectangular than the cute 2×2s. To fill extra room, I bought cheap tissue paper in both of my colors, layered them, and cut into rectangles to line the box. I also made handmade satin flowers to tie with the ribbon on top of the box. But, I noticed that the tissue fills the “blank” areas inside and the ribbon and flower attracts your eye away from the “emptiness”. Hope it helps! Good luck and congrats. I attached a picture of the prototype, the flower is much fuller and bigger. Inside is the tissue paper (obviously!)
Hi
Help Help !!!! Looking for personalized party cake boxes around 8″X 6″ (to put a large portion of piece of cake (I would like to print wedding bride and groom pictures on it) like personalized wedding cameras my email : cakepans972@hotmail.fr
Thanks
I have maybe a silly question! My mom got some adorable favor boxes with a bow closure that we are filling with M&M’s. She is getting ready to fill them and asked me the other day “do we just put the candy inthe box and clse them or do you wrap them in something (like tulle or tissue or wax paper)?” I thought about it and looked at some favor sites online and I see it both ways depending on the item you are filling! Is there a proper way or is it whatever you prefer?
Thanks
tennille,
i would wrap them in tissue paper. i wouldnt want to take the chance of them melting and running out the seams!!
Ladies,
Sorry , but this may be even better for convience. It is actually Sunday from 4pm-8pm.
Hey Ladies,
I stay in North Carolina I just found out last night that Micheals has “4 hour Madness” which means you can purchase anything in their store sale and off sale items and get 25% off your entire purchase.
I am saying this because, they have a lot of favor items and most of all they HAVE THE AQUA M &M’S AT $5.99 A BAG!!!!!! and you get a additional 25% off, I am heading there in another hour to get my share for my favors…..maybe you can catch you local store. ” check your local stores”
Thank you for this site - it has been a great help!
Hello! First of all, I have to say this site is amazing and SUCH a HUGE help!
I have attached a picture from SaveonCrafts. These little tins will be adorable with a little bow. They are 2 inches wide. It doesn’t sy how tall they are, but I am thinking they are probably about 1″ tall.
Can you tell me how many Jelly-Belly Jelly Beans would fit in this?
Thanks so much!
I would like to know how many pieces of candy you should put in a 2 x 2 favor box? either m&m’s, or hersey kisses.
thanks LUCY
Hi,
I am getting married on May16th,2008 and I am looking for Peach and White Jordan Almonds. Would You have these colors available? I plan on putting around 10 of them in 2×2 boxes which I have already. If you do have the colors would I have them in time for the wedding?
Thanks
Cheri
I was reading today’s hotfreshserving of Junebug and those ladies reminded me of the favor packaging-travaganza that is Bliss! Weddings Market.
Bliss! is not just some faceless company, it is headed by Queen Cheryl who you could basically call the Martha of wedding favors. And one thing she has a fierce grasp of is how to personalize those little details that people focus on at your wedding. And happily for those of us who never made it much past blunted scissors and paste in the design department, she has a huge section of "Bride Ideas" full of ideas for making just about any type of favor clearly your own.
And we’re not talking "cover in 24K gold leaf" or "hire a team of Himalayan midgets for a two-week shift." (Right now I’m remembering a bride who tried to get a Martha cake recreated at her venue, who lamented, “it required expensive custom infrastructure …”) We’re talking totally doable ideas. That involve things like bits of ribbon, pretty papers, a rubber stamp, a label, that sort of thing, … but the sum is more than the parts.
So if the contents of your favor containers are something really thought-out and personal … like, say, a jar of homemade jam, Grandma’s famous caramel, lavender Madelaines or whatzit and you want the packaging to say, "I am at THIS wedding for THIS couple and not at the five other weddings I attended this year," spend a few minutes at Cheryl’s "Bride Ideas". No joke, you’ll come out with something good, it might even inspire easy ideas for personalizing one or two more corners of your wedding.
[...] Many of you may have come across this question of how much of your wedding favor such as Chocolate or other edibles will fit into a 2×2 favor box. I have found this helpful tool that will give you a pretty close idea of how much you need to purchase. Click here to go to the Wedding favor calculator. [...]
Hi Amy, welcome! Your post reminded me of a new solid-color M&M stand one of our local higher-end grocery stores put in, maybe six months ago. Really, it’s a great resource! Has 21 different colors available for instant gratification, heavy-duty bags to store them in and a cool dispenser.
As you can see, in this store/floor model, the cost is $7.99 a pound. At MyM&Ms they sell un-customized, solid colors for $5.99 for a 7 oz bag or $49.99 for a 5 pounder, making the cheapest price $9.99 a pound. And you pay fairly steep shipping on top, of course. So these floor models are a great deal!
Even if you want your M&Ms customized, you can mix custom-printed mail order ones with solid colors from a dispenser like this and save a bundle, if your local grocery store offers it. So call around if you’re thinking of going the M&Ms route, which I personally think is adorable — a great way to play up your colors, & everyone loves them.
Hi Gayle, here is a super-inexpensive truffle box if you’re having a large number of guests … 25 for $9.00. You can stamp it with a custom stamp, or add a monogram label or a bit of ribbon and it would look sharp.
Thank you so much. I was actually leaning toward the truffle boxes, but noticed they are priced higher. I really appreciate your input.
I LOVE this idea for cute little favors. For my boxes, I got custom m&m’s with my fiances and my initials on them. You can get it done relatively cheaply at m&ms.com. Plus you can get any color(s) to fit you theme.
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I dont think its that cheap. I am filling 150 2×2 favor boxes and the candy caluculator said i needed 26 lbs!! at close to $30.00 a lb. IDK what to do.
Gayle, those look so amazingly delicious. What a GREAT idea for a wedding.
OK, to answer your question (drool …). Probably a 2×2 favor box isn’t the best container for these items. In a cube box they tend to sit on top of each other which is awkward, and smooshes the bottom one. (Same problem with truffles). 2×2 boxes do better with small candy.
Instead, you really need a truffle box, so the contents can sit flat and fit comfortably. You can use triangle-style boxes for smaller truffles, but for larger ones like the bourbon balls, you probably want rectangular. Truffle boxes always give dimensions, so as long as you know how large your bourbon balls are going to be, you’re set.
Here are three types of truffle boxes. One, the triangle truffle box, is probably too small for your favors, but a cool way to display smallish confections. Two (mini double truffle box) & three (personalized truffle box) would probably be best here, depending on the size of the bourbon balls, especially since they are probably softer than most truffles.
Just be sure of your size here. If you or someone in the family is making them, make SURE the boxes fit (like, order a sample). People tend to be generous when making treats like this and can end up with a really big number of larger confections than they planned. A bakery will be hard-hearted enough to keep the size down.
I am having bourbon balls (a Kentucky treat!) Will two bourbon balls fit in a 2×2x2 box?
You are fantastic! Thank you so much!
They are on sale now in romantic colors for after valentine’s day, so I will definitely stock up!
Yvonne — about 70 Kissables in there if you stuff it to the TOP. I’ll try to add this to the calculator for anyone who wants to calculate pounds needed (there are about 440 pieces per pound).
Great question! I’ll find out and get back to you if I can find some on the shelves.