First communion favors (recuerdos, as many families call them) are small keepsakes you give each guest at the party after Mass, as a thank you for coming. Most families pick something religious that fits in a pocket, like a simple rosary, a medal or a holy card. For a party of forty to eighty guests, order about fifty to ninety pieces.
To start today, count your guests and choose one simple piece. Order six to eight weeks before the Mass, or ten to twelve if anything needs printing or engraving. Keep it separate from your child's gift: the favor is for the guests, the gift is for your child.
What first communion favors are, and whether you need them
A favor is a small thank you gift for each guest. At a first communion it is almost always religious: a rosary, a medal, a holy card, a tiny cross, or a sweet in a little pouch with a religious charm attached.
Favors belong to the party, not to the Mass. The sacrament happens at Mass, when your child receives the Eucharist for the first time. What you give your guests afterward is a custom, not a rule, so it's up to you. If you decide not to hand out anything at all, your child's first communion is just as complete.
For everything that happens before and during the Mass, see our first communion guide for parents.
Why 1st communion favors and the gift for the child are two different purchases
Around a first communion you usually buy two different things, and they go in opposite directions. Mixing them up is the most common mistake, and it's the one that costs families the most money.
- The favor goes out. You give it to every guest. Everyone gets the same one, you buy it in quantity, and it's your way of saying thank you for coming.
- The gift comes in. Guests, godparents and grandparents give it to your child. It's one piece, chosen just for your child, and meant to last for years.
A favor is cheap per piece but adds up fast. A gift costs more per piece, but you only buy one. When the two get mixed up, three things tend to happen:
- You buy keepsake rosaries for all seventy guests, and the favors alone eat the budget for the hall.
- Everything goes into favors, and your child ends up with nothing personal from you.
- You ask a godparent to help with the favors, and they show up with one boxed gift. You have sixty guests and one box.
The fix is one clear sentence when you ask relatives for help: say if you need something for the guests or something for your child. For example: “Could you help us with the little favors for the guests? We need about sixty.” If you're looking for your child's own piece, our list of first communion gift ideas covers that half.
First holy communion favors that guests actually keep
After any big parish celebration, you can see which favors people take home. The ones they keep are small, useful and hard to break in a pocket.
- A simple rosary on a cord or with plain beads. Even a guest who already owns three will take a fourth.
- A one decade rosary (a decenario) or a finger rosary. It fits in a wallet and survives being sat on.
- A holy card of the image your family is devoted to. It's flat, light and cheap in quantity.
- A small medal on a cord, like a Miraculous Medal or a patron saint. Adults wear these.
- A cross or crucifix in olive wood or metal, no taller than a finger.
What doesn't make it home: sugar figurines that crack in the car, plastic toys that kids lose before dessert, and anything so bulky that guests leave it on the table on purpose.
If you like the idea of a rosary, look for light styles on a cord or with simple beads, not heavy devotional pieces. You can see what we make right now in our rosary collection, which we keep small on purpose.
First communion favors ideas, grouped by what you want the favor to do
Choosing gets easier once you decide what you want the favor to do. There are really three options.
- Say thank you. Something to eat: a wrapped sweet, sugared almonds, a cookie in a pouch. It's the cheapest per guest, and it's gone in a day.
- Send the faith home. A religious object the guest can pray with: a rosary, a medal, a holy card, a small cross. It costs more per guest and fits the day best.
- Remember the date. A souvenir of the day: a small frame, a magnet, a bookmark. These only work if the guest has somewhere to put them.
Most families mix the first two and tie a small sweet to a religious piece.
Decide one thing early: if you want your child's name or the date printed on a tag or engraved on the piece. Printing and engraving are usually done by another shop, often with a minimum order, and they add extra weeks to the wait. They're the most common reason a favor order arrives late. A simple tag can say: “Thank you for celebrating my First Holy Communion. [Child's name], [date].” In Spanish: “Gracias por acompañarme en mi Primera Comunión. [Nombre], [fecha].” Your child's own pieces are a separate list, usually a first communion set.
How many first communion party favors to order for a real guest list
Count the people who will actually come, not the invitations you sent. Go in this order:
- Count the adults who said they're coming. Every adult who walks in gets one.
- Count the children separately, then decide if they get the same piece or a simpler one.
- Add the people with a special role: godparents, catechist, whoever hosts, and the priest if he comes.
- Add ten to fifteen percent. Someone always brings a cousin you didn't expect.
- Round up to the seller's box size. Buying fifty when you need forty eight costs less than running out.
For example: 50 adults, 12 children and 5 people with a role make 67. Add 15 percent and you're at about 77. If the favors come in boxes of ten, order 80.
For a family party after Mass, a realistic range is forty to eighty guests. If you share a hall with other families from the same catechism class, it can go past one hundred fifty. At that size, each family needs to count its own guests before anyone orders.
Plan one favor per adult, not one per household, unless your family decides otherwise ahead of time and lets people know. And never order exactly the number on your guest list: a guest list is a hope, not a count.
What first holy communion party favors usually cost per guest
A simple religious favor usually costs between a couple of dollars and under ten dollars a piece, and most families stay near the low end. Things to eat cost less. Anything boxed, printed or assembled costs more, because you're paying for the work, not just the object.
The number that really matters is the price per piece times the number of guests. A favor that feels cheap at four dollars comes to about three hundred dollars for seventy five guests. That's often more than your child's own gift.
- Spend on the object the guest keeps.
- Save on packaging. A plain pouch and a simple card look almost as nice as a fancy box.
- Ask about discounts for larger quantities before you buy, because they're rarely posted.
- Count shipping and wait time as part of the price. A cheaper piece that needs rush shipping isn't really cheaper.
There's no right amount for a Catholic family to spend. A holy card given from the heart is just as good a favor as a boxed rosary.
First communion souvenirs for godparents, grandparents and the catechist
Some people at the party are more than guests: the godparents who walk with your child, the grandparents, and the catechist who prepared the class. Many families give this small group something a little nicer than the regular favor. It's a kind gesture, not an obligation.
Good choices are a nicer rosary than the guests got, a small statue, a candle, or a good holy card in a simple frame. Just don't let it turn into a second gift list. If your child is carrying a candle at Mass, our first communion candle guide walks you through that piece.
And about blessings: a rosary or medal doesn't need to be blessed before you give it to a guest. Any guest who wants their piece blessed can take it to a priest after Mass or another day. It's never a condition for giving a religious object away.
Your child's First Communion set and candle
Sets with a Spanish Bible, candle and rosary for your child, and First Communion candles made in Mexico for the Mass.
Arrives in 2 to 4 days. Free shipping on orders over $35.
Frequently asked questions about first communion favors
What is an appropriate first communion favor?
Something small, religious and sturdy enough to go home in a pocket: a simple rosary, a single decade rosary, a medal on a cord, a holy card or a small cross. A wrapped sweet on its own is fine too.
What matters is that every guest gets one, not that it's expensive. Skip fragile pieces and anything a small child could swallow.
How many favors do you need for a typical first communion party?
Plan one per adult, one per child if kids get the same piece, plus the godparents and the catechist, then add ten to fifteen percent. For a family party of forty to eighty guests, that comes to about fifty to ninety pieces.
Never order exactly the number on your guest list. If you need fifty or more of the same piece, ask about ordering by quantity before buying retail, because the price and the wait both change at that size.
Is it correct to give a religious favor instead of candy?
Yes, and many families prefer it. The Church has no rule either way, because favors are a custom around the celebration, not part of the Mass.
A rosary, a medal or a holy card fits the day and keeps the focus on what your child received. Candy is just as correct and disappears faster, and plenty of families give both.
What is the difference between a favor and a gift for the child?
The favor is for the guests, and the gift is for your child. You give favors to everyone who comes, all the same and bought in quantity, as a thank you for coming.
Guests, godparents and grandparents give the gift to your child, usually one special piece like a rosary, a Bible or a medal. Mixing up the two is the most common buying mistake families make.
How far in advance should first communion favors be ordered?
Order six to eight weeks before the Mass for a simple, ready made piece, and ten to twelve weeks if anything needs to be printed, engraved or assembled.
Most first communions happen in spring, so stores run short right when every family needs them. Confirm your guest count first, then place one single order.
Do first communion favors need to be blessed by a priest?
No. You can give a rosary, medal or cross as a favor without having it blessed first, and any guest who wants it blessed can take it to a priest later.
Some parishes will bless a whole box of rosaries before the Mass if you ask ahead of time, but it's never required.
Do adults and children get the same first communion favor?
Not necessarily, and giving them different ones often works better. Adults tend to keep a religious piece like a rosary or a holy card, while children under about ten lose small things within the hour.
Many families give the kids a sweet and save the religious piece for the adults. If you do that, order the two counts separately and label the boxes.
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