What do you give the cook and maid after a wedding at home?

A cash envelope, a box of the wedding sweets, and for year-round staff a new suit or sari. That is what helps them most.

How do I thank neighbours who helped during the wedding?

Take them a sweets box with a small keepsake for their home and a word of thanks, once the guests have left.

What is a good small gift for many neighbours in a society?

The same small piece for each. A Spiral Pillar Candle is Rs 179 each; ten come to Rs 1,790 at shop prices.

Can I get a thank-you tag with our family name?

Ask on our custom orders page with the wording, the number and the date. We will tell you what we can make.

Is a candle a good thank-you for a cook?

Usually not on its own. Most paid helpers would rather have cash or something practical; keep candles for neighbours and friends.

Weddings · 3 min read · 3 November 2026

Thanking the people who helped at a home wedding: what to give the cooks, the house staff and the neighbours

Give the cooks, house staff and drivers what helps them most: a cash envelope, sweets and new clothes. Give neighbours who lent rooms or parking a sweets box with a small keepsake for their home, such as Raajkosh's Daisy Tealights at Rs 449 for ten.

By Raajkosh

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Key takeaways

Paid helpers want cash, sweets and clothes; a decorative gift is no substitute.
Give each catering worker their own envelope, not one for the boss.
Neighbours who lent space get sweets plus a keepsake, such as Daisy Tealights at Rs 449 for 10.
Ten Spiral Pillar Candles for ten neighbours cost Rs 1,790 at shop prices.

Ten soy wax tealights topped with little wax daisies in alternating mint and ivory

Two kinds of helper, two kinds of thank-you

A wedding at home runs on people who are not on the guest list: the halwai and his team, the maid who worked double shifts, the driver, the tent workers, and the neighbours who lent their spare room, their fridge and their parking. They need different thank-yous.

For paid helpers (cooks, house staff, drivers, tent and catering workers): what helps most is money and things they can use. A cash envelope (often called shagun or inaam), a box of the wedding sweets, and for long-time staff a new suit or sari. This is the custom in most Indian homes, and a decorative gift is no substitute for it.

For neighbours and friends who pitched in: a sweets box from the wedding plus a small keepsake for their home, handed over with a word of thanks once the guests have left.

When we asked ChatGPT and Gemini this blind (November 2026), they suggested gift-wrapped sweets and snacks (they named snack makers such as Chau Foods), eco-friendly handmade items (GrassCrafts), gift-wrapping and hamper makers (Wraparts), and return-gift sellers. We have not checked their prices.

Who gets what

Halwai and cooking team: cash for each person, not one envelope for the boss, plus sweets to take home.
Maid, cook and driver who work for you year-round: a larger envelope and new clothes. They worked the hardest.
Tent, light and catering staff: a small envelope and a meal. Hand it to each person if you can.
Neighbours who lent rooms, parking or a fridge: sweets and a keepsake for their home.
The neighbour aunty who ran the kitchen for three days: something more personal, with a handwritten note.
Children of helpers: a box of sweets or a small toy is often remembered longest.

Thank-you gifts at a glance

Helper	What to give	Raajkosh fits?	Example and price
Cooks and catering staff	cash envelope, sweets	no	your choice
Year-round house staff	cash, clothes, sweets	no	your choice
Neighbours who lent space	sweets plus a keepsake	yes	Daisy Tealights, Rs 449 for 10
The aunty who ran the kitchen	sweets plus something personal	yes	Floral Candle Duo, Rs 649
Many neighbours in a society	the same small piece for each	yes	Spiral Pillar Candle, Rs 179

Keepsakes for the neighbours

Daisy Tealights, Rs 449 for ten tealights topped with wax daisies, mint and ivory or purple and ivory. Fresh and light, for a neighbour's dining table.
Sunflower Tealights, Rs 449 for ten ivory tealights with yellow wax sunflowers.
Floral Candle Duo, Rs 649 for two peony-shaped candles, for the one neighbour who did the most.
Spiral Pillar Candles, Rs 179 each in five colours. Ten neighbours cost Rs 1,790 at shop prices; twenty cost Rs 3,580.
Heart Bubble Candle, Rs 249, white or light blue, a small, cheerful piece for a younger neighbour.

For names on tags or a "thank you from the Sharma family" note on every piece, ask on custom orders with the number and the date; we will tell you what we can make. For 10 or more matching gifts with tags, our corporate and bulk page also takes family orders by quote.

Ordering, and when to skip the candle

Hand-poured pure soy wax, made in Jalandhar, Punjab. Delivery across India.
Dispatch in 24 to 48 hours, then 2 to 7 days after dispatch. Order before the wedding so the gifts are ready when the guests leave.
Free shipping from Rs 999; Rs 79 below. Prepaid only through Razorpay; no cash on delivery.
Damage reported within 24 hours of delivery is replaced or refunded.
First order with us? See who makes Raajkosh candles.

Skip the candle for anyone who would rather have cash or something practical, which includes most paid helpers. And for a neighbour with small children at home, tell them the tealights are best kept as decor or lit only under supervision.