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Wedding favors are not a new notion. They were developed centuries ago to “share the wealth” so to speak. If you have ever attended a wedding, you probably left with a small token or reminder of the happy day. Match books emblazoned with the couple’s names and the date of their wedding were often a staple at weddings. These days however, anything goes. From crystal wine glasses to votive candle holders, golf ball tees and everything in between is acceptable as a wedding favor.
In early days, mostly in European countries, aristocrats would finish off the wedding festivities by sending home guests with a small gift. It was hoped that the happiness of the wedding couple would ‘rub off’ on the guests by means of a memento of the event. In many cultures it was believed that everything the bride a groom touched would bring good luck so sharing and giving of a gift was one way for the bride and groom to bestow good luck on their friends and family.
Traditional favors consisted of a box made of porcelain, crystal or metal (gold, silver, pewter) that contained sweet treats. For this reason they were called ‘bonboniere’, bonbons being candies, in French or ‘bomboniere’ in Italian. There were usually five confections in the box to represent fertility, health, wealth, happiness and longevity. Sugar at the time was expensive so receiving a gift of confections was an honor.
Not Just For the Rich
As time progressed the tradition of giving favors was adopted by other social classes. It was not just for the upper class aristocrats any more. It was adopted either to prove that the hosting family had the financial means to provide gifts and to share the good luck of the newly wed couple.
Rather than providing a bonboniere, a family of modest means would often select simpler gifts to give as favors.
Almonds were commonly given as wedding gifts to signify the good luck in their life together. Coating almonds became popular and the sugar coated almonds were called confetti. Now confetti has a different meaning but at one time it was meant as sugar coated almonds.
Wedding Favor Choice
Picking a wedding favor holds no boundaries. A traditional gift of five almonds has been replaced with trinkets and themed articles. Depending on the type of wedding, any type of favor can be obtained. Destination weddings can be decorated with seashell favors, people who like golf can have golf related trinkets while the more traditional bride and groom can offer place cards or individual picture frames for their guests. Depending on the budget and type of wedding to be held there will be a wedding favor to suit the ceremony.
