Wedding Favours and why we give them
The tradition of giving Wedding Favours goes back several centuries. In the 16th century the French aristocracy presented their party guests with small ornate jewelled boxes called “bonbonnieres” which contained sugary confectionery such as sugared almonds. The bitterness of the almond, encased in the sweet sugar coating symbolised the bitter-sweetness of a marriage.
As well as being an expensive commodity in those days, sugar was believed to be good for your health – something our health experts today might disagree with!
These days, pretty much anything goes. Couples regularly give their guests chocolates, individual soaps or candles, disposable cameras or personalised pots of jam. Individual cupcakes or lottery tickets are now a popular choice.
One thing to take into consideration when choosing you favours is your actual wedding venue. If you are having your wedding in a marquee for example, take care when presenting chocolates as favours – they can prove very messy if it’s a hot day! A Christmas wedding is great but if your venue is an upmarket hotel or stately home, favours in glitter boxes presented on a bed of polystyrene snow might not go down too well with the owners!
