Wedding Favors: Past to Present
Wedding favors have been a wedding ceremony tradition for many years and are still an exceedingly common practice among modern day wedding ceremonies. Though the actual favors have come quite a long way, the etiquette of the wedding favor remains the same. Presenting guests with a small gift as they leave the wedding is a gesture of appreciation for attending the wedding festivities from the bride and groom.
The wedding favors themselves started out as simple and traditional gifts. However, these days unique wedding favors are desired by the bride and groom to add originality and personalization to the wedding festivities. Discover the journey of the wedding favor and the true meaning behind the sustained tradition.
The Wedding Favor Tradition
The tradition of distributing wedding favors as a gesture of gratitude is a very old one. Many believe that the first wedding favor was a bonbonniere which was common among European aristocrats. A bonbonniere is a small intricate box made of crystal, porcelain, or precious stones. The boxes were ornamental and very elaborate due to the treasured stones and metals. The valuable boxes were usually accompanied by sugar cubes or delicate confections to complete the wedding favor ensemble, which symbolize wealth and royalty. During this time, sugar was an expensive commodity and was treasured only among wealthy families during special festivities.
As sugar became a more affordable luxury, the sugar cubes and confections inside the beautiful boxes were replaced with almonds. For centuries now, almonds have been passed out among wedding guests to signify well wishes on the bride and groom’s new life.
Not long after the introduction of almonds as wedding favors, sugar coated almonds known as confetti became the new popular wedding favor practice. Traditionally, five almonds are presented to guests as a wedding favor in a small confection box to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness. These delicate wedding favor candies bring great symbolism to the life of marriage. The bitterness of the almond and the sweetness of the coated candy exemplify the bitter sweetness of the bonds of marriage.
Modern Day Wedding Favors
Today wedding favors are shared in cultures worldwide. Wedding favors have become a very common part of the wedding reception planning, especially in North America. Modern day wedding favors can be as classy or as unique as the bride and groom desire. Many gifts these days may be personalized with the couple's names and the wedding date for the guests.
Picture frames, coffee mugs, or match boxes are all items ideal for personalized wedding favors to remind guests of that special wedding day. Edible wedding favors can be purchased or created for as little as fifty cents a person, while maintaining the European tradition of giving confectionery delights. Small, assorted cookies adorned with the bride and groom’s initials or wedding date are perfect for wedding favors, and almost too cute to eat.
Custom made chocolate wedding favors are a popular practice as well. Beautiful intricate chocolates adorned with personalized accents can be ordered from a local bakery or even ordered online and shipped right to your home. Depending on the bakery prices, chocolate wedding favors can be a pretty inexpensive yet very unique wedding favor ideas.
Due to the convenience of the internet and the creativity of the candy industry, personalized M&M's have now become fantastic edible wedding favors for guests. Allowing guests to serve themselves at a table of staggered glass vases filled with different colored M&M's creates decoration for the wedding reception site, and a fun activity for wedding attendants to engage in. New, innovating wedding favor ideas are being brought to the forefront of the wedding scene with the "Go Green" movement. Eco-friendly wedding favors such as energy conserving light bulbs, small trees, or donations to rain forest conservation in honor of each guest are fantastic theme wedding favors that are as good for the environment as they are useful.
Although modern wedding favors are increasingly common, classic wedding gifts are still presented to guests at weddings today. Regardless of the theme or style of the wedding festivities, favors can be as unique or as traditional as the bride and groom desire. However, choose carefully; the wedding favors will be how guests separate your wedding from all the others for decades. So even though the most traditional of wedding favors are still appreciated, the bride and groom are only limited to their imagination when it comes to selecting the gifts that will demonstrate esteem from the blessed couple for years to come.
Contributor:Jordon Robinson
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