The Wedding Favor Tradition

Wedding favors are small gifts given to guests as a gesture of appreciation or gratitude from the bride and groom during a wedding ceremony or wedding reception.

The tradition of giving wedding favors started centuries ago. It began with European aristocrats who gave small trinket boxes known as bonbonnieres to their guests. A bonbonniere is a small trinket box made traditionally of crystal, porcelain, or precious stones. These boxes are generally filled with sugar cubes or other sweet confections.

Centuries ago sugar was considered a valuable commodity. It was expensive and considered a sign of wealth. As sugar became more affordable, it was replaced in the
bonbonniere with almonds. Weddings were considered a time of luck and couples would pass this luck to their guests by giving them the bonbonnieres filled with almonds. The bonbonniere box usually contains five almonds, each representing a sign of luck- wealth, longevity, fertility, health and happiness respectively. As time passed the almonds became coated with sugar (known as confetti) and eventually evolved into the almonds we use today.

Most couples still follow the tradition of giving gifts to their wedding guests. Wedding favors are a way to say thank you to guests for attending the wedding. They serve as a souvenir to remember the bride and groom and their special day.

But today’s wedding favors have evolved from the traditional bonbonniere. Gifts can range from simple candies, to candles, to picture frames personalized with the names of the bride and groom and the date of their wedding. Wedding favors can be nearly anything that the bride and groom choose. They can be placed at the reception at each guest’s place setting or they can be displayed at a decorated table near the entrance/exit to the reception. Sometimes they are placed near the guest book to be picked up as guests sign in.

Wedding favors can be used to accent a particular wedding theme- such as traditional, Asian or beach inspired. The most important thing to remember when choosing wedding favors is to find something that reflects your personal taste and style. It should be something important to both the bride and groom. It should be something they choose together.

Today, the sky is the limit when it comes to wedding favors. Couples can choose from a wide assortment of gifts to give their wedding guests. The wedding favor can be almost any token the bride and groom feel shows their gratitude and appreciation toward their guests for attending their wedding ceremony and reception.