For hundreds of years there has been a tradition of giving small gifts, or favours, to wedding guests as token of appreciation for attending the wedding.
It is believed that the first wedding favour, common amongst European aristocrats, was known as a bonbonniere. A bonbonniere is a small trinket box made of crystal, porcelain, and/or precious stones. The contents of these precious boxes were generally sugar cubes or delicate confections, which symbolize wealth and royalty. (In this era, sugar was an expensive commodity and was treasured only among the wealthy. It was believed that sugar contained medical benefits). As the price of sugar decreased throughout centuries, the tradition of providing gifts to guests reached the general populace and was embraced by couples of modest means. As sugar became more affordable, bonbonnieres were replaced with almonds. For centuries, almonds were commonly distributed to wedding guests to signify well wishes on the bridegroom’s new life. In the thirteenth century, almonds coated with sugar, known as confetti, were introduced. Confetti soon transformed to sugared almonds, which later evolved into the wedding favour for modern day weddings. Traditionally, five Jordan almonds are presented in a confection box or wrapped in elegant fabric to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness. The bitterness of the almond and the sweetness of the coated candy exemplify the bitter sweetness of a marriage.
Today there are a wide variety of different types of wedding favours, an industry in itself, ranging from almonds, photo frames, salt and pepper pots, seeds to plant, chocolates, love spoons, Christmas decorations, ornaments, in fact, the list is endless. They should be placed at each plate setting on the tables.
The thing to remember is that they are a nice touch. They can really add to the overall style of your wedding but if your budget is tight they are an area you might like to consider not having. People are delighted to have them but don't necessarily feel aggrieved if there aren't any!
