Do Me a Favour

Your wedding favours are a special thank you and keepsake that can remind friends and relatives of your beautiful wedding day.

Traditionally, wedding favours (also called bombonieres) are made up of 5 sugared almonds wrapped in an attractive cover of lace or presented in elegant boxes. The almonds represent Health, Wealth, Happiness, Long Life and Fertility. The giving of a favour dates back to early Europe, when they were given by the aristocrats of the period to celebrate marriages, birthdays and christenings. In their earliest forms, bonbonieres were made of gold, precious stones, crystal, or porcelain, and filled with sugar, which was a precious commodity. This gradually changed to the giving of the 5 sugared almonds as sugar became more available and everyone began to participate in the tradition, not just the wealthy.

Modern Brides want the tradition of the favour, but more and more Brides are choosing alternatives to almonds, or even adding the 5 almonds to something else. So what do you choose?

The key is to take a look at the two of you as a couple. What are the interests of you and your groom? What are your personalities? What is the theme of your wedding? Any of these may be re-created in the wedding favour. Favours are fun! Glass motorbikes and miniature champagne bottles ... chocolate truffles and beaded bags - all can be used as favours. Into scuba diving? Miniature swim fins might be an idea, or a small vial labelled "oxygen"! If horses are your thing, then consider the horseshoe, or a small horse charm. If the library is more your speed, you might think of hand-stamped bookmarks with ribbons to match your wedding colours. One innovative couple I met handed out a personalized CD of their 10 all-time favourite songs! Of course it included the song for the first dance. (You'll have to research permissions for this)!

Be creative. Have fun, and try to choose something that will obviously remind your guests of who gave them the favour. No good handing out a Jiminy Cricket if your entire apartment is decorated with Donald Duck! And don't even consider a whoopee cushion if your wedding is super-formal and ultra-elegant! On second thought, don't even consider a whoopee cushion AT ALL! But hopefully, you get the idea.

When shopping for your bombonieres, choose a company to help you that offers a wide variety of items and wrappings. Take your time looking through the selection. Also make sure they can be ready and delivered on time. Do not choose your wedding favour item solely on price - you have to be both pleased and proud of the look of the item, as it is designed to stand the test of time (just like your vows). If the item is perfect, but will cost a lot more than you planned, consider giving just one favour per couple in attendance, as for a long time, only female guests received the favour.

For extra good luck, the Bride is expected to actually prepare the favours, but these days it is not always possible to hand-tie bags of sugared almonds, or to attach small cards with your names and wedding date with your own hands. If you are not able to prepare the favours, be sure you make the effort to lay them out on tables or hand them out to your guests with your own hands. A little of the Bride's good spirit will be sure to rub off!

Best wishes,

Kathy

Visit iBride if you are looking for Bombonieres, and Wedding Favors

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