Why do we give wedding favours?
My friend was asking me to prepare 100s of wedding favours for him recently. So I asked myself 'why do we give wedding favours at a wedding?'. I did a little research and found that actually they are a long standing tradition. That's why I thought you might like to know too.. (and to help justify the hard work your doing in preparing them ;))
What are wedding favours?
Wedding favours are small gifts. The newly married couple gave it to guests as a token of appreciation. They are usually part of the table decoration at the Wedding Reception.But where has this idea come from and WHY?
The Upper Classes and European Aristocracy gave these favours out at weddings many years ago. These were in the form of small porcelain or crystal trinket boxes, decorated with precious stones. They were then filled with sugar or confectionery, symbolising wealth and royalty. Only the wealthy could actually afford sugar in those times. As sugar became more widely available and affordable, the tradition of giving these 'bombonieres' grew. Almonds replaced these over the years. 5 almonds were given to represent Health, Wealth, Happiness, Fertility and Long Life. By the 13th century almonds became sugar coated and are still given today.
Wedding favour ideas
So, as tradition has evolved, it has incorporated sugar as a prestigious commodity, and the 5 almonds which were representative of Health, Wealth, Happiness, Fertility and Long Life. These days the tradition of giving favours is still there but the small gifts within vary and can sometimes be replaced for chocolate, cupcakes, or even small tokens of the day. My friend gave all of her guests a personalised slate drinks coaster with the guests name on it and a sticker on the back with their names and date of the wedding. Another cool idea I have seen when working in hotels were these glass charms, customised with the guests name and clipped around the neck of the wine glass - very cute. 
But I think the idea is that you can choose any number of unique favour ideas to suit your wedding theme and personal preference. Traditional favours are given in either in small organza bags or in small favour boxes like the ones we offer here at Imagine DIY ;) Favour boxes are beautifully coordinated with your wedding stationery, place cards, menu cover, invitations etc, to look amazing as part of the table decorations. Customise some of our flat pack favour boxes, or create a favour box using a sizzix die cutter
If you wish to see the money spent on favours going to a good cause, why not consider charity pins which you can order and even have personalised.
Wedding favour ideas and designs could literally be anything! Think about your wedding colours and theme, and how you would like to see your table decorated. Do you want to stick with tradition? or go for something unique, a token of the day for your guests to keep and remember your special day? The choice is yours. Have a little look in our favour box gallery for ideas and design guides. DIY wedding stationery is cost effective and fun to do, and much easier than you think to create beautiful bespoke ideas to make your day unique. Hope you found this insightful, and good luck planning for your special day. xxx
