Wedding Favors Yesterday and Today

Yesterday, today and tomorrow, wedding favors are an essential part of the festivities. Reception guests look forward to receiving wedding favors as a special remembrance of your big day.

In the beginning, wedding favors were given at parties hosted by European upper classes with enough wealth to give pricey gifts to their guests. The French referred to early wedding favors in small, elegant boxes as bonbonniere. These fancy boxes were usually make of gold, crystal or porcelain and filled with expensive candies. Eventually people of lesser means gave small gifts to their guests as wedding favors.

Almonds were given to guests for more than a millennium. In the Middle East, five almonds represents health, happiness, fertility, longevity and wealth. Today Jordan almonds are often given as wedding favors and represent the joining of bitter and sweet in marriage.

Wedding favors became a widespread tradition during the sixteenth century. The small gifts given as wedding favors vary based on the couples’ culture, interests, budget and wedding theme. From homemade wedding favors to elaborate gifts, there are many ways for the happy couple to express thanks to their guests.

Today wedding favors are coveted keepsakes guests can’t wait to receive. Usually wedding favors are distributed next to each place setting so guests know to take them home after the party. Sometimes wedding favors are distributed in a certain area of the reception. Either way, wedding favors also double as decorative accents at your wedding. Whether used at each place setting, grouped in the middle of the table as a centerpiece or situated on a table of honor, wedding favors are always a highlight at receptions.

If you are on a budget, there are many ways to offer attractive wedding favors without going broke. You can make your own wedding favors with personalized ribbons, tulle, candles and Jordan almonds. You can also use place card holders that double as wedding holders. A lovely place in my heart bud vase and place card holder directs guests to their seats and doubles as a treasured memory of your big day. Swaying calla lily pearlescent place card and photo frames can be taken home to and used to display a photo of the bride and groom.

Most modern wedding have a designated theme. Popular wedding themes including Las Vegas, fairytale, nautical, cultural and seasonal. Celebrate the season of your love with wedding favors that reflect the time of year. At an autumn wedding, your guests will appreciate fall in love leaf soap petals in a clear box with ribbon and tag. Another attractive autumn option is an apple of my eye mini candle in gift box with ribbon and tag. For spring weddings, butterfly garden gift baskets with wildflower seed packets are simply perfect. Your guests can plant the seeds when they go home and remember your special day as the flowers bloom. In the winter, your guests will appreciate a snowflake bottle stopper in a shimmering gift box.

Many girls dream of being a Cinderella princess bride and marrying Prince Charming at an elegant manor. If you have a fabulous fairytale wedding, give your guests a happily ever after carriage candle. Other fantastic fairytale wedding favors are a crowning moments tiara photo keychain or a castles in the sand castle tea light. Your guests will love having their own royal wedding favors to remember your fairytale day.

At nautical weddings, couples get married on the beach or in a boat. Celebrate your nautical nuptials in style with delightful themed wedding favors for all your guests. Include shining sails silver place card holders near each place setting so your guests know where to sit. Put small candies in a palm tree favor box with multi-dimensional detail as wedding favors. For a destination waterfront wedding, palm tree cookie cutters in a beach themed gift boxes are a treasured keepsake for your guests.

Love matches any wedding theme. Romantic wedding favors are a thoughtful way to thank your guests. Love notes sticky notes in a nostalgic dispenser gift box with a dainty heart charm are useful wedding favors. Hugs and kisses from the mister and misses scented soaps are sure to appear in all your guests’ bathrooms.

Show how much you appreciate your guests by giving out thoughtful, beautiful wedding favors at your reception.