Favours

Wedding Favours are small gifts given as a gesture of appreciation to guests from the bride and groom.

The tradition of distributing wedding favours is a very old one. It is believed that the first wedding favour, common amongst European aristocrats, was known as a bomboniere. The contents of these precious boxes were generally sugar cubes which symbolised wealth and royalty.

As sugar became more affordable, bombonieres were replaced with almonds. Traditionally, five sugared almonds are presented in a box or wrapped in fabric to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness. The bitterness of the almond and the sweetness of the coated candy symbolise the bitter sweetness of any marriage.

Nowadays, couples are looking for new ideas to complement the theme or colour scheme. Individual chocolates, candles, scented soaps, CDs with the favourite music of the bride and groom, shot glasses filled with coloured sweets or silver picture frames with a photo of the couple. Gifts may also be personalised with the couple’s names, initials or wedding date.