What is the point of wedding favours?

Poppy9

Not wishing to hijack another thread but can some explain to me what their purpose is?

I really don't see any reason for them. You have invited guests, fed and watered them. In return they have bought you a present.

As a momento of the day you will probably send them digital photos or maybe a thank you card with a picture on it.

So what is with the bit tulle with some sweets in, miniture bottles of booze or novelty gift?

I could understand if you put out a colouring book and crayons for little ones but do adult guests really want the favours?

zcrat41

Traditionally, Italians put 5 sugared almonds to represent health, wealth, happines, love and children. I think that's a nice tradition.

The real reason people do it? Often so you don't hear the whispers "oh, they skimped on the favours then"!

mummyroysof3

no idea..i dont think i had them at my wedding, sending them home with cake was enough imo lol

msb5262

Hi OP,
I've been to lots of weddings including some extremely posh ones, and have never seen wedding favours. To me they are a perfect example of unnecessary expenditure!
HTH
MsB

luxor4t

Wedding favours seem to have arrived in the last ten years or so, I'd never seen them at any weddings before that.

I suppose they're a bit like children's party bags - in my day you went home with a bit of cake in a paper napkin and a balloon if you were lucky.

Poppy9

zcrat41 wrote: »

Traditionally, Italians put 5 sugared almonds to represent health, wealth, happines, love and children. I think that's a nice tradition.

not strictly true.

The first wedding favours were known as ‘bonbonniere’ and were given as glamorous gifts to the wedding guests of French Aristocrats. A ‘bonbonniere’ is a little trinket box generally made of a porcelain or crystal and adorned with precious stones containing sweet treats! In those days these treats were luxury items such as sugar cubes which would illustrate your wealth and were symbolic of royalty.

When sugar became affordable enough for everyone the tradition of giving wedding favours to guests reached the population and was adopted by couple’s getting married all over Europe.

At this point the Bonbonnieres were substituted for Almonds which are historically known to be symbols of good wishes for the couples new life. Almonds coated with sugar, also known as Confetti, were introduced and these soon became the Sugared Almonds that we know today. Still a popular traditional wedding favour, are given in sets of five to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness. The taste of which is said to represent the bitter-sweet experience of married life:D

zcrat41 wrote: »

The real reason people do it? Often so you don't hear the whispers "oh, they skimped on the favours then"!

I really don't think that is true as from experience most people are a bit bemused by them but I've never heard anyone ask where they were. Indeed at one of my nieces wedding the venue forgot to put out the favours and no one, not even the bride, brides mother, mother in law noticed !

daska

I've no idea why people have them, I thought it was a waste of money and no-one complained - but then our wedding was a tad outre so there wasn't a lot of time to notice these things.

zcrat41

Thanks for the much more informed reply Poppy9! Quite interesting too.

Have to say they've had them at all the weddings I've been to. Some people now leave little cards saying they've donated to charity instead, seen that a few times.

We did chocolate eggs as we're egg producers instead of almonds. I just like gorging on the industrial size bags the day before when stressing about wedding stuff when I should have been putting them in boxes!

KiKi

Forgive me for my stupidity, but I have never, ever heard of a 'wedding favour'. To me that sounds like asking my mum to do my hair.

What are they? Specific gifts for the guests?

Poppy9

KiKi wrote: »

Forgive me for my stupidity, but I have never, ever heard of a 'wedding favour'. To me that sounds like asking my mum to do my hair.

What are they? Specific gifts for the guests?

Wedding favours if they are not edible are something you "forget" to take home or take home and leave in your handbag for a month, then move them to a drawer and then bin them:rotfl:

No they are not usually specific to each guest but you may have male/female/child versions

freyasmum

I'm surprised people haven't heard of them; they've been at every single wedding I've ever been to. I don't see much point to them myself, tbh.

I've even seen lottery tickets being given to guests rather than sugared almonds and the last wedding had little packs of fudge in cellophane.