Wedding Favors Or Bonbonnieres

What exactly are bonbonnieres, and how are they different from favors?
This is a question I seem to get very often from quite a few customers. This article will try to cover the differences between the two.

Bonbonnieres

The tradition of giving favors to guests at celebrations goes way back to olden European culture. It was especially popular among the wealthy and the aristocrats. In their earliest form, bonbonnieres - a French word that refers to a small container filled with bonbons - were made of gold, precious stones, porcelain or crystal and were filled with sugar cubes. As time went on, the sugar cubes were replaced with sugar-coated almonds, otherwise known as Jordan almonds. In today's European culture, Jordan almonds are the primary choice of sweet treat used in most bonbonnieres.

One long-standing European tradition is to offer a small bonbonniere to each guest as a thank you for their presence on that special day. This tradition still holds strong today, primarily in countries such as Greece and Italy. The traditional bonbonniere given out is usually made with tulle or lace and constructed as a small box or pouch decorated with ribbons and flowers. The number of Jordan almonds should be uneven, and in some cultures, it is imperative that this number is such; otherwise the church cannot bless them. Typically, five are included, each one representing a respective wish for:

- health
- wealth
- fertility
- happiness
- longevity.

A personalized ribbon or tag may complement the bonbonniere.

Favors

Nowadays, many people seem to prefer giving a more significant gift that guests can keep and utilize. These are known as favors. Favors may be chrome, porcelain, silver or crystal. They can also be theme related (i.e. beach favors for beach weddings, autumn favors for autumn weddings, etc.)

Some of my customers seem to like combining the traditional with the contemporary, opting for a nice gift as a favor and adding that special touch, be it tulle containing the requisite uneven number of Jordan almonds, a personalized ribbon or tag, flowers, or using colors that match their occasion's theme.

In closing, whether you decide to go with the more traditional bonbonnieres or with favors that have a more modern-like feel, you cannot go wrong because both fulfill the main purpose: Giving your guests a memento as a token of your appreciation for making that special day truly memorable. We, at "Favor Creations" make it easy for you as we offer customized bonbonnieres and personalized favors. We will personalize any favor with your colors or theme.