This is a no-brainer question, right? Wedding favors are a perfect example of the expression “thank you,” but there has always been something special about gift giving.
Wedding favors are small, yet important parts of the wedding day. After finding the dream dress, the perfect cake design, and booking the ceremony, reception, and honeymoon locations, there are still countless other plans to be made before your special day.
Whether your guest list is large or small, a wedding is a big occasion and can require a lot of mental energy on both the bride and groom’s behalf. Just when you think the major planning is out of the way, all of those smaller details–like wedding favors– come into play, and usually at the last minute.
Whether you consider them small details or not, wedding favors make a big difference on your wedding day. They provide a decorative touch to your reception tables, they express your personal style and personality, they complement your wedding theme, and most importantly, they thank your guests for attending.
So what’s so special about wedding favors, anyway? Why have they become such a classic gift-giving medium over the years? Upper class Europeans were responsible for giving the first elaborate gifts to their guests, which were known as bonbonniere.
A bonbonniere was a little gift box that was given not only at weddings, but at birthdays and other occasions, too. They were basically trinket boxes made of precious stones, and materials like porcelain, gold, or crystal.
This tradition is said to have been around since the 16th century, and since then, the tradition of gift giving at weddings has been carried on in cultures all over the world. Over time, the types of items that were gifted evolved, and today, some of the most unique, clever wedding favors are available for modern brides to choose from.
We continue to give guests favors for a multitude of reasons: to sincerely thank them for their attendance, to express our appreciation for them as friends and family members, and to give them a “piece” of our wedding day so they can remember it for years to come.
The essence of our thanks stems from not only an appreciation for their presence, but for their willingness and desire to share an incredibly special day with us. There is something about being together for such a joyous occasion, sharing the laughter, the tears, and the good hopes for the future. It bonds us and makes our wedding day unforgettable. Sending guests home with wedding favors will likely continue for centuries, as we follow in the footsteps of the European aristocrats who came before us so long ago.