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| Todays type of favour |
One part of a wedding that somehow people look forward to is the wedding favours. Wedding favours for guest are made to be small tokens of appreciation for attending the wedding and they also serve as souvenirs from the wedding as well. Most couples want to be sure that people remember their special day, so they give out favours that are meaningful as an expression of their appreciation. Its a good gesture to want to appreciate people for coming to your wedding and leaving them with something to remember you with. However, most people do not know whats behind this act of giving. Before now, i have always thought that just like the word, souvenirs are merely for remembering peoples event.
Wedding favours are an unusual yet very common added touch to a wedding. Much like giving wedding gifts, these have been a tradition for many centuries dating back to the European aristocrats of Italy and France. They would provide their guest with a small gift which was called a bonboniere. This was a box that was made out of metal, porcelain, precious stones or crystal. As weddings were seen as a lucky blessing or a privilege, by giving out bonboniere to guests, the couple felt that they were bestowing good luck upon their guests as well. The boxes would contain five pieces of sugar candy or almonds that represented Health, Longevity, Fertility, Wealth and Happiness. As the years go by, the confectioners jumped on the distribution of almonds, dipping them in sugar and other sweet coatings turning them into a more modern and luxurious gift.The Italians traditionally gave out chocolates, whereas the French would give out candies and sugared almonds. The Spanish guests would traditionally receive a small vase with orange blossoms, and the Dutch would receive five pieces of candy that represented wedding wishes which were otherwise known as bridal sugar
Today it is still considered appropriate to send your guests home with a gift in form of wedding favours.
These favours are presented in a number of ways, largely in a more personalised manner and sometimes coordinated with the theme of the wedding itself. Many couples now opt towards the more modern idea of marking the occasion with small signs of the occasion, or providing not just sweets but small gifts such as personalised candles, bottle openers, coasters, wall clocks, notepads etc. Wealthy couple give out items like phones, china's, electric kettles etc. Here in Nigeria we even have two kinds of favours the couple to guests favours and the aso-ebi favours which is normally given to friends of the couple who buy their aso-ebi (which is the common outfit for the day).
Favours are not just attached to weddings alone, of course they are given out at birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions.
But like most things in the modern day event, the idea is actually soaked in a history we have long since forgotten. So when you are picking out favours remember you are bestowing the good luck of your day on your guest. For most brides, i will say your wedding favours does not have to be like someone else's. Its not a competition, because Magogo gave out DVD's doesn't mean you have to give plasma screens ( am just saying), always do what you can. You don't have to buy the world for your guest, its the gesture that actually counts not the item. Even the little things would be appreciated too, it even makes you more unique when you do things your way and not the way people want it to be. I have organised a wedding where the favours were the traditional sugared almonds wrapped in little sash drawstring bags and it was just beautiful.
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