Wedding Favor History

The giving of bridal favours is an old custom dating back hundreds of years and rapidly gaining popularity in Britain.

In 1200, almonds were coated in a layer or solidified honey and were called comfits and offered as gifts in boxes, these containers became bonbonnieres in around 1400, when it became customary to offer them as gifts to the bride and groom. This tradition then changed in the seventeenth century when grooms from noble families offered wedding guests precious containers of sweets with the favours then becoming a major part in Italian wedding and baptism celebrations by the end of the eighteenth century.

Today favours are more versatile and can be used for many other special occasions such as birthdays, christenings, communions, anniversary celebrations and many more, given to family, friends or guests as a ‘thank you’ for sharing your special event.

Traditionally favours contain five sugared almonds each having their own special meaning. They symbolise Health, Wealth, Happiness, Fertility and Long Life. The figure five is also symbolic, it is a prime number which can not be divided, like the bride and groom.

As an alternative to sugared almonds, favours may be filled with chocolate dragees. Dragees resemble almonds in shape and are ideal as a substitute.