WEDDING FAVOURS - TIPS AND IDEAS

Wedding favours are a small gift given to guests as a wedding-day memento. The origins of this simple yet meaningful tradition lie in the decadent era of the Italian Renaissance, where wealthy families would bestow gifts upon their guests. The tradition is still popular today - what a wonderful way to thank family and friends for attending your wedding and sharing in your joy!

There are so many different styles and types of wedding favours that it can be difficult to know where to start. Many brides like to coordinate their wedding favours with their wedding theme or colour scheme, particularly as the gifts are traditionally placed at each table setting or beside each place card at the reception. This way your wedding favours can be a delightful addition to dressing up your reception tables.

Italian wedding favours were traditionally mini parcels of five sugared almonds. The almonds represented health, wealth, happiness, good luck and fertility. Sugared almonds are still popular with today’s brides, but today they are given a modern twist. Gauze bags have been tossed in favour of elegant boxes and delicate organza sachets tied with a bow.

Dark, milk or white, or a mixture of creamy smooth light and dark truffles are a delicious and attractive gift. Whether individually foil-wrapped, placed in small, personalised packages or grouped in beautiful boxes, they can add the perfect finishing touch to your guest tables. Alternatively, you could arrange a plate of chocolate boxes at the centre of each table or write each guest’s name on a tag attached to a box and place them at the exit. Some chocolate companies even emboss personal messages onto chocolate.

Elements from the wedding can also double as wedding favours. Opt for wedding cupcakes instead of a cake and send guests home with boxed cupcakes. The lolly buffet also acts as a great wedding favour. Invite your guests to fill up bags or boxes from an array of beautifully presented sweets.

There are so many things that make for a memorable wedding favour including miniature pot plants, packets or seeds, small bottles of wine or spirits, photo frames, charms and hand-made ornaments. Brides and Grooms are also embracing DIY when it comes to their wedding favours. Many couples are getting busy with their hands to create home-made jams or chutney, fudge, cookies and even candles or soap. For DIY wedding favour projects head to the DIY category of this website.