History Of Wedding Favors

According to weddingvendors and thebomboniereshop (Credit Sources) - Wedding Favors (bomboniere) started centuries ago from European upper classes. Back then, Wealthy European Aristocrats would extravagantly gives away Wedding Favors as part of Wedding traditions to guests to emphasize their upper social status in life. The practice of giving bomboniere started in Italy, during the 14th century, when the families of engaged couples began swapping small packages filled with sweets as a sign of good fortune. Over time, sugar-coated almonds became the preferred choice of sweets and their use spread to occasions other than engagements and weddings. Today, no special celebration in Europe - as well as other parts of the world - is considered complete without a carefully chosen bomboniera.

The tradition of giving bomboniere may very well have started in Italy but the term was coined by the French, probably under the reign of King Louis XIV. The King reveled in the practice of exchanging sweet boxes with visiting dignitaries and during court celebrations. The King and his court used the term “"bombonniere"” - a derivative of the French word ""bon bon"", meaning candy- to describe these boxes. Many of the boxes they commissioned were quite extraordinary in their presentation. They were crafted by skilled artisans and incorporated such precious materials as mother- of-pearl, ivory or gold. Their extravagance helped to elevate the making and presenting of bomboniere to a specialized art, far surpassing the more informal or familial nature that bomboniere had in their earliest form in Italy.

Wedding favors began as small fancy boxes, known by their French name of bonbonniere. A bomboniera is a beautiful keepsake that is given to guests at special celebrations such as Weddings. It is both a thank you and a token of remembrance. Bomboniere can take many forms. Among the most popular, are small boxes made of paper, silver, porcelain, gold, and often encrusted with precious stones or glass and beautiful pochettes crafted from tulle, lace, ribbons and other fine materials. Both are filled with sugar-coated almonds known as confetti in Italy and drages in France.

The general rule is to give one bomboniera per family or couple attending a celebration. Depending on the type of bomboniera chosen, some hosts/hostesses may choose to give one bomboniera to each and every guest. Close family members and friends who have played a special role in the celebration (i.e. a bridesmaid, a godparent, grandparents, a best man, etc.) may receive a different and more elaborate bomboniera than the guests. Friends and family who were not able to attend a celebration but sent a gift or a card with good wishes, should also receive a bomboniere as a thank-you of their thoughtfulness within a reasonable time after the celebration.

The tradition of providing gifts to guests was adopted by individuals of modest means by selecting simple treats as gifts. Every culture across time has a approached marriage as a wonderful event, with the nuptials celebrated throughout the community. In many societies the bride and groom are associated with good luck, a common thought was that everything they touched would be charmed. By gifting members of the community, they would then pass those same blessings onto others.