Text: Sandra Kemppainen
Products and photos: Jennifer Lorton from Sparkle and Posy.
It is traditional in some Western cultures for the guests at bridal showers and weddings to receive party favors; these vary in price and durability in accordance with the desires and budget of the host or hostess. This practice has spread to many other formal occasions such as baby showers, engagement parties, retirement parties, anniversaries, and holiday gatherings.
Wedding favors are small gifts given as a gesture of appreciation or gratitude to guests from the bride and groom during a wedding ceremony or a wedding reception.
The tradition of distributing wedding favors is a very old one. It is believed that the first wedding favor, common amongst European aristocrats, was known as a bonbonniere. A bonbonniere is a small trinket box made of crystal, porcelain, and/or precious stones. The contents of these precious boxes were generally sugar cubes or delicate confections, which symbolize wealth and royalty. (In this era, sugar was an expensive commodity and was treasured only among the wealthy. It was believed that sugar contained medical benefits). As the price of sugar decreased throughout centuries, the tradition of providing gifts to guests reached the general populace and was embraced by couples of modest means.
As sugar became more affordable, bonbonnieres were replaced with almonds. For centuries, almonds
were commonly distributed to wedding guests to signify well wishes on the bridegroom’s new life. In the thirteenth century, almonds coated with sugar, known as confetti, were introduced.
Confetti soon transformed to sugared almonds, which later evolved into the wedding favor for modern day weddings. Traditionally, five Jordan almonds are presented in a confection box or wrapped in elegant fabric to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness. The bitterness of the almond and the sweetness of the coated candy exemplify the bitter sweetness of a marriage.
Today, gifts to guests are commonly known as wedding favors and are shared in cultures worldwide.
Wedding favors have become a part of wedding reception planning, especially in the United States and Canada.
Wedding favors are diverse and usually complement the theme or season of the event.
Classic favors can range from the classic sugared almonds or individual chocolates to candles and scented soaps.
Modern gift trends include: CDs with the favorite music of the bride and groom, shot glasses filled with colored candy or silver picture frames with a photo of the couple. Gifts may also be personalized with the couple's names, initials or wedding date.
Making or buying
A host or hostess has the option to make or buy party favors for their event. The main factors in this decision are budget, longevity of favor, and time allotted for the task.
A typical party favor budget is computed by allotting a specific percentage of the overall event budget to favors.
Traditionally, a bigger event such as a wedding or baby shower would allow for 20% of the overall budget to cover party favors.
For a smaller event such as a birthday party or seasonal party, 5%-10% of the overall budget is customary.
The longevity of the favor depends on whether or not it is edible. If the host or hostess chooses to give an edible favor, they have the option to make it themselves or buy it from a favor company. The decision about longevity is personal to the host/hostess. For example, if the party is for a child, giving a party favor bag with a few themed items that the child will be able to play with is appropriate. If the party is for Halloween, giving edible "treats" is appropriate. If the party is for an anniversary, giving an item that can be taken home to commemorate the occasion such as a key chain or ornament is appropriate.
Time allotted for the task will also determine whether a host/hostess makes or buys their party favors. If the party is scheduled months in advance, time may be available for a handmade favor. If the guest list is large then buying the favors may be more efficient.
Sparkle and Posy
My sister and I decided to start Sparkle & Posy, as a fun way to do a create project together. Meg is wild about all things Sparkly, and I have been working with brides, creating their wedding flowers for about 20 years.
To begin, she secretly picked a word (her word was "sparkle"), and so did I (my word was "posy"), and then we put them together, and Sparkle & Posy was born!
At this point, I am the primary maker of all things Sparkle & Posy. Meg is hoping to get more involved in the near future.
I live at the coast, on the edge of the forest, in Northern California. I feel like I'm living the dream; I make pretty things, in a lovely location, and help brides dreams come true.
It's pretty great.
Sparkle & Posy features unique, hand crafted wedding accessories, along with DIY bride supplies, and some vintage treasures.
Jennifer Lorton
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