The big debate
should you give favours?
by Grace Hutchinson
Favours are a hot topic when it comes to wedding planning; many believe they’re a great way to get creative on your big day, but others believe they are an unnecessary expense.
There are many reasons why favours are an important part of any wedding. First and foremost, they thank your guests for making the effort to attend your big day. If you get favours right, they’re often one of the things that will stick in your guests' minds and have them talking about your wedding in time to come.
On a practical level, favours are a great way to fill up space on the tables, especially if you don’t plan on having elaborate table decorations. You want your wedding tables to be a feast for the eyes, not half empty, so favours play an important role here. By personalising the favours they can also double up as name places, eliminating one more item from your lengthy wedding to-do list!
From a visual point of view, favours are another way to include your theme into the reception. Whether this is a simple colour theme, or something more specific like 50s style, giving favours is another way to incorporate this.
If you’re opting for a traditional do, then of course you’ll know that wedding favours are a centuries old tradition. It’s thought that this tradition originated in France (where many wedding elements start out) and were originally called Bonbonnieres. Usually the wedding favour would comprise of a small crystal box containing sugared almonds. At a time when sugar was considered a luxury, this giving of sweet treats demonstrated a family’s wealth and position in the community. Legend has it that along with thanking guests for attending a couple’s big day, wedding favours were also considered a symbol of luck, inviting guests to share the love and happiness of a couple’s big day.
Favours don’t need to be elaborate or expensive if your budget won’t allow, in fact sometimes homemade personalised gifts are even more thoughtful. Buying each guest a lottery ticket and rolling it up and securing with ribbon is fairly inexpensive,