Do me a favour...

There is a hint of Autumn , a beautiful time of year.  After a very long and hot summer, finally there is a coolness in the air and the children have gone back to school. That means after this half term, then the “Blackberry week” (October half term school holiday) the big day will be here. Yikes. Suddenly there are things to finalise, and the spreadsheet has been put on the desktop to speed up access..

So as I sat, sitting the other night, unusually I didn’t have much to do. I had drawn the curtains now it’s turning darker after 8pm – just a quick sketch....or “battened down the hatches”  as my Dad would say,  and decided a good job to get done was the wedding favours.

A quick google search tells me that

Wedding favours are small gifts given to guests as a token of appreciation from the Bride and Groom on their Wedding Day – they are usually given out at the Wedding Reception, and often form part of the table decorations.

The tradition of giving wedding favours goes back many years: it is thought the first wedding favour was the ‘Bomboniere’- a small trinket box made of porcelain or crystal and often decorated with precious stones. These were limited to the European Aristocracy and Upper Classes, and usually contained sugar or confectionery which symbolised wealth and royalty. At the time, sugar was an expensive delicacy which was only affordable by the wealthy (it was also thought to have medicinal qualities), but as it became more widely available to those of lesser means the tradition of giving Bombonieres became more widespread.

Over time, bombonieres were replaced with almonds – given to guests to signify good wishes for the couple’s new life together: 5 almonds to signify Health, Wealth, Happiness, Fertility and Long Life. In the 13th Century sugar coated almonds, or Confetti, were introduced, which are still popular today.

These days, the gifts given to Wedding guests are known as Wedding Favours, and the tradition is popular among a wide variety of cultures worldwide. The huge range of options now available means that although many couples may choose the traditional almond favour, those who are looking for more unusual wedding favours are sure to find something suitable.

 I don’t want to spoil the surprise for the day, so can only say Lucy and Mark have chosen a lovely alternative to traditional sugared almonds, so I was able to create the 85 or so favours in one sitting. I did draw blood out of my fingers a little but hopefully  this won’t be too noticeable on the day....