Wedding Planner NJ - Do Me a Favor!

Wedding favors as a custom seem to have come full circle. With a centuries long history, they were originally handed out by the wealthy who had the means to bestow such gifts. Called "bonbonnieres," they were small trinket boxes made of crystal, porcelain, or precious and semi-precious stones. Inside were sugar cubes or other tasty confections!

Almond joy
People of lesser means, but using simpler tokens of appreciation, subsequently adopted the custom. It evolved into a gift of Jordan almonds that were then sugar coated and called "confetti." The bitter taste of the almond mixed with the sweet taste of the sugar was meant to symbolize the bittersweet realities of marriage.

Today it seems we've returned to lavishness, trying to outdo each other in the elaborateness of the favor.

And that has led to a backlash of sorts causing people to ask, do we even need to give favors anymore?

While tradition says we have to give a gift, and many times it means following a rote path that others have taken before, nothing requires us to actually do so. However, we are celebrating a unique time in our lives and providing a small favor to our friends and family to remember this occasion is a simple gesture of goodwill.

Are you nuts?
While I remember getting small fabric-wrapped almonds at almost every wedding I went to when I was young, today people seem to give everything but almonds. Regardless of whether it was three or five Jordan almonds, the symbolism was the same: fertility, longevity, wealth, health, and happiness. The odd number of almonds also had meaning. Not being easily divisible, it represented the difficulty in dividing those newly joined in marriage.

Today, anything goes! Small bottles of wine or champagne (or hot sauce even!), personalized glasses, small crystal trinkets, silver spoons, and more are handed out. Wedding favors come in varying price points too, from less than $1 to more than several dollars a piece.

You don't have to spend a fortune, and the wedding planners at Coming Together Events recommend you don't. You can find many unique, memorable gifts on the Internet today and not pay a king's ransom to get them. Monogrammed glass candy jars, for example, can be bought in bulk and had for well under $1 each. Personalized soap squares, complete with box and ribbons, can be purchased too. One-of-a-kind candy tins, gourmet coffee packets or tea bags, candles, shot glasses, and more are available, and all for below $1 each.

At my own wedding, we gave personalized M&Ms in small silver boxes.

A NJ Wedding Planner's Bottom Line
Today there are so many options that you're really only limited by your imagination. Think of something that represents who you are and would say something about you. That way when the wedding is over and your guests are back home and they reach for the favor you've given them, they'll remember you fondly and perhaps wish you good cheer.

After all, that is what a wedding favor is for. Good luck!