Married In The Fall Is A Spectacular Time for Unique Favors
Fall Weddings and the colorful Seasonal Favors that come with this time of year create one of the most sensual and romantic times to get married.
Are you and your fiancée getting married in the Fall? If so, you’ve made a fabulous choice for your wedding season. The autumn’s warm colors and the early sunsets make Fall an ideal setting for a romantic and very photographic opportunity for your wedding photographs.
We love the crisp air, beautiful and bold colors, and flavorful autumn menu options such as warm apple cider cocktails, hot seasonal pies, and other fall foods this time of year. But, of course, don’t forget the pumpkin spice drinks and hot cocoa.
I am very partial to the fall wedding season because my husband and I were married in October. We researched the sunset time for the day we chose and planned the end of the ceremony just at the right time of the setting sun to have a beautiful photo time before our reception.
Since the 2022 Fall/Autumn season is upon us, I thought we could look at some fall wedding favor available in today’s market, along with the exciting history of wedding favors.
Wedding favors are a time-honored tradition. Giving wedding favors is an age-old tradition that signifies the thankfulness of the bride and the bridegroom towards the guests. Knowing the history of this wedding token brings a greater appreciation for this tradition.
The tradition of wedding favors goes back to the 16th century when a wedding was considered a lucky occasion. So the Bride and Groom felt they were bestowing their good luck upon their guests by passing bonbonnieres and other treats onto their wedding guests. Bonbonnieres evolved as confectioners began making candied almonds by dipping them in sugar or some additional sweet coating.
A Cute Little Box Full of Delicacies
Bonbonnieres have always been an essential part of marriage functions. Hundreds and thousands of years ago, European aristocrats of Italy and France gave away pretty little boxes to wedding guests. These boxes of crystal, porcelain, metal, or precious stones, contained scrumptious delicacies made of sugar. Sugar was expensive in those days, and thus sugar-based delicacies were luxurious gift items. It was from these boxed and gift-wrapped confections that today’s wedding favors are derived.
This tradition is kept alive today with the brightly colored Jordan Almonds, usually wrapped in chiffon bags and still given at many weddings.
Jordan Almonds
has a story of their own which involve the five wedding wishes. Jordan almonds are pretty popular at weddings, especially in the United States. In Greece, wedding parties offered their guests sugared almonds, inspired by the tale of Demophon, the king of Athens whose wife died and was believed to be reincarnated as an almond tree. The bittersweet nature of almonds is thought to be symbolic of the bittersweet nature of life and love and the ups and downs that can come with marriage. The addition of sugar expresses hope that life for the happy couple will be more sweet than bitter. Traditionally, five almonds would be gifted to each guest – this prime number being indivisible and symbolic of the unity of the newlyweds. It was also thought the five almonds would represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health, and happiness.
There is a poem that reads:
Five sugared almonds for each guest to eat
To remind us that life is both bitter and sweet.
Five wishes for the new husband and wife
Health, wealth, happiness, children, and long life!
The almonds are considered a symbol of good luck, and the tradition of gifting them as wedding favors spread across Europe.
20th Century Evolution of Wedding Gifts
In 1907, Hershey came up with its iconic Milk Chocolate Kisses. All the chocolate lovers were going crazy over the yummy milk chocolate balls. So the bite-sized chocolates became a perfect option for wedding gifts. With today’s wedding themes and modern printing abilities, couples can order personalized tags and stickers to fit on the bottom of these Hershey Kisses that reflect their “love” and “thank yous” to their fabulous wedding guests. The stickers can say a simple “thank You” or show the bride and groom’s first names and wedding dates, “Love is Growing,” and many other personalized sayings.
21st Century Wedding Gift Inspirations
In more modern times, the story of the sugared almonds has become less popular to give, and it is still typically the gift confectionery to their guests on their wedding day, with cupcakes, macaroons, and individual chocolates all proving particularly popular. Trends of food favors have declined to a degree with modern wedding favors, including scented candles, soaps, photo frames, and gifts portraying the hobbies and special interests of the couple themselves or the wedding theme they chose.
The internet has brought a new selection of intricate items to hand out as wedding favors. Online stores provide many options to impress your guests – Prince Harry and Megan Markle gifted gold bracelets worth $450 in their splendid wedding ceremony. Wedding favors are presented in various manners; how each couple does so depends on their tradition or what they feel is best for their wedding-themed reception. Some couples will display favors at each setting, adding to the table decorations. Others will have a favor table with small gifts displayed and a decorative card attached containing each guest’s name and table assignment. Of course, couples splurge on wedding favors according to their wedding budgets. But the ultimate aim has always been to bring a smile to the face of the guests.
Please review our suggestions and ideas below for fall wedding favors and decorations. Then click on a “Shop Here” button and travel to our website, where you can browse a large selection of wedding favors and decor to match your wedding theme and colors for this beautiful fall wedding season.
Thank you so much