Traditions and Trends
When it comes to weddings, tradition has many definitions. Traditions can come from your heritage, from your family, or be part of the social norms of your generation. Family tradition is almost always the most diverse, because it can blend ethnic or cultural traditions with the unique elements of a family’s experience.
Thinking of traditions brings to mind the story of the young newlywed cooking her first roast. As she had seen her mother do many times while preparing her famously delicious roasts, she cut several inches off the end of the roast and placed it in a roasting pan to cook. She asked her mother why it was important to take those inches off the roast, and her mother replied that she was not sure, but that her mother had done the same thing, and had always made a perfect roast every time. The newlywed called her grandmother to get to the bottom of the technique. Her grandmother’s answer was simple: “The roasts were always too big for my pan”. There was no secret technique or recipe. Still, mistakenly, it became a tradition from one generation to another.
Wedding traditions come with as many background stories as there are cultures. One culture’s good-luck charm can be another’s bad omen. With that said, there are some generally accepted origins for some wedding favor traditions.
History tells of the earliest known favors being cuttings from the bride’s gown. During the Elizabethan times, those bits of fabric were, thankfully, replaced by ribbons made into what became known as “love knots”. Those were worn on the lapels and dresses of the joyful wedding guests.
Gifts have been given to guests at marriage ceremonies as far back in time as the Roman empire. From fruits and nuts to precious metals, people have expressed their gratitude to their wedding guests for centuries with some token of remembrance.
One of the most common traditional favor candies still used today is the Jordan almond. These tasty, sugar coated nuts are said to represent many things, including the bitter and sweet aspects of marriage, as well as being blessings of fertility to the bride and groom. It is most famous as part of the Italian “bonbonniere” or confetti favor, which is a presentation of 3 or 5 almonds wrapped in tulle and tied with a bow. The number of almonds in the favor is important; according to superstition, 4 almonds is unlucky, but 3 or 5 is perfect!
Another traditional wedding favor choice is the wedding bell. Created to mimic the church bells that ring after a wedding ceremony, the bells have become increasingly popular over the years as a fun part of the wedding reception. Guest at a wedding reception have been known to clink their glasses to compel the bride and groom to kiss. Bells have become common as a replacement “noisemaker” for the glassware. The little bells sound better, and your guests can get as noisy as they want without worrying about smashing them!
New traditions will come along, based on today’s trends. The daughters of today’s brides may want to give the same favor as their mother before them. Some newer favors that may become part of tradition for future generations include barware and CD or MP3 favors. The overwhelming change in favor trends today is toward function. Many of today’s brides and grooms are finding unique and unusual ways to present their guests with favors that will serve a useful purpose. Some more contemporary choices are coasters, wine charms, bottle openers, and candles. The choices are abundant, and favor retailers have selections of favors that can fit nearly every budget and theme.
Over the past two decade, bubbles have become a big part of weddings. In place of the almost universally banned rice toss, wedding guests have been saluting departing bridal couples with clouds of bubbles. Bubbles are fun for every wedding guest, and specially designed wedding bubbles are made with formalwear in mind. No need to worry about stains!
An emerging trend in wedding favors is the personalized wedding CD or MP3 collection. Many brides and grooms are creating CDs for their guests using CD burners. You can create CDs of romantic music, or use music that goes with your wedding theme. Some creative couples have even written their own songs for their wedding, and have included them on their CDs. A CD is a thoughtful gift for your guests, one that they can enjoy anytime.
When you start selecting your wedding favors, you will find that there are as many favors to choose from as there are types of weddings. Favors can be anything from a simple scroll of paper thanking your guests for joining you on your wedding day, to beautiful vases or crystal boxes. Endless creativity makes favor traditions grow every year. Who knows, your favor idea may become the next big trend!
