Wedding Traditions
Contributed by Anne Marie Regalado and Marie Mosley
When favorribbons.com asked us to write an article about the traditions and
trends of wedding favors, We knew it would be a bit of a challenge. Working in
the wedding industry for 20 years has presented us with wonderful
opportunities to peer into the lives of hundreds of brides from many different
cultures and backgrounds.
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 element of a family's
experience.
Thinking of family 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, these bits of fabric were, thankfully, replaced by
ribbons made into what became known as love knots. These 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 bring
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.
Guests at a wedding reception have been known to clink their glasses to
compel the bride and groom to kiss. Bells are becoming 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 bar ware and CD favors. The overwhelming change in favor trends
today is towards 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 to their guests. 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 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 formal
wear in mind. No need to worry about stains!
An emerging trend in wedding favors is the personalized wedding CD. Many
brides and grooms are creating CD's for their guests using CD burners. You
can create CD's 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 CD's. 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 their 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!
Contributed by Anne Marie Regalado and Marie Mosley
When favorribbons.com asked us to write an article about the traditions and
trends of wedding favors, We knew it would be a bit of a challenge. Working in
the wedding industry for 20 years has presented us with wonderful
opportunities to peer into the lives of hundreds of brides from many different
cultures and backgrounds.
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 element of a family's
experience.
Thinking of family 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, these bits of fabric were, thankfully, replaced by
ribbons made into what became known as love knots. These 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 bring
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.
Guests at a wedding reception have been known to clink their glasses to
compel the bride and groom to kiss. Bells are becoming 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 bar ware and CD favors. The overwhelming change in favor trends
today is towards 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 to their guests. 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 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 formal
wear in mind. No need to worry about stains!
An emerging trend in wedding favors is the personalized wedding CD. Many
brides and grooms are creating CD's for their guests using CD burners. You
can create CD's 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 CD's. 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 their 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!