wedding 2025 | The Wedding Favor

Final Touch

date posted: February 25, 2025

A wedding favor is a tangible token of your gratitude that your beloved people have joined you in celebrating—a small memento with countless good vibes attached.

Little gifts for wedding guests are a tradition that transcends time and culture, with firm roots in the best human instincts. A wedding favor is a tangible token of your gratitude that your beloved people have joined you in celebrating—a small memento with countless good vibes attached. A wedding favor should carry a whiff of that emotion with it, so that the sight of it brings a warm smile and a happy memory long after the honeymoon’s over.

Ancient Romans liked to use small containers of honey or fruit, sweet symbols of good fortune, prosperity, and fertility. Centuries later, in Renaissance Europe, wealthy couples distributed bonbonnières, small, fancy containers of sweets; sugar was a luxury back then, and beyond that, the containers themselves might be made of precious metal, gems, or crystal.

Sugared almonds, love knots made of lace and ribbon, and small bells all became popular favors in various places. Etiquette historians say the tradition spread from the wealthy to the growing middle classes, but we suspect that small gifts at such moments were probably always a thing and gem-encrusted bonbonnières just got all the publicity.

Photo by Kalz Photography.

You are absolutely free to do whatever will spark maximum joy, represent who you are as a couple, and complement the tone and décor of your Day.

The number five is another wedding-favor tradition worth noting. Five can’t be divided (nifty symbolism, that!) and represents five classic wedding wishes: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity.

It’s a bit hard to imagine what one did with a gem-encrusted box the right size for five sugared almonds, besides dusting it every so often, a task that probably fell to the help. Thankfully, here—as with most wedding choices—you are absolutely free to do whatever will spark maximum joy, represent who you are as a couple, and complement the tone and decor of your Day.

Photo by Paulette Rae Photography.

Photo by Love Me Do Photography.

Photo by Steph Fowler Photography.

Photo by Meruyert Gonullu.

favorable inspirations

Why not go sustainable? Seeds or growing plants have a symbolic power that’s pitch-perfect for forming your fresh little fam.

Personalize a mug and fill it with five herbal tea bags (or more, if you wish; they’ll just have to think up some extra blessings to send your way as they sip their tea).

Handmade soaps can be personalized in all sorts of ways. Choose a special scent, have the bars engraved, and nestle them into pretty little mesh bags that can be hung in the shower.

Aromatherapy and light spell “We love you.” It’s hard to go wrong with a lovely and delicious-smelling candle, or even a set of five mini-candles, if you want to go trad.

Nicely presented gourmet candy is a crowd-pleaser, and there are loads of choices. Or how about the perfect cookie? Of course, you can still find the traditional sugared almonds in all sorts of presentations. Individual packets of mixed nuts could convey the same delicious message in an entirely different flavor of symbolism.

Photo by Maria Tyutina.