How to Choose Your Wedding Favours

Wedding favours (or bombonieres) are small gifts for wedding guests from the bride and groom, thanking them for being part of their special day. They are usually left on the dinner table at the reception next to name cards. Traditionally wedding favours consisted of five sugared almonds which represented health, wealth, happiness, fertility and long life, but nowadays, almost anything goes and you can create or buy wedding favours to reflect your own personal taste and style.

Here are a few things to bear in mind before choosing wedding favours for your guests:

• Decide whether you want your wedding favours to be edible or keepsake gifts.
• Work out what you want to / or can spend on each favour.
• Choose a theme – will it be complementary to your wedding decorations or quirky?
• Decide whether you want to make your wedding favours or order them in from a wedding favours supplier.
• Make sure you leave enough time in your wedding planning to make / order favours.

Ideas for Wedding Favours

• Sugared almonds – Wrapped in tulle and presented in a fine box, almonds are the classic bomboniere, perfect for traditionally styled weddings.
• Potted plant or dried flowers – Perfect tie-ins with an outdoor garden wedding.
• Pineapple lumps – A very New Zealand alternative to sugared almonds, nice quirky touch for more casual weddings.
• Noodle box of coloured lollies – A nice bright table decoration as well as a sweet treat.
• Chocolate truffles – High quality chocs for a chic, more sophisticated evening reception.
• Personalised chocolate fish – Another 'kiwi' favourite given a wedding make over.
• Small shell-covered name plates or boxes – Tie in your beach wedding theme with wedding favours and seating cards in one.

More About Wedding Favours

View NZ Wedding Guide's wedding favours information, or return to NZ Wedding Guide's main page.