favours

Pictured below are a small selection of some recent favour commissions.
All favours can be tailored to meet individual requests or bought as components. See more favours and prices in our shop products page

Gents' top hat favour boxes with calligraphic name tags

 

A simple cream box with a pretty ribbon makes for a fresh and contemporary looking favour

White satin favour boxes with red buds and gold ribbon …
ideal for Ruby Wedding Anniversaries

 

Pretty pink rose favour boxes and organza bags

 

Many bridal couples tend to give favours to the ladies only however we have a small but fun range of gifts for the gents too. Tuxedo boxes with matching chocolates, top hats in silver, gold, lilac, purple, blue or tartan filled with sweets.

 

A selection of favours. Favour orders are safely boxed up for collection or delivery.

Off-white pillow boxes with blue silk buds …
filled with blue almonds these favours make lovely treats for guests at a baby's christening (also available in pink)

The tradition of giving ‘bomboniere’ or ‘favours’ at weddings, christenings and anniversaries dates back to medieval Europe (particularly in Italy and the Southern Mediterranean). Brides and grooms from well to do families gave their friends and loved ones small tokens of silver and gold trinkets filled with crystallised sugar, once a rare treat. Some of these may have even featured each family’s coat of arms. This was in the days before photography and was intended as a memento of the special occasion. As sugar became more popular and less scarce the aristocracy started giving elaborately worked sugar sculptures in the form of intricate, decorative boxes, miniature baskets and even sculptured babies in cradles for christening celebrations. They were made out of ‘pastilliage paste’ and moulded from hard wood culinary moulds and then expertly hand finished by master confectioners. Some were also used as table-name markers and were very popular amongst French Royalty and the elite and commonly used by Marie Antoinette and her circle.

Nowadays this tradition lives on, and families still give bomboniere to celebrate weddings, christenings and anniversaries. These days you are more likely to find macramé, organza or net pouches personalised with flowers and pretty ribbons filled with five sugared almonds symbolising the virtues of health, wealth, happiness, longevity and fertility. Favour boxes are more contemporary versions of bomboniere and can be filled with jelly babies and smarties for fun!