| Giving out wedding favors during or after the wedding | | | | wrapped in expensive fabrics are given away to |
| reception has always been a traditional gesture | | | | symbolize the most common wishes for newly wed |
| extended by the bride and the groom to their guests. | | | | couples - health, long life, fertility, wealth and marital |
| These are usually little trinkets, that are given away in | | | | happiness. The mix of the bitter almond with the |
| remembrance of the couple's special day. This tradition | | | | sweetness of sugar symbolized the bittersweet life |
| originated with the upper social class of the European | | | | experience of the married couple. |
| aristocrats, who had been known to give away small | | | | These days, people have become more creative |
| trinket boxes often made of porcelains and crystals, | | | | when it comes to wedding souvenirs. The tradition has |
| and sometimes even of expensive gems. Inside these | | | | changed through time, and the items used for wedding |
| boxes, one can find sugar cubes, which back then | | | | favors are now unique and usually influenced by |
| were considered something that only the rich can | | | | different cultures. They can range from small boxes |
| enjoy. This wedding favor was originally known as | | | | with chocolates inside, to little picture frames or small |
| bonbonniere. | | | | baskets with tiny sugar coated candy flowers. |
| As sugar became more affordable, the masses | | | | The trend nowadays is to have these wedding favors |
| began doing the same practice of giving away sugar | | | | personalized with the names of the bride and the |
| cube wedding favors. Later on sugar cubes were | | | | groom and the date of their wedding. Although much |
| replaced with the more expensive almond nuts. | | | | has changed, these small souvenirs remain so much a |
| Almonds signify the good wishes that guests would | | | | part of the wedding celebration and have even |
| give the couple as they journey on their lives together. | | | | opened up a new industry. For more creative and |
| In the thirteenth century, people started coating the | | | | unique ideas for wedding favors, one can easily get |
| almonds used for these wedding favors with sugar | | | | ideas from the Internet where there are many |
| which earned the name "confetti". Five almonds | | | | websites specializing on these. |