The History of Bomboniere Boxes

Bomboniere boxes – we all love receiving them at weddings. But where did they come from? When did people start giving them as favors at their wedding?

Wedding favors are given by the bride and the groom to their guests as a sign of appreciation and friendship. Favors are usually left on the tables at the reception as a part of the decoration, though sometimes they are distributed in person.

One of the most popular wedding favors is the bomboniere box. A “bombon” is a sweet morsel or piece of candy, so a “bomboniere” is a box that contains such candy. It is believed that the bomboniere originated in Europe many centuries ago, at a time when sugar was an expensive commodity. Wealthy members of the aristocracy would delight their guests with gifts of sugar or candies, presented in elegant porcelain or crystal boxes. Some of the boxes were even made of gold or were set with precious stones, making them valuable (and valued) keepsakes of the couple’s special day.

As the years passed, sugar became less expensive. More people were able to follow the lead of the aristocracy by giving out bombonieres at their own weddings, thus spreading the tradition. Eventually, candies began to fall out of favor and couples began to give almonds in their bomboniere boxes instead. It became tradition to give five sugared almonds to each guest, with each almond symbolizing a wish for the couple: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and long life.

How did almonds come to be chosen for bomboniere boxes? Popular belief has it that the custom arose from the Greek legend of Demophon and Phyllis, lovers separated before they could be married. Phyllis, believing that she would never see Demophon again, died of a broken heart. Moved by her love, the gods transformed her into an almond tree. When Demophon returned at last, he offered daily sacrifices to the leafless, flowerless almond tree to show his love and remorse. The almond tree blossomed, and thus became a symbol for hope and undying love.

In modern times, the legend of the almond and what it symbolizes has faded, and new traditions have arisen regarding bombonieres. It has become commonplace for couples to offer more personalized bombonieres, filled with anything from favorite chocolates to fragrant bath salts. Bombonieres are no longer just boxes, either; they may be small fabric bags, shiny tins, or even heart-shaped totes. No matter what form they take, bombonieres boxes are a wonderful token of appreciation for wedding guests.

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Wedding Cameras

Wedding cameras are a creative and inexpensive way to make your wedding fun and personal. More and more couples today are placing these single-use cameras on every table at their reception, or even making them available at the wedding. While hiring a professional photographer for your wedding is still a good idea, disposable wedding cameras can save you a lot of money by providing high-quality pictures at a fraction of the cost.

Some of the most popular wedding cameras come in soft shades of ivory, silver, or gold. You can also choose from bright metallics or subdued pastel wedding cameras to match the decorations you’ve chosen. There are dozens of “theme” cameras, too, so finding a camera to match your event should be a breeze. Some wedding cameras have inscriptions, such as the word “Love” or the phrase “A Day to Remember.” You can even have your wedding cameras personalised with text of your choosing, whether it’s a message of welcome to your guests or lines of verse that have special meaning for you as a couple.

An interesting question to consider when choosing a wedding camera is whether to include black-and-white film cameras. Black-and-white film is a natural choice for a modern wedding with a black-and-white theme. But for any wedding, no matter the theme or colour scheme, black-and-white film can capture vignettes in ways that colour film can’t. Scan your guest list and look for people who might offer a creative perspective. Do you have a cousin who is in art school? A colleague who’s a graphic designer? A neighbour who enjoys amateur photographer and has wowed you with his photo albums? If so, ask these guests if they would like to take black-and-white photos for you at your wedding and reception. More than likely, they will feel honoured by the request and will take their mission very seriously, seeking out unique photo opportunities and considering which shots will truly look best in black-and-white. When you put their black-and-white shots together with the colour photos taken by your other guests, you will have a unique collection of fun and artistic photographs to enjoy.

Wedding cameras invite your friends and family to capture your special day from their own perspective. You’ll get to share in the experiences and joys of your many guests, discovering scenes that you didn’t even know took place at your own wedding! Better yet, with so many guests snapping pictures, they are sure to capture many more memorable moments than a single photographer could possibly deliver. And best of all, you’ll have dozens and dozens of photos to choose from after your event is finished and it is time to put together your wedding album.

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Wedding Invitation Wording

The date is set, the location is chosen, and now it’s time to send the invitations. Choosing the right message for your wedding invitation is a matter of great importance. Wedding invitations are usually worded differently depending on whether the ceremony will take place in a church, at home, or outdoors. Some invitations are written in formal language, while others are casual in nature. For a couple is renewing their vows, or perhaps marrying for the second time, what to write in the wedding invitation can be puzzling.

If your ceremony will take place in a church, the wedding invitation wording is traditionally more formal. For example, the couple should request “the honour of your presence” rather than “the pleasure of your presence,” which is more appropriate for a wedding taking place in a non-religious setting. For formal wedding invitations, be sure to write out the full name of each person, including the middle name, rather than using initials. It is also preferred to spell out all words, including dates, times, and address abbreviations, such as Street, Avenue, and Road.

For couples renewing their vows, it is customary to invite guests as follows: “Mary and Robert Jones invite you to share in their joy as they renew their vows.” Guests are generally not expected to bring a gift to a wedding vow renewal ceremony, and gifts are not usually mentioned in the wedding invitation wording. If you truly do not wish to receive gifts, you may wish to include in your invitation a line that states, “The only gift we wish for is your company.”

For a second wedding, couples may decide to use wording that reflects the nature of the event. For example, they may invite guests to join them as they “celebrate new beginnings” or “begin their new life together.” If the bride no longer uses her maiden name, yet her parents are hosting the wedding, the invitation might read like this: “Mr. and Mrs. Randall Smith request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter, Linda Smith Marshall.”

In some circumstances, the bride and groom may prefer a quiet wedding with little fanfare. This may be the case if there has recently been a death in the family or if the couple prefers a private, intimate ceremony. A simple note sent from the bride (or from her mother) is sufficient notice in such a situation. The wedding invitation wording of this wedding invitation is often in the style of one friend writing to another, with simple sentences written in paragraph form. For example, a bride-to-be might write: “Steven and I have decided to get married on [date] at [location]. We are inviting only our families and close friends, and we truly hope that you will be able to join us.”

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Wedding Invitation Basics

Once you’ve recovered from the initial shock of becoming engaged to be married, there may be a myriad of pressing issues facing you in advance of your wedding. These can include everything from who will give you away on your special day to whether or not you want to secure the services of a flower girl for your march down the aisle.

Even if your plans for your wedding and reception are somewhat unusual, you’ll need to devote some attention to wedding invitations. Your wedding invitation is your best means of communicating with your wedding guests before the big event. The invitation will inform them about what kinds of clothes they should wear, where the wedding will be held, the time of year it will take place, and the expected size of the event.

If you envision your wedding to be a formal event, you’ll need to make sure that it’s clear on the wedding invitation who will be acting as host. You also need to indicate whether it is permissible for your invited guest to bring a guest of his or her own.

Generally speaking, you will only have to send a single wedding invitation to a couple or family. And it’s important to make sure that you send invitations to each member of the wedding party—including the parents of the groom. You will also need to send an invitation to the individual who is officiating the wedding, often a clergyman. If the clergyman is married, it is considered good form to also invite his wife.

Suppose you know that your grandmother will not be able to attend your wedding because of ill health. You want her to feel a part of your wedding day—yet, you don’t want to hurt her feelings by emphasizing the fact that she won’t be able to make it. What should you do in such a situation?

Etiquette experts say, should such a situation arise, it is vitally important that you send a wedding invitation to your beloved guest—even if she can’t be physically present for the wedding and reception. By mailing her an invitation, you are making her feel cherished and welcomed. Even though she can’t attend, she might be able to send a card or gift, which will make her feel as if she is part of the festivities. Chances are it will lift her spirits, knowing that you cared enough about her to send a wedding invitation.

Basic etiquette requires you to mail out the wedding invitations six weeks in advance of the wedding. This gives your guests plenty of time to clear their calendars and to voice their intention to attend. Waiting just a few weeks before the wedding to mail out invitations is considered to be an incredible breach of etiquette and could strain relations between you and some of your guests.

Mailing out wedding invitations can be a nerve-wracking process. However, through careful planning, you should emerge from the process unscathed, ready to take on all the other challenges that face a prospective bride.

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Choosing Your Wedding Cars

Now that you’re getting ready for your wedding, there are a million details to take care of. From ordering the cake to planning the honeymoon, it’s an exciting time! In all the hustle and bustle, though, don’t forget one of the most important details: the wedding cars.

Finding the right wedding car may require a lot of searching, as you want the car to match the style and theme of your event. If you’re having a modern, casual wedding, you might choose a flashy new convertible as your wedding car. On the other hand, if your ceremony and reception will be more traditional, a classic or vintage wedding car may be exactly what you’re after.

Here are some helpful tips when choosing your wedding cars.

1. Go for quality over price. That bargain-basement wedding car you’ve hired won’t seem like such a bargain if it arrives with scratches and dings—or worse, if it breaks down! Inspect each car you’re considering for cleanliness, polished surfaces, and visible damage. If it doesn’t look good on the outside, chances are that the operator hasn’t taken very good care of the motor, either.
2. Book with a reliable operator. Check out the operator with your local business bureau to see if any complaints have been registered. Be aware that some companies subcontract wedding cars from other operators. To avoid problems, make sure the wedding car you select is actually owned by the operator you’ve chosen. The more people involved in the transaction, the more complicated it will be, and the more likely it is that a mix-up will occur.
3. Make sure that the exact car you reserve is the one that you will receive—guaranteed. Operators do sometimes substitute one wedding car for another, so be sure that the specific car you select is reserved by its registration number.
4. Find out what your operator will do for you if your wedding car should break down. Many operators have spare wedding cars available should this happen. The best response, though, is “We keep our cars in such great shape that we’ve never had one break down!”
5. Ask for references. If you aren’t sure that an operator will be reliable, talking to past customers can help tip the scales either for or against. Naturally, the operator will refer you to customers who were very happy with the wedding cars and services they received. However, if the operator can provide dozens of satisfied customers like these, that speaks volumes about their business.
6. Book well in advance. There are only so many wedding cars available for hire, especially if you are looking for a particular vintage model. The best cars go quickly, so it’s a good idea to look for cars many months before your wedding day.

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Wedding Invitations Around the World

Wedding invitations and the traditions surrounding them vary greatly from culture to culture and country to country. Let’s take a look at some interesting traditions—perhaps they’ll give you an idea or two!

The Colours of a Happy Life Together
In China, tradition dictates that invitations are red and gold. Red is the colour of love, prosperity, and happiness, and gold is a symbol of good luck and fortune. Chinese wedding invitations are often ornately decorated with calligraphy and stylized pictures. The dragon and the phoenix are frequently depicted, as they represent a harmonious balance of male and female power. Another popular symbol is the Chinese character Xi, which means “double happiness.”

Word of Mouth
Written invitations may be the norm nowadays, but in Hungary guests were traditionally invited in a very special way. Customarily, the best man visited each and every guest and invited them in person by reciting a poem specially written for the occasion. Today, the bride and groom often fulfill this role instead, by visiting close family and friends and offering a personal invitation.

Shout it Out!
Many people still practice the public announcement of an upcoming marriage rather than sending formal invitations. In some parts of Africa and the Middle East, it is not unusual for a town crier to call out the impending marriage of a young couple. Friends and neighbours are invited to the ceremony in this way. And in places like Ontario, the calling of the banns still exists; the announcement of an imminent union for three consecutive weeks is a legal alternative to obtaining a marriage license. Similarly, a Quaker couple may announce their intention to marry during a community meeting.

Invite the World
Can you imagine sending out as many as 2,000 wedding invitations? One place where this may happen is India. By tradition, invitations are sent to family, friends, colleagues . . . just about anybody to whom you might wish to announce a wedding! Popular motifs for the wedding cards are images of Ganesh, the god of wisdom, or a doli, the traditional bridal carriage. Religious symbols from Hindu, Sikh, Islam and Christianity also appear frequently on Indian wedding cards.

Let’s Get Together
One trend in invitations is definitely not traditional: it involves the merging of two cultures when the bride and groom are from different backgrounds. What happens when a Japanese woman marries an American man? When a Greek groom takes a bride from Brazil? Or when a Muslim marries a Christian? Couples today are creating their own traditions by sending multicultural invitations and having ceremonies that honour important aspects of each other’s culture. Invitations are especially important in cases like these, as they help guests know what to expect of the approaching celebration. Many invitations combine significant colours, like those of a country’s flag, or display sacred text from each person’s tradition. Some invitations are even bilingual, particularly when extended family members do not speak the language of their soon-to-be in-law.

Whatever the tradition, invitations are likely to be an important part of weddings for as long as people fall in love and get married!

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Wedding Cakes

The wedding cake is one of the most memorable aspects of your reception. If you want a wedding cake that will really impress your guests, how about one of these?

Tried and True
Traditionally, wedding cakes are rounds of fruit cake, stacked or layered in tiers, and covered with white frosting. Decorations such as hearts, flowers, and ribbons may adorn the layers of such a cake. At the top, of course, rests a cake topper. Most often, the cake topper is a miniature bride and groom. Cake toppers come in hundreds of styles, though, so it is easy to find one that reflects your personality. You might choose a monogrammed initial studded with gems, or the word “Love” in gold or silver. You can even find comical cake toppers, such as the groom carrying his golf clubs while the bride looks on in dismay!

The Flavour of Love
If you’d like to be a little different, but not too different, you might choose an unusual flavor for your wedding cake. Layers of strawberry cake and pineapple cake complement each other beautifully. White chocolate raspberry cake, peanut butter and chocolate cake, and even carrot cake will give your guests a taste to remember—and rave about!

A Great Gift
One way to add an element of surprise to your reception is to have a wedding cake shaped like a group of gifts. When decorated with bows, this cake blends right in amongst the wedding gifts. Just be sure that nobody sets more gifts on top of it!

Fun for all Ages
If you’re young at heart, or if there will be lots of children attending your reception, create your wedding cake by stacking tiers of cupcakes. These little wedding cakes will disappear like hotcakes!

Chocoholics, Rejoice!
Are you a chocoholic? Then you might want to have a wedding cake fondue! Set up a chocolate fondue fountain at your reception, along with a mouth-watering selection of fruits and sweets. Bite-sized cubes of cake can be placed on toothpicks and easily dipped into the flowing chocolate to create an enjoyable alternative to the traditional wedding cake.

Spring is in the Air
For a spring celebration, a wedding cake in pastel colours is perfect. Decorate your cake with fresh flowers or flowers made of frosting or fondant. Wedding cakes can be decorated for any season or holiday, from the red and gold of autumn leaves to ice-blue sparkle of Christmas snowflakes.

Make a Splash
For something really unique, make one of the tiers of your wedding cake a miniature fountain. Or, elevate your cake on a pedestal and place the fountain underneath. Some fountains even have lighting to make your wedding cake glow.

Cake? Who Needs Cake?
Perhaps you aren’t a fan of cake. Don’t feel obliged to have a wedding cake just because it’s tradition. Who says you can’t have a wedding cheesecake, or a wedding ice cream cake? Choose a dessert that strikes your fancy, and get creative! You might even offer a “cake” made of fruits for those health-conscious of your guests.

Whatever cake you choose, wedding cakes are an important part of your big day. Bon appetit!

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Wedding Invitation Types and Terms

There are so many types of wedding invitations available today – where should a bridge and groom begin? Traditional invitations come in a number of way and include several parts. The first step is to be familiar with the the types of invitations popularly used today:

Engraved: Engraving creates the most formalized wedding invitations. A copper plate is used and the wording of the invitation is carved on the copper plate. The plate is placed in the press, inked and paper is printed with the copper plate. The letters left on the invitation are raised. These type of invitations can be extremely expensive and are usually used when there are no budgetary constraints.

Thermography: The process of thermography mixes ink with small dry particles to create the raised look of engraving. Thermography creates a similar effect to engraving but is more cost effective than using engraving for wedding invitations.

Off-set Printing: Off-set printing is often used for business printing needs and creates an affordable, customized wedding invitation that is beautiful and suitable for both formal and informal purposes.

Blind Embossing: For this type of printing, a design is pressed on paper resulting in a raised image. No ink or foil is used to create this print and it is usually used to print a family crest or other design on invitations.

Handwritten: Invitations can also be written in excellent penmanship or by using fancy calligraphy pens. Though these types of invitations involve a lot of writing, they are cost effective, original and can be used for both formal and informal weddings.

Besides the different types of printing on the invitation a couple can choose from, there are also several parts to wedding invitations. As you know, there seems to be envelopes within envelopes when you open up wedding invitations, so here are the parts:

Invitation: The invitation itself is a specially worded announcement of a wedding celebration. Wedding invitations can be formal or informal, depending on the circumstances and desires of the bridge and groom. Formalized invitations are traditionally printed on heavyweight paper in colours such as ivory, white and cream. Informal invitations can printed on various colours and use casual language and unique designs. Although invitations are usually sent through the mail, a couple can also choose to have them delivered by courier if price is no problem.

Reply card: Reply cards enable guests to inform the bridge and groom if they are attending, as well the number of people coming. An addressed envelope accompanies reply cards. These reply cards are an important way for the bride and groom to get a head count for their wedding.

Thank you cards: Frequently matching thank you cards are ordered with the invitations because it is cost-effective and convenient. Thank you cards should be sent to guests within a month after the wedding and are more personalised when handwritten.

Place Cards: Place cards that match the wedding invitations can be used to designate seating at a wedding. A place card with each guest’s name on it is put by a chair at the table so guests know where to sit when they arrive.

Maps: Sometimes a preprinted map is slipped into invitations so that guests from out of town can locate the wedding celebration.

These are just the basics about wedding invitations. Take your time and choose and invitation that reflects your unique union – after all, the invitation is the beginning of your momentous occasion.

Keywords: Wedding Invitations, Weddingblog, Wedding
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What You Need to Know to Host a Proper Wedding Shower

A wedding shower can be a phenomenal event. It can provide a much-needed bonding experience between a bride and her bridesmaids. It can be a joyful occasion where friends and family get the opportunity to treat the bride as a queen. It is definitely one of those “scrapbook moments” that a bride will remember for the rest of her life.

But, while a bridal shower can be fun and entertaining, it’s also important for the planners of the shower to adhere to certain rules of etiquette. Otherwise, misunderstandings and hurt feelings can result, turning what should have been a happy occasion into a miserable one for all concerned.
To begin with, the maid of honor should be the one in charge of the wedding shower. This is true, even if the maid of honor happens to be the bride’s sister or other relative. If she is unavailable for some reason, she can choose someone else with a connection to the bride to host the shower. It is generally considered bad form for the mother of the bride to play hostess, because it gives the appearance that the mother is trying to solicit presents for her family. These days, it’s also acceptable to hold more than one bridal shower—particularly if the bride is in the workforce and would enjoy a wedding shower exclusively with her co-workers.

Generally speaking, everyone who is invited to the wedding shower should also be invited to the wedding. This means that all female members of the wedding party should be invited to the shower. It would be a shame for someone to be asked to come to a bridal shower, only to be excluded from the actual event. However, conversely, it is not essential for every female wedding guest to be present at the wedding shower.

The bridal shower invitation can take a variety of forms. However, it should include key information such as the date, time, and location of the wedding shower. It’s also a good idea to include information about where the bride is registered, so that the guests have some idea what kind of gifts she would like to receive. Such information can also prevent duplication of gifts, since the registry will record whenever a noted item has been purchased. Also include contact information for the hostess so that the guests can RSVP by an appropriate date. You might also want to include directions to the event—especially if the guests might be unfamiliar with the location.

On the actual day of the event, the hostess should be careful to greet each guest as she arrives. The hostess should inform the guests about where gifts should be placed and where they should sit. During the gift opening ceremony, the hostess should make careful note of who gave which gift so that the bride knows how to craft her thank you notes. This task can be more difficult than it would at first appear, since, in the frenzy of gift opening, it can be hard to keep track of all the different gift-givers. But it is also an essential chore, since no guest wants to receive a thank you note meant for someone else—or to be overlooked for a thank you note altogether.

Keywords: Wedding Planning, Weddingblog, Wedding, Wedding Shower
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