I am very excited to share this post with you from Fen Bolodeoku. Fen, previously a medical doctor specialising in paediatrics, created MonAnnie Cakes out of her rekindled love for baking and an outpouring of creativity. I met Fen a few years ago, and I was taken by her passion and creativity for her craft as well as her delicious cakes and desserts. I asked Fen to share her knowledge and expertise with couples on their wedding planning journey, and in this post, she writes about edible wedding favours.

Fen Bolodeoku
MonAnnie Cakes

Wedding favours are an age-old tradition initially common amongst European aristocrats.  The first wedding favour was known as a bonbonniere- this was a small trinket box made of crystal, porcelain or precious stones and would usually contain sugar cubes. Sugar cubes then symbolised wealth and royalty.

My very first experience of wedding favours was sugared almonds in fabric bags. These originated in Greece. The bitterness of the almond and the sweetness of the coated candy are a metaphor for the bittersweetness of a marriage.

Traditions aside, wedding favours are meant to be a way of saying thank you to your guests. If not carefully considered, they can end up forgotten and left behind. In many respects, they can be an unnecessary cost.

I like to think of a wedding as an experience, with each element lending its best to tell a beautiful, bespoke story.  A wedding favour will, therefore, work best if it is meaningful.

If you are thinking of having edible wedding favours for your wedding, here are a few points to consider:

• Flavour – food can be sentimental. It can evoke beautiful memories or feelings. Consider a flavour that is special to you both. Was there a flavour you had at your proposal, your first date, a special holiday? Think about how you can use that as a foundation for your favour. A mini cake or tart, for example, incorporating that flavour can be a beautiful and delicious idea.
• Think outside the box- Edible doesn’t always mean something they can eat straight away. It could be seeds that they could plant and nurture. It could be ingredients and a recipe they can make at a later date. There are lots of creative avenues you could explore.
• Stationery- While some who know you both might understand the meaning behind your favour choice, it might be a beautiful touch to include a short narration of that story. Imagine it written in beautiful calligraphy on handmade paper. Be mindful not to make it too long, something short and sweet that they can connect with and want to experience that gift. Having this in keeping with the rest of the day would make for a cohesive memorable experience.
• Packaging- there are lots of options for this. Packaging serves to protect its contents as well as look stunning and in keeping with your wedding design. Delicate elements like cakes or patisserie may require something well sealed a little sturdy. You could also consider packaging that they can meaningfully reuse, a little like the original wedding favours that were packaged in trinket boxes.
• Guest numbers. Creating something artisan and bespoke may be a huge cost or lose some of its intricacy on a large scale. Meaningful wedding favours may work best for an intimate wedding.

Wedding favours are by no means essential, so please don’t feel pressured to having them.

If you would like to have them, thoughtfully consider the gift and the story behind it. Your cake designer or wedding design team are a fount of creativity and may be able to help you design/create something truly special.

You can find out more about Fen’s work here: monanniecakes.com

Please feel free to browse my blog to read more tips and advice on wedding planning from some fantastic wedding suppliers or contact me to find out more about my wedding photography services.

Image credit: Maxeen Kim Photography