The Favor Factory was started in Cyprus in 2006 to help Brides & Grooms, getting married abroad, with their ever growing luggage problems!
Now relocated back in the UK, we still provide this service if you are getting married anywhere abroad, just order your favours, pay for them, and they will tbe delivered to your wedding reception. Couples getting married in the UK will have the favours delivered to their home address.
It really is as simple as that !!!
You can view the magazine by the tabs at the top or by clicking the pages in the corners, please remember that the tabs only take you to the first page of each section, you will need to click the page corners to access the othe pages in the section.
We are sorry but we cannot process orders less than 4 weeks prior to your wedding date if you getting married abroad
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Wedding favours date back many centuries and are considered traditional at wedding receptions by various cultures. In fact, it has been said that brides and grooms have given favours to their guests since the 16th century.
They are considered one of the most important wedding accessories needed to celebrate your big day and are well received by guests.
Originally they were only given by people in the upper class bracket. The French used to give out "Bonbonnieres" to their guests or "Bomboniere" as it's called in Italy.
These were well presented boxes normally made of crystal or porcelain and would contain bonbon's. Over time the contents of these boxes have gone from bonbon's to almonds to coating almonds in sugar.
Many brides want to give various gifts to their guests at their wedding reception as it shows a token of appreciation to friends and family who have given their love and support and shared their special day.
Whatever you decide, there are different themes and style of wedding favours to suit everyone.
Fresh almonds have a bittersweet taste, which represents life. The sugarcoating is added with the hope that the newlyweds' life will be more sweet than bitter.
Five almonds signify five wishes for the bride and groom: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity.
These almonds decorate each place setting as favors, tucked into pretty boxes or tulle bags called bomboniere that are often personalised with the couple's names and wedding date.
Sugarcoated almonds in traditional Greek weddings are called koufetta. They are placed in little bags in odd numbers and are served on a silver tray.
Odd numbers are indivisible, symbolising how the newlyweds will share everything and remain undivided.
Tradition holds that if an unmarried woman puts the almonds under her pillow, she'll dream of her future husband.
A Poem - Almonds for Thee
Five sugared almonds for each guest to eat to remind us that life is both bitter and sweet. Five wishes for the new husband and wife -- Health, wealth, happiness, children, and a long life!
Incorporating wedding traditions is fun! It's a way to celebrate and recognise the historical significance of marriage. But where do these traditions come from ? Maybe this will help!
The Proposal
Formal contract between families. Often times the groom would send a group of friends or servants to state his intentions. The group would not continue on the journey if on the way they saw a monk, a nun, or a blind man. These were thought to be omens that the marriage would be doomed. If, however, they saw a nanny goat, a pigeon, or wolves, the union would be blessed with a lifetime of good fortune.
The Hen Party
Originally intended to strengthen friendships between the bride and her female friends, in the 1890's, it evolved into an occasion for friends to present the bride-to be with small gifts. In fact, the gifts were placed in a parasol, which was opened above the bride's head, allowing the gifts to "shower" down upon her.
Bridal Party
This tradition stems from the Anglo-Saxon tradition of a groom using "Brides knights" to ensure that the bride got to the wedding and got to his home after the ceremony without being attacked and the dowry stolen. As weddings became more elaborate affairs, the use of bridesmaids became more common. They were responsible for helping the bride get dressed and to help decorate for the ceremony.
Giving Away of the Bride
During times when arranged marriages were the norm, the bride was literally given to the groom by her father in exchange for some form of property.
The Veil
During ancient times, weddings were arranged without the groom ever having seen the bride. It was thought that if the groom saw the bride and didn't like what he saw, he might not go through with the wedding. The veil was not lifted until after the ceremony.
Kissing the Bride
In Roman times, kissing was a legal bond that sealed all contracts.
Wedding Dress
Wedding dresses were not always white. In fact, until the 1840's, when Queen Victoria got married in a white gown, wedding gowns traditionally blue. In Biblical times, blue symbolised purity and fidelity a reason that Mary, Mother of Jesus, is often depicted in blue robes.
Something Old, Something New
A Victorian rhyme that recognises the importance of old friends, new beginnings, happiness, fidelity, and prosperity. "Old" stands for old friends; "new" represents the beginning of a new family; carrying something "borrowed" from a happily married friend represent borrowed happiness, the carrying of something "blue" represents purity and modesty. The sixpence in the shoe was worn to bring prosperity to the couple.
The Cake
A rich, dense cake was presented to wedding guests to take home as a memento of the wedding. It also was believed that if a single woman slept with a piece of the cake under her pillow, she would dream about the man she would marry!
Wedding Favours
Because the bride and groom were believed to be lucky, anything they touched was also seen as a good luck charm. Small gifts were given to wedding guests to bring them good luck throughout the year.
Tossing of the Garter
In the old days, guests would follow the newly married couple to their room on their wedding night, wait for them to undress, and toss their stockings at them. The first to hit the bride and groom would be the next to marry.
Tossing of the Bouquet
This evolved from the old tradition of tearing a piece of the bride's dress for good luck. Single women would tear a piece off the wedding gown to ensure finding a husband.
Honeymoon
Long ago, newly married couples would drink a fermented wine made from mead and honey for a month ("moon") following their wedding.
Changing the Bride's Surname
Because in olden times, women were treated as property, her name was changed to signify the change in "ownership" form father to husband. It was also believed to be bad luck to marry someone who shared the same last initial.
What colour will you be wearing this year?
Diamond-white. When brides around the world think "western wedding," they picture this. Ever since Queen Victoria, bright diamond-white has enjoyed strong associations with purity and the privileged, but these days, white may have more to do with modernity. This is the same breeze that brings us minimalist Calla bouquets and lace-free-zone Vera gowns.
Ivory. Ivory is elegant, old-world and soft-spoken. Ivory speaks of hand-polished silver and ironed linen.
Pale Pink. The lighter shades of pink speak to happiness, playfulness, and a sense of fun, not to mention a special fondness for love's super-sweet early years.
Hot Pink. Energized, "girl power" hue with an almost-punk edge. Think Gwen Stefani, and as possible accents, black, brown or vibrant green.
Lavender. Soft, dainty and ladylike, this colour often appears in weddings that hark to the past, with traditional-looking cakes and florals
Red. Passionate, dramatic, and dripping with desire, this romantic hue hints at deep lows, higher highs, and a triumphant peak (which of course coincides with the wedding). Often paired with crisp white and black in gorgeous toiles or other classic patterns, and sure to show up in tandem with tons of rose petals. What else? 1) It's no coincidence that Longoria-Parker's red wedding took place in Paris. 2) You're a chocolates and champayne kind of gal. 3) When the wedding's over, he'd best not forget your anniversary.
Yellow. Optimism, cheerfulness, a strong appreciation for friendship. Yellow is 100% angst-free. so yellow often goes hand-in-hand with that clean, grounded England look, with lots of buttery porcelain.
Gold. Lavishness, luxury, warmth, tradition. As platinum continues to make inroads in the jewelry world, "yellow gold" is more of a statement than ever. Think Louis XIV, "The Sun King," warm Italian weddings, and unstinting shows of abundance.
Aqua. Fun-loving, fresh and vibrant. A favorite of beach brides, especially tropical ones, and an anchor for beach weddings. But aqua shows up in plenty of other places, too. It's a favorite paired with chocolate brown for brides who want a fun and modern palette, and aqua and pink aren't uncommon.
Royal Blue. Grand, traditional, and casting an eye toward an idealised past. Evokes ballrooms, Cinderella and happily-ever-after. Often combined with a paler blue, yellow or gold.
Purple. Purple has strong, historical associations with royalty, especially in sacred contexts (think: Lent's purple to mark the royal approach).
Silver. Restrained wealth and glamour, sophistication. Silver says, "I can afford it, but prefer not to flaunt it."
Chocolate Brown. So everywhere, it's hard to pin down, but chocolate brown is the cornerstone to most of today's modern palettes: brown with pink or aqua, or increasingly, coral, mint green or purple.
Green. In weddings, green reveals a modern sensibility, and often comes with inventive, non-traditional florals (think green button mums or wheatgrass). Thanks to the increasing volume of eco-talk, green's also a prominent hue at environmentally-conscious weddings. Lime green and hot pink says "pop princess." Olive or bright green combined with black & white looks downright regal, in that new-millenium way.
Black. Sophisticated, mysterious, assertive or even nostalgic, black shows up when couples have strong opinions about design. Black might lend a clean, graphic look to the wedding, or show up in evocative, Victorianesque forms, such as black Callas and rooster-feather collars.
I am sorry to disappoint all our 2011 brides, but because I can't spend as much time as I would like on my website, I have decided to shut it down for this wedding season.
I would like to thank all the brides who have supported me over the years, but hopefully I will be back in the not so distant future.
Lorraine x
