Bonbonniere

Bonbonnieres are traditional gifts of appreciation, to thank your guests for attending your wedding and help celebrate your special day. They are placed at each table setting for guests to take home and they come in many different varieties.

Background

Traditional bonbonniere consisted of five sugar-coated almonds decorated with lace and tulle to represent health, wealth, happiness, good fortune and fertility. These days you are only limited by your imagination, with gifts ranging from personalised bottles of wine to confectionery.

Bonbonniere Ideas

Popular choices include:

• Small personalised bottles of wine
• Personalised candy and chocolates
• Bath salts, scented candles and potpourri
• Disposable cameras for your guests to enjoy and play with
• A mix CD of songs significant to you and your partner
• A donation to your favourite charity in honour of your guest
• Instead of having one big wedding cake you may want smaller, personalised cakes for your guests to take home
• Bubble bottles are a great idea for the kids, but ensure they contain a bubble mix that doesn’t stain clothing!

Bonbonniere Tips

Bonbonniere can become quite costly, but they don’t have to be expensive to be thoughtful. Here are some great tips regarding bonbonniere:

• Why not consider wrapping you bonbonnieres yourself? Gifts that come pre-wrapped will usually cost you more. By wrapping your bonbonniere yourself you can personalise them to include your own theme and colour scheme. Common decorations for your bonbonniere may consist of ribbon, tulle, organza, beads and stickers. You can also print your own nametags and labels to give you the opportunity to personalise each message with a poem or thank you note
• If you are on a tight budget, you may want to consider giving one gift to each couple instead of one gift to each guest
• Give your guests bonbonniere that can be used at the reception centre that may serve other purposes. For example, candles are often used to set the mood and create ambience. By etching the guest’s name or attaching a nametag to the candle, it becomes a fantastic keepsake for your guest to take home as well
• A personally written poem or thank you note, printed and tied with ribbon, is a great way to thank your guests for attending your wedding celebrations
• Aim to have all your bonbonnieres ready a week prior to the wedding. Also, it’s always a good idea to make some extra bonbonniere to accommodate last minute RSVPs as well as for yourself. No doubt you will want to keep some for yourself as a memento of your special day

Whatever you decide to do, bonbonnieres don’t have to be expensive to be considerate. Your guests will always value your gesture of appreciation, and your special day will be talked about fondly for many years to come.

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