Bring Joy to Your Guests with Well Chosen Favors

The tradition of distributing wedding favors dates back from many centuries ago. It is believed that the first wedding favor, common amongst European aristocrats, was known as a bonbonniere - a small trinket box made of crystal, porcelain, or precious stones. The contents of these boxes were generally sugar cubes or delicate confections, which symbolized wealth and royalty. (In that era, sugar was an expensive commodity and was treasured only among the wealthy). As the price of sugar decreased throughout centuries, the tradition of providing gifts to guests was embraced by couples of modest means. As sugar became more affordable, bonbonnieres were replaced among the modest with almonds and in the thirteenth century, almonds coated with sugar, known as confetti, were introduced. But that is enough history, let’s get to the point.

You want your wedding to be perfect - who doesn’t? - and you yet have to come up with favors for your guests. Nothing too extravagant as many of the older relatives are conservative, as you well remember the slapping you got from your aunt when you decided to make out with Joey in her garage at 17. A good choice that will please almost everyone, and anyone with a sweet tooth for sure, is an elegant box of chocolates that expresses your gratitude for their presence in your life and at your wedding. We have hand-picked for you several chocolatiers that make astounding wedding favors and who value product quality and your satisfaction above everything else.

A new addition to Chicago’s original palette of chocolate manufacturers, Translucent Chocolates offer a great alternative to party favors. Their boxes are transparent, thus allowing the eye to relish in the beauty of the chocolates’ colors. Various nuts and seeds enrobed in whacky, disco, sentimental, luminous hues will bring out the playful child in anyone. "Sheer indulgence. Clearly addictive" is an appropriate logo for their creative approach to chocolate. I tried the teal robins eggs with golden almonds, which at 11$ for 9.5 oz is a real steal. Clearly addictive. I am writing this with one hand dipped in the box.

Another place you can go to for more exquisite, but also more expensive favors, is Richart Design and Chocolate in New York. The 9-piece ballotin looks impressive and impeccable and the chocolates are guaranteed to impress the most stoic grandmother. You can choose your own flavor and chocolate plaque with a personalized message.

Martine’s Chocolates boutique is also known for its artisanal craftsmanship and they offer mini-ballotins in pink or white which contain one of the following shapes at your choice: two solid chocolate hearts with the bride and groom’s initials, two solid chocolate hearts with the filling of your choice, a bird, a chapel, a lighthouse, monogrammed bonbons, roses in various colors and windmills. The prices range from $4.25 to $7.35, but it’s well worth the effort. (The illustrated Chocolate City was photographed by Christopher Lee for Martine's Chocolates)

Another big name in high-class products is Fauchon Paris. Among the favors they have in store, one can find a 9-piece chocolate gift box for $ 20, a pink mini-purse with 2 wrapped chocolates at $6.50 and a signature pink cube with three wrapped Carrés d’Or (golden cubes), a cube of milk chocolate with crunchy hazelnuts at $6.50 as well. If you’re one who likes to impress, go for it.

I also discovered Neuchatel that gives a choice of regular boxes in white, gold or silver on which you can write your personalized message to the guest that costs $3 for 2-piece and $5.15 for 4-piece, the bonbons inside being champagne truffles with either milk or dark chocolate. Their more elegant box containing 2 pieces costs $3.25. For all these orders, there is a 50 favors minimum, so don’t hang around their site if you have a very small wedding.

MarieBelle’s also offers a considerable range of flavors that can be offered inside a choice of 5 carefully designed boxes. There is the magenta/chartreuse, the crème/gold, the orange/pea, the orchid/moss and the Blue box that each accommodates 2 pieces. The flavors that really struck a chord in me were Champagne (welcome), Caipirinha (hello party), White Kona Coffee (aloha!), Saffron (you can have Indian dishes to match it with this favor), Raspberry (one word, yum) and Manjari (I liked the name). All these cost from $7.50 to $8.00 a box and given their amazing looks and taste, your guests will leave happier than they arrived.

Just remember, whichever you choose, chocolate favors will not fail you.