Why Cupcakes are the Best Alternative Wedding Favour!

Ahh, weddings. The most magical of days. They are a celebration of unity surrounded by friends, family and loved ones, and over the centuries, there have been so many lovely wedding traditions. Some traditions have come and gone with time, but one that has remained a constant for many years is the traditional wedding favour; wedding favours are small gifts for each of your guests usually given at the beginning of the meal as a token to say thank you for sharing your special day.

What is the history of the Wedding Favour?

But, have you ever wondered the meaning behind wedding favours, or where they come from? Well, if you’re getting married in London and have been pondering this very question, you don’t have to wonder any longer as we’re here to give you the lowdown.

The very first wedding favours were known as ‘bonbonnieres’ which means ‘a small ornamental box or lidded jar for confectionery’ and similar to today, the favour was a symbol of good luck and thanks to the guest. Sweet favours have always been popular – in fact, a cube of sugar used to be gifted to wedding guests by the newlywed couple as a sign of wealth (let’s just be thankful times have changed, eh?).

The cube of sugar eventually evolved into the traditional sugared almonds that many still opt for today as sugar became more and more widely circulated. Now, couples across the UK are enjoy putting their own unique twist on their wedding favours to say a special thank you to their guests.

Anything from a keyring, a shot of alcohol, a miniature plant (c’mon don’t give me something I have to look after!) to a Polaroid picture can count as a wedding favour these days, but we think cupcakes top the list as the best alternative wedding favour. Stick around to find out why.

Why choose cupcakes as your Wedding Favour?

Well, to keep in line with tradition, there are many sweet options you could go for to gift to your guests. Sure you could gift a flavoured sugar cube (but, seriously… don’t) or, you could do the traditional sugared almonds, but in reality how many of your pals are getting excited over almonds? There is always a shot of alcohol as a favour, but in reality, there are going to be a lot of family present who don’t want to drink and younger guests who you’d need to plan an alternative  for.

So, in summary… cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes!

As a happy little bonus for all our London readers, we actually bake these delightful little bundles of joy and can supply them to your wedding! So, keep reading if you still need convincing…

Reason 1 | Cupcakes can be totally personalised

Everyone these days is after that Instagrammable, Pinterest-style wedding and cupcakes are just perfect – little aesthetically pleasing mounds of joy that everyone will want to snap as they take their seat in your chic London venue!

You can totally customise the colour of the buttercream and sponge to keep them working in harmony with your wedding colour scheme, and the pretty piping will add the wow factor to your, already, gorgeous table decorations. From simple swirls to piped flower petals, you can really make these cupcake wedding favours your own.

As well as the look of the cupcakes, you also get to choose the flavours. If you’re being really fancy, you could choose flavours based on your guests’ favourites and even get their names piped on to double up as a cupcake wedding favour and place name. Not got the time for all of that faff?  Order a range of the classic flavours to dot across the tables (you could even create a great bonding opportunity for your guests to swap their favours at the table and have one that they love the best – this is a table ice-breaker that we could get behind!).

Reason 2 | Cupcakes are a people pleaser

Okay, so historically a cube of sugar or a sugared almond might have symbolic meaning behind it, but a wedding cupcake favour is like bringing that old sweet tradition but with a modern, tasty twist! By having cupcakes, you can even give your guests an extra course, or give them something to snack on if they are still hungry after the meal. We hear that may wedding guests end up enjoying them as a midnight snack after rocking up the dance floor.

Some wedding favours can delight some of your guests and leave others underwhelmed, but a cupcake always goes down a treat – I mean, who doesn’t love cake?! Choosing a cupcake for your wedding favour also means that you can include your younger guests without having to think up ‘younger alternatives’ if you go down the alcohol route.

Reason 3 | Cupcakes as Wedding Favours can help you cut costs

Let’s be honest – getting married is an expensive affair, especially if you are tying the knot in London. So, finding little ways to cut down costs is always a winner. Opting to have cupcakes as your wedding favours can actually help you to save some money!

As all of your guests will have a scrummy slice of cake at their table, it means you can have a slightly smaller wedding cake. You still get the iconic photo of cutting the traditional cake but then you get to share it the day after the wedding. Everyone can get a slice of cake, in cupcake form, without you also having to buy extra wedding favours!  

Get your London cupcake Wedding Favours from Cakenology!

Convinced? Well, if you are getting married in London and want to learn more about our range of Wedding Cakes and cupcake wedding favours, then contact us today.