"Sweet" Wedding Favors

At many of the weddings recently held here at Vanity Fare, couples have displayed beautiful candy buffets as not only an additional dessert option for their guests but also as wedding favors.  We have previously mentioned the concept here before, but today we wondered "Where did this trend come from?"  Since we could not find much online concerning a history and/or origin of the candy buffet, we thought it might be fun to share our theory of origin with you. 

Our hypothesis is that giving candy as a wedding favor originated from the Italian tradition of thanking guests with confetti.  "Confetti", more commonly referred to as Jordan almonds, are almonds that have been "candied" with a hardened sugar shell.  They are wrapped in tulle fabric, always in groups of five.  Symbolically, they represent both the bitter (almond) & sweet (sugar) aspects of life, and each individual almond represents for the five "cornerstones" of marriage: health, happiness, longevity, fertility, and wealth.  The hardened sugar shell is traditionally supposed to be white, which is contrary to the pastel-colored ones seen so frequently today. 

The history of these sweet treats dates back to the times of ancient Greece where honey-coated almonds we a common sight to be served at various festivities.  As years passed, sugar became more widely available in the market place and thus replaced honey as a coating for the almonds.  It wasn't an Italian tradition until an Italian family perfected the dragée almond (its proper term in the culinary world).  The process employs a technique called sugar panning to create the hard, outer shell that coats other candies or nuts.  This same process is used today for creating such treats as M&Ms and jelly beans. 

Maybe the candy buffet is, at it's core, an elaborate homage to this traditional wedding favor.  Maybe it's not.  It's simply our philosophy.  Either way, we still think these dessert displays make a "sweet" addition to any wedding (or other gathering). 

Buon Appetito!

xoxo,
Vanity Fare
Wedding Halls, NJ

If you are looking for a venue for your wedding reception or banquet hall, think of Vanity Fare Wedding Caterers, NJ  

Vanity Fare Caterers
1600 Route 70 East
Lakewood, NJ 08701
Phone 732-364-6400
www.vanityfarenj.com

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