Not on display

Wedding Favour

ca. 1854 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Wedding favours were small mementoes that were handed out to close friends, relatives, and others connected to the wedding. At Queen Victoria's wedding in 1840, The Times reported upon the wedding favours given to the guests:

"Every lady exhibited a white favour, some of which were admirable specimens of refined taste. They were of all sizes, many of white satin riband, tied up into bows and mixed with layers of rich silver lace. Others merely of riband intermixed with sprigs of orange flower blossom."

By 1840, imitation orange blossom was a popular trimming for weddings. This wedding favour, which is associated with a 1854 wedding, is on a less grand scale than Queen Victoria's favours. However, the concept is similar in that it features cloth orange blossoms, silvered paper leaves, and cream silk satin ribbon.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cloth artificial flowers, silver paper, silk satin ribbon on wire
Brief description
Wedding favour, spray of cloth orange blossom on wire with silvered paper oak-leaves and silk satin ribbons, Great Britain, ca. 1854
Physical description
Spray of orange blossom on piece of wire, flowers made of cloth, silvered paper oak-leaves and acorn cup, with silk satin ribbons.
Dimensions
  • Spray width: 7cm
  • Including wire length: 14cm
  • Ribbon width: 3cm
Approximate measurements, due to irregular, non-static nature of object.
Gallery label
(2011)
Wedding accessories from the Nugée family
Many wedding artefacts are preserved because marriage is so significant an event in the lives of the participants. Some pass from one generation to the next, becoming family heirlooms. The Nugée family kept this group of fragile objects because of their importance to the family history. The objects conjure up the romantic prettiness typical of many Victorian weddings.

Shoes
Chapelle
Paris, France
1854

Silk satin, cotton and leather
V&A: T.4:1, 2-2008


Wreath
Britain
1854

Feather and silk-wrapped wire
V&A: T.6-2008


Wedding favours
Britain
1854

Cotton, silk, paper and wire
V&A: T.7, 8-2008


Bridesmaid's fan
Britain
1854

Paper leaf with metal spangles, wooden sticks and guards
Associated with the wedding of Elizabeth Wroughton Richards and Reverend Andrew Nugée, 8 August 1854
V&A: T.14-2008


Shoes
France or Britain
1887

Silk satin, cotton and leather
Associated with the wedding of Edith Elizabeth Alston and Francis Edward Nugée, son of Andrew and Elizabeth Nugée, 1887
V&A: T.5:1, 2-2008

Collection given by Edward Nugée QC
Credit line
Given by Edward Nugée QC
Object history
This is associated with the wedding of Elizabeth Wroughton Richards to the Reverend Andrew Nugee on 8th August 1854, but may be more likely to be connected to their son's wedding in 1887, when artifical flowers such as this were extremely popular for trimmings, wreaths and favours.
Summary
Wedding favours were small mementoes that were handed out to close friends, relatives, and others connected to the wedding. At Queen Victoria's wedding in 1840, The Times reported upon the wedding favours given to the guests:

"Every lady exhibited a white favour, some of which were admirable specimens of refined taste. They were of all sizes, many of white satin riband, tied up into bows and mixed with layers of rich silver lace. Others merely of riband intermixed with sprigs of orange flower blossom."

By 1840, imitation orange blossom was a popular trimming for weddings. This wedding favour, which is associated with a 1854 wedding, is on a less grand scale than Queen Victoria's favours. However, the concept is similar in that it features cloth orange blossoms, silvered paper leaves, and cream silk satin ribbon.
Associated object
Collection
Accession number
T.8-2008

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Record createdFebruary 26, 2008
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