The responsibilities of being a godparent are many. The responsibilities of being a Greek godparent, a Nouna, are even more so. The list of preparations is long for a Nouno and a Nouna. Preparations for the godchild, for the ceremony at Church and preparations for the celebration that follows. One of my responsibilities as a Nouna to my gorgeous little godson this year was to prepare the bonbonniere, or guest favours to give out at the celebration held after the Church ceremony.
Giving out bonbonniere is an age old tradition celebrated across so many cultures, it is not something new or on trend. I knew it was expected of me and I was so excited to have the responsibility to create something truly special to give out in celebration of our godson.
There are endless choices and options when it comes to bonbonniere, so many things you can buy. But I wanted something more than what I could buy. I wanted something that guests would keep, guests would treasure and reflected how much being godparents meant to both me and hubby. So the idea of creating miniature terrariums was born.
Terrariums had been catching my eye on Instagram for a little while. Perhaps it was the Universe nudging me in the right direction. Either way they were perfect as bonbonniere for our godson. They matched the theme of his celebration perfectly and they were an opportunity for us to give guests something they could grow to love, needed to look after and nurture, and less likely to throw out.
The miniature terrariums were also a reflection on our responsibility as godparents. To love, look after and nurture our godson. So from Instagram inspiration the wheels were put into motion to create fifty (yes 50!) individual miniature terrarium bonbonniere.
It was a cold Sunday morning when I started working on my terrariums. Fifty little bottling jars lined up in a row full of possibility and inspiration. Honestly when I started out that morning I had no idea what I was in for. Setting up the jars, adding the rocks for drainage, even adding the sphagnum moss centres – hardly took no time at all. If anything I was almost starting to think ‘gee this is easy.’ But boy oh boy I could not have been more wrong.
Adding the soil and then planting each individual terrarium took hours and hours. Ten hours to be exact of slow diligent work to make sure the right environment was created for each one and the plants were safely planted and secure in their new home. My hands were aching by the end and adding the tiny bunnies and mushrooms was almost my tipping point. But as mum and I stood back after cleaning the glass of each finished terrarium I couldn’t help but beam with pride. They looked awesome, amazing even and each one was exactly as I had imagined.
The following weekend I spent a few more hours preparing the terrariums, adding the little wooden signs to each one, adding the labels and the hessian bags filled with sugar almonds. All fifty miniature terrarium bonbonniere were packed up in boxes and driven very carefully from Melbourne to Sydney ready to celebrate our godson’s christening.
Each jar arrived safely, each one was placed onto tables at the reception waiting for their intended guests. I’d like to think everyone loved them, but whether they did or not, they were perfect in every way.
Each miniature terrarium bonbonniere was exactly what I had imagined. A miniature world of possibility, a miniature world that needed love and nurturing to grow. A miniature world that would give the people who loved him most, a moment in their day to think of our godson.
Would I make fifty miniature terrarium bonbonniere again? While my aching hands scream no, it would all depend. If the reason was important enough, anything is possible.
What have been some of the bonbonniere you have received at events?
Have you ever made a miniature terrarium?
Thank you to Beth Fernley Photography and Sheridan Nilsson Photogrpahy
for the last three images included in this post.
A special thank you to my sister who not only created the tags for the bonbonniere,
she was my support and encouragement every step of the way.
And last, but certainly not least, an infinite thank you to my parents
who supported and helped in every way they could and
who drove fifty miniature terrarium bobonniere from Melbourne to Sydney without breaking a single one xx
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