The idea of using a spoon in honor of a marriage extends back about 500
years.
Spoons were also used as baptism presents and as funeral mementos.
A number of examples dating to the late 1600's are known. At first
regular silver eating spoons were used
and the initials of the groom and bride would be engraved on the spoon.
Sometimes a date would also be added.
This tradition lasted for several hundred years among various wealthy
families primarily in Europe and the USA,
but these spoons are still relatively rare especially if they can be
traced to someone famous.
Today a silver spoon is not considered to be a particularly valuable
possession, but for hundreds of years only the wealthy
could afford beautiful hand made silver spoons. These silver spoons
were often mentioned in old wills and passed on to heirs.
With the explosion of different styles of spoons in the late 19th
century, a large variety of spoons were
created for use at fancy weddings.
Around 1900 spoons were sometimes used as gifts much as we use
chocolates or flowers today, thus a number of 'love' spoons are now
available.