Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

I'd really like to make a donation rather than giving out favors. What's a nice way of letting guests know that a donation was made in the bride and groom's name? I was thinking about designing a nice announcement, rolling it up in a scroll and leaving it in front of everyone's place setting.

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

I have two friends that did this. They printed out little poems and placed them on the tables in frames. They were sweet :) I think your scroll idea is lovely!

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

We are having a sign mad up ( thank you vistaprint) and putting it on the candy bar table to let guests know we are donating to Susan g koeman foundation

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

I'm donating to St. Jude Children's Research hospital and putting little rubber st. jude bracelets in little bags with a note on it on every place setting :)

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

A lot of charities will provide cards to give to the guests. I love the scroll idea!

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

I'm going to make these and put them in envelopes to be put at the place setting on top of the menu for when people sit down. I'm also going to make some sort of sign to put next to the card box.

Inspiration, from Etsy. :)

Re: Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

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Posted by Chaz

I'm going to make these and put them in envelopes to be put at the place setting on top of the menu for when people sit down. I'm also going to make some sort of sign to put next to the card box.

Inspiration, from Etsy. :)

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I LOVE this! Great use of engagement pictures, also. I may have to borrow this idea if you don't mind.

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

That is a really sweet gesture! My cousin did a little card that was put on each place setting but she did not specify where the donation was going to which FH and I were not happy about that. It would have been nicer to know which foundation.

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

Oops Double Post

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

So I'm reading up on this on other wedding boards, and there are people who really feel that while giving to a charity is great, it's not for a wedding. They think that we're not doing the guests a favor - it's really a favor for the bride and groom and the charity. I also read that if we did do a donation, we shouldn't mention it because it could be construed as showing off or grandstanding. How can that be? Personally, I'd rather the money go to an important cause rather than to another thing that people may or may not appreciate. I didn't think it was a faux pas.

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

I know there are people who want to walk away from a wedding with a tangible favor, but I disagree. Most favors end up getting lost or tossed, so what's the point? We want to make a donation to a cancer foundation as we have both lost family members to cancer. This is more meaningful to us than making sure a family friend is made happy with a tchotchke!

Re: Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

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Posted by prettylillizzy

So I'm reading up on this on other wedding boards, and there are people who really feel that while giving to a charity is great, it's not for a wedding. They think that we're not doing the guests a favor - it's really a favor for the bride and groom and the charity. I also read that if we did do a donation, we shouldn't mention it because it could be construed as showing off or grandstanding. How can that be? Personally, I'd rather the money go to an important cause rather than to another thing that people may or may not appreciate. I didn't think it was a faux pas.

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Personally, I think a donation in lieu of favors is a lovely idea. I think mentioning it is also important, this way guests understand why there aren't favors. I've been to two weddings where this is the case and I didn't miss the favor or think it was rude.

Re: Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

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Posted by Lori0413

I know there are people who want to walk away from a wedding with a tangible favor, but I disagree. Most favors end up getting lost or tossed, so what's the point? We want to make a donation to a cancer foundation as we have both lost family members to cancer. This is more meaningful to us than making sure a family friend is made happy with a tchotchke!

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That's exactly how I feel. My dad is a patient at Memorial Sloan Kettering and I've seen firsthand the incredible work they do and they support they provide patients and their families. I think (or I would hope) people will understand that a donation will go a lot farther than a tchotckhe they'll toss.

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

I think it's definitely a preference thing. I felt the same way about people throwing out their favors but I know some people that gave an edible favor. For example: cookies, mini-pie, candy apple, cake pops. We did a photobooth for our guests so that was their favor and it was a big hit.
If you decide to go to the charity route, I think a post card w/ a poem is fine. Vistaprint has great sales and always on Groupom.

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

We are planning to donate to the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Cancer Association, because my grandparents who have both passed away were Holocaust survivors, and FHs grandmother, who passed away almost 2 years ago, died of cancer. We are going to probably make a plaque for each table with a little information about them and why we are contributing to those charities. I thought this would be a nice way of remembering them and having them there with us on our wedding day, and also I truly believe that most favors are useless. I already have 6 bottle openers, 3 heart shaped measuring spoons, and like 8 random candles and other chotchkis from weddings, and they are useless and don't match anything else I own. I don't think anyone will complain about not getting a gift at the end of the wedding, and if they do, that's their problem.

Brides Making a Donation in Lieu of Favors

FH and I are planning to donate to our local SPCA in lieu of favors (I am a volunteer with them and our one cat is from them). I'm planning to print up little cards to include at each place setting about our decision.

I personally don't think people need some chatchka thing that will end up being thrown out at some point. FH and I would rather have that money do some 'good'. But I totally get why people do favors and hey, its a personal choice!