- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
I think this is a lovely idea! I think that letting your guests know where the money is going is a great idea. i don't think it is showign off in any way. I think the scroll idea sounds great, or you could even just have a little note on the back of each table number or something like that.
I think its wonderful that you're thinking of others!!!!!!
I also like the idea. I feel like people expect a physical gift (chopsticks are perfect) and by donating the money its' a reflection of you as a couple.
Nice!
I don't know how many times I can plug it on Weddingbee, but it's for a million good causes so here goes:
For donation as wedding favors, plus stores that donate money made from people buying off your registry! It's a great site, a great idea, and I'm all for giving. I love that you knew exactly where your money should go, it sounds like it's a cause you stand up for. I say go for it! It's not showy. I think ostentatious $10 favors are more showy. Charity just shows you're a good person. (PS-I love the chopstick thing...cute!)
I love the chopsticks with the enlosed info about the donation. Chopsticks are a favor I would actually use!!! and donating to St Jude's is truly a fantastic idea.
That's what we're doing! Except we're giving a sudoku book and a donation to the Alzheimer's Association, because both sides of the family have been affected by the disease. I think it's wonderful! Any any guest who's upset that they didn't get a "Real" favor needs a reality check.
That's what we're doing too. We're not giving actual favors because we feel there's nothing that people will appreciate that much. We're donating to cancer research and to the american society for the prevention of cruelty to animals.
We're donating money as our favor as well! We plan on putting a note on our name cards saying something like money has been donated in your name to the MS association. And put a link to their website on it. I love the chopstick idea! Chopsticks don't really go with our theme though haha we are having a fall themed wedding. Do you think just putting a note on the name card is enough or I should find something extra to do?
That's what we're doing too (my mom felt strongly that we should have Jordan almonds or nothing, and I think they're icky), but we're having the lady who made our invitations and place cards print a sign in the same type of font that says a donation has been made to charity. I'm going to put the sign in a picture frame and put it on the guest book table.
I've been to lots of weddings where they say, "In lieu of favors, a donation has been made in your honor to XYZ charity"
I wouldn't go into a long explanation about how you were going to get more favors but spent the money on the charity, blah, blah, blah.
I think this is a great idea. Favors are nice, but do people really use them? My sister in law gave out little tree seeds- I lost mine. My cousin's candles- god know where those are. For our wedding we did cookies- I wish we would have done some sort of donation. It's a wonderful idea (plus! It's a tax deduction!)
J9869_Back.jpg (67.9 KB, 56 downloads) 2 years old DavidsBridal-J9869.jpg (98.4 KB, 55 downloads) 2 years old
I agree this is a great idea. St. Judes is a wonderful organization and donating in lieu of favors is very popular today! I do like that your giving the chopsticks as well as the donation so your guests still have some memento to take home from your wedding.
Great idea. I have actually never been to a wedding where this was done but I think its great.
I agree with the above posters that the majority of favors are tacky and wasteful and no one really cares about them - as bad as that sounds! And I love the idea of donating to charity instead of creating excess waste (we donated all our wedding gift $$ to charity as we already have our house and everything we need - don't worry, we told people upfront about we were going to do this!) but at the same time I think it's important to keep in mind that the point of the favor is to actually give a gift to your guests.
Would you give a friend a charitable donation in her name for her birthday? Probably not (unless she requested it). This is why I think if you're going to do favors that you should include a little something for your guests as well..... whether it be candy/chocolates/cookies (always good options as who doesn't like food!) or a little favor which suits your theme (like your chopsticks). If you're not into favors, just don't do them at all (I doubt anyone will notice) and make the donation yourself with the money you would have used.
That's my 2 cents :)
untitled2.jpg (44 KB, 36 downloads) 2 years old untitled.jpg (36.6 KB, 24 downloads) 2 years old 
We're donating too and I think it's something that everyone will appreciate . If one of my guests is truely offended that they didn't get some candy or whatever then it's safe to say they were there for the wrong reasons.
I think its a great idea as well. We're not doing favors either...why spend money on something that most people don't want or need?
I am pro charity's and charity work - so my answer to your question may seem surprising (it was to ME!). I think to do it as favors is a bit silly. I know it's a popular thing to do - and probably a better use of a favor that no one will use.
I think the point of a favor is to give the guest a gift to thank them for coming. You certainly do not need to give a favor. But, it's like giving someone a Christmas/b;day present as a donation to YOUR favorite charity. See where I'm going with this? You take the gift part completely out of it - and make it your donation to charity that you gave with the money you should have given someone a gift with.
And, how much are you really donating? Maybe $500-$1000 dollars at most - when you just spent on average $20-30K on a wedding (I'm making some major generalizations here). And, your tax-deductible gift is a way 'out' of giving a favor, IMO.
I'd much rather NOT have a favor, than have the bride and groom shell out money to a charity on my behalf. I'm very passionate about the charity's I support and make sure that the money's received are really going to the work of the charity (there's a great online guide: Charity Navigator - that gives you a breakdown and rates charity's). I highly doubt that just because you gave a donation on this charity's behalf anyone in the wedding will become supporters. I think there are times where giving to a charity on your behalf is appropriate (like funerals (in lieu of flowers) or at a party you throw (in lieu of presents). I think it's far more appropriate at a wedding setting to say: in lieu of gifts, please donate to "X" charity.
Ok, I'm done with what I know will be a highly unpopular response - but I hope I've explained my reasoning behind it.
All said - I'm sure any charity you give to would certainly appreciate and benefit from the contribution. And, as a wedding guest, I wouldn't be 'upset' if I knew a donation was made instead of a favor - it was the bride and groom's decision, after all!
I agree with Oracle. I have nothing at all against giving to a charity, but it's not a favor (which is a gift for your guests), nor should it be treated as one. Give to the charity if you wish but keep it private between you and them. Most people don't care about favors to begin with since they aren't required and they don't care either if you spend your money elsewhere, but it does have the feel of "look what we did" if you announce it, even if that isn't your intention at all. Also, don't do it in your guests' names because charities will go after them in the future instead of you for future donations, which folks generally don't like. Also, the guests in question may not agree with your choice of charity if it is in any way controversial.
On the other hand, I don't think it's right to suggest that guests donate to your charity in lieu of gifts or anything else. Everyone has their own charity they give to and most people don't appreciate being told to give to something completely different. Gifts from your guests are not required in the first place either, but people will want to get you something tangible and not everyone will follow your suggestion because so many people were brought up believing that a household item is what you give at a wedding.
It's not a popular opinion obviously but that's how I was raised and how all the ladies I know tend to believe. In the end, do what works best for you.
We are donating also!! Decided to donate to breast cancer since my mother passed from the disease. I am going to buy a bunch of pink and white M&M's and tie them up with ribbon with a little note saying "In lieu of a favor a donation..." People can enjoy a chocolate treat after the wedding and know that we put in a generous donation as well :) Soooo many people have told me that they dont remember what they do with the favors and they are a complete waste.
I think this is a great idea! I was planning on doing donations as favors but time sort of got away with me and we didn't have any favors at our wedding.
I agree with the majority of people here-- it's your decision at the end of the day, what to do for favors. personally, i love the idea of donating to a cause that is near and dear to you/your fiance/family/etc.'s heart-- but, i can definitely see oracle and ember78's view as well. as far as enclosing a scroll indicating that donations will be made, i'm not so sure; who is going to benefit from knowing that information? Especially since you're already giving your guests chopsticks (cute idea!), i might not include the scroll....
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| ellisrobertson | 24 |
| fishbone | 22 |
| SouthernGirl | 21 |
| mypinkshoes | 21 |
 vorpalette |
21 |
| kat2014 | 19 |
| ndreighton | 19 |
| lionskitty | 19 |
| caseyleigh10 | 18 |
| Brielle | 17 |
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| 5thgradeteacher | 3 |
| julies1949 | 1 |
| Wonderstruck | 1 |
| MrsWilson2012 | 1 |
| randomequine |
1 |
| BetterSherm | 1 |
| fishbone | 1 |
| allegrovivo | 1 |
| Ms. 3D RC Flyer | 1 |
| Nurse_Bee | 1 |
Hey girls!
So my wedding is going to be cherry blossom themed. I have been trying to think of favors that people will actually keep (and not throw away our $$). We are planning to have cherry blossom chopsticks for each guest wrapped in a pretty organza packaging with a tag with our initials and dates (made by my mom and her friend) For the longest time, I was thinking of many other items to go with the chopsticks, but they do get pricey and I wonder how many times did I end up throwing away the wedding favor because I had no room!
So here is my idea: Donate the money we would have used on favors to St. Jude's Children's Reseach Hospital. Along with the chopsticks, have a scroll inside the organza pouch that states the extra money was donated. When I thought of this, I knew there was no other place I'd rather put the favor money. At the same time, Idon't want it to seem like we are showing off and not being sincere. (I only mention this because I read it in a blog last year..someone had responded saying it seems like a "show-off" idea)
What do you guys think-We are planning on doing it anyways, but should we include the scroll that let's everyone know (and by doing this I was hoping to raise awareness and maybe more ppl would donate in the future) or should it just be our secret?
Thanks bees! <3