When it comes to wedding favors and what to do with them after the wedding, it seems that every person falls into 1 of 3 categories. There are some who keep their collection of favors displayed and religiously dusted. Others display it for a reasonable amount of time but then feel too guilty to throw it away, so it ends up in a box in the attic next to a pile of old purses. Then there are those who will toss the favor anywhere from 2 hours-3 days after the wedding.
Let's face it: favors are a beautiful touch but ultimately become clutter, forgotten, or trash. Is there a way to give something that will last?
When I became engaged and began thinking about favors, I set out looking for something I could give my guests that is both unique and resistant to ending up in a box in an attic.
Somewhere through my vast collection of wedding planners, I found the perfect idea. For our wedding favors, my fiancé and I will make a donation to a charity in honor of our guests and give them each a little card or scroll that tells them so. Instead of ending up forgotten, our wedding favors will help a deserving charity and make our guests feel like they did a good thing for the world…just by coming to our wedding!
So how do you get started? Well, there are some places that have programs set-up for this, but there is no need to limit yourself to these. Do you and your fiancé love animals? Call your local animal shelter and see if they can work with you. Are you and your fiancé always volunteering at your local food pantry or shelter? Find out if they will accommodate you. Has your family been affected by a certain illness? Contact a local chapter of a charity that helps fight that illness. Personalize the cause that you donate to by looking to your interests. It will make that gift to your local animal shelter even more special to your guests who know that you both love cats. It might even get your fiancé's aunt talking about the time that he saved a whole litter of abandoned kittens.
The possibilities are endless, but here are some organizations with established programs to give you ideas.
By donating $2.00 per guest to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, you get a folded card that is printed with the words "A donation has been made in your honor to the Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute". It also acts as a place card by having spaces to fill in for the guest's name and table number. For $1.50 per guest you get a miniature scroll that also lets your guest know that a donation has been made in their name, but it does not double as a placecard. You can visit their web site for more information at www.danafarber.com. Click on "How to Help" and then "Make a Gift".
The American Cancer Society offers a scroll for each of your guests to make them aware of your gift. The scroll is available in white, natural, and champagne. Contact The American Cancer Society office nearest you for more information or visit www.cancer.org.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) also accepts donations in lieu of wedding favors. Visit their web site at www.aspca.org for more information.
Of course, the sky is the limit when you are considering which charity to donate to. Some other ideas: September 11th funds, environmental funds, wish programs for terminally ill children, and religious organizations.
So even if this favor eventually gets thrown away, the guest keeps the good feeling that comes with helping a worthy cause. The only hard part now is deciding on which charity to donate to!
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