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Charitable Favors

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Azzura Posts : 21 Registered: 5/31/09
Charitable Favors
Posted: Jan 15, 2011 4:36 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice on the on having charitable favors. I was looking online and was able to find more chriticism of the idea than actual wording. I had no idea that there was an etiquette issue with doing this. I thought that it was better to spend my favor budget on a charity than on junk that people will throw away.

My fiance and I are considering donating to Friends of the USS Olympia Foundation. The USS Olymbia is the only surviving US ship from the Spanish American War. It is in need of repairs and will sink without them. I do have to mention that my fiance is a history teacher and a lover of naval ships. I liked this charity because it shows a bit of his personality. I plan to create a bookmark telling about the USS Olympia and the donation. I have also made a small bag of sea glass candy for each guest.

Our plan be charity is New England Brittany Rescue where we got our dogs. I told my fiance that he can choose the charity and these are his top two choices. The sea glass candy doesn't exactly make sense if we do NEBR.

I have encountered some people who think that it is rude to donate to a charity as part of my favor as well as those who find it rude that I choose a ship instead of a charity that helps people. Am I wrong to think that this is a good favor idea?

I am also unsure of how to put the wording on the bookmarks. I don't like the "In lieu of favors" piece because I am giving guests the sea glass candy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Aunt Posts : 796 Registered: 12/31/10
Re: Charitable Favors
Posted: Jan 15, 2011 5:37 PM Go to message in response to: Azzura

Dear Azzura,

I am one of those offended by the "in lieu of favor" charity donation favors.

You are confusing your wedding with a fund raiser. There are wonderful charities out there and I am very glad you are supporting good causes, but a wedding is a wedding and a fund raiser is a fund raiser. People come to your wedding to celebrate your new life together, not to be dunned for charity contributions.

When you give me some kind of note that says "I am taking the money for the cheap junk favor I would have given you and you would have thrown in the trash and just donating it to a really worth charity", what am I supposed to do? Respond with "Hey, I really want that cheap junk because I don't have enough kitch cluttering up my house already, so take the money back from the charity and give me my favor to which I am entitled due to the fact I spent big bucks on your wedding gift."?

You are giving your guests sea glass candy. That is a great favor. Give them that. Great. Wonderful. They take it home, and have a little treat the next day.

Another option is to find out if either charity sells fund raising items, such as the pink rubber bracelets for breast cancer research. If so, then buy a bunch of these things and use them for favors. Your guests go home with a tangible item favor and your charity gets a donation.

After your wedding, you can devote your energies to fund raising for your two very good causes. Join or form a committee to host the annual fund raiser party or volunteer recognition. Donate your own talents to fund raising, perhaps designing the event program with your Photoshop, driving around town to pick up raffle prizes or cleaning up after the event.

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rendistylist Posts : 2 Registered: 1/17/11
Re: Charitable Favors
Posted: Jan 17, 2011 9:12 AM Go to message in response to: Azzura

Maybe if you find a company that offers product to give as wedding favors and part of the profit goes to charity might be your best bet to you keep you and your guests in the cool. message me for some ideas I have. Good luck regardless :)

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Beeble Posts : 307 Registered: 11/19/09
Re: Charitable Favors
Posted: Jan 17, 2011 2:46 PM Go to message in response to: Azzura

Azzura:

Perhaps you could look into having one of the organizations provide a service at your wedding that you would usually pay someone else to do. Tell the organization that if they provide a talented volunteer from their organization to - be a bartender - server - emcee - photographer whatever and that you would put what the normal service fee would be towards their charity.

My FH and I are looking at using a venue that is owned by a charity so that our food and venue expenses are going directly to benefit a charity rather than some big hotel chain. - See "wedding venue chosen to benefit charity

This way we are not asking our guests to give anything up in order to contribute to the charity.

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wiggysmermaid Posts : 4 Registered: 12/24/08
Re: Charitable Favors
Posted: Jan 21, 2011 12:38 PM Go to message in response to: Azzura

Azzura,

honestly, i say good for you. my boyfriend refers to favors as "piddly crap." and most of the time, he is right. edible favors are nice, but a lot of times they are forgotten, too, and aren't you already feeding your guests enough? i don't think that favors are a necessity. yes, of course, your guests are doing a lot/spending a lot/traveling a lot to come celebrate with you--but hopefully they're doing it to celebrate with you and not for a piece of piddly crap!

maybe you can make a pretty paper origami shape or tag that corresponds to your charity with ribbon and say "a donation has been made in your honor to _________. thank you for being here with us on our special day!"

or even, to save even more money and time, have just one pretty sign near the guestbook or the dessert table or gift table or somewhere that says the message above. people don't need piddly crap! people need love! good for you for realizing that!

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wiggysmermaid Posts : 4 Registered: 12/24/08
Re: Charitable Favors
Posted: Jan 21, 2011 12:41 PM Go to message in response to: wiggysmermaid

in fact, now that i think about it more, i think it would be amazing to have little ship shaped papers or one big model of the ship or at least representation of the ship on display somewhere that explains! :) you could tie the old time, nautical feel into some of the decor. it could be awesome!

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Aunt Posts : 796 Registered: 12/31/10
Re: Charitable Favors
Posted: Jan 21, 2011 12:44 PM Go to message in response to: wiggysmermaid

Dear WM,

If you believe that favors are piddly crap, and you don't like the idea of edible favors, just skip it entirely.

No favors. No sign touting your donation. Nothing.

If you want to donate, donate by all means. It's in poor taste to advertise your donation at the expense of others, even if you would only spend a few cents in piddly crap on them otherwise.

If you really think favors are piddly crap, then stand by your beliefs. Don't hide behind a sign.

(I actually agree with you on the piddly crap issue. I would just as soon the couple skip favors. If they feel they must, then edible favors are a good compromise.)

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Autumn25 Posts : 1 Registered: 8/26/10
Re: Charitable Favors
Posted: Jan 21, 2011 5:03 PM Go to message in response to: Azzura

Azzura,

The main point to all of this is that it is YOUR wedding. Do what makes you happy. There is always going to be someone that has a negative opinion about something. Who cares? Personally, we are donating as well. I believe people have too much "stuff" these days anyway. Do what makes you happy, and in turn your charity will be happy as well. Best wishes on your marriage!

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BuckleyBride Posts : 8 Registered: 1/28/11
Re: Charitable Favors
Posted: Feb 7, 2011 11:05 PM Go to message in response to: Autumn25

My sister donated to the ASPCA as her wedding favors and it was very sweet. They mailed little cards to put out on the tables saying something like in lieu of favors we have donated to the ASPCA in your honor.

I had another friend donate to the Leukemia Society in honor of her uncle that had passed away.

I think if your guests know that the donation is something near and dear to your hearts that they won't get offended.

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JenniferWillson Posts : 2,083 Registered: 9/12/12
Re: Charitable Favors
Posted: Sep 12, 2012 11:47 PM Go to message in response to: Azzura

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JenniferWillson Posts : 2,083 Registered: 9/12/12
Re: Charitable Favors
Posted: Sep 13, 2012 8:35 PM Go to message in response to: Azzura

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KATIEACS1 Posts : 2 Registered: 11/15/12
Re: Charitable Favors
Posted: Nov 15, 2012 11:57 AM Go to message in response to: Azzura

It’s no secret that everyone may be facing financial struggles with the direction of the economy. But this doesn’t have to subject couples to choosing knick knacks as their wedding favors that most times simply go to waste. This year, turn over a new leaf and choose the American Cancer Society’s Wedding Scrolls as a way to not only be charitable, but to know your dollars are going to a cause where it certainly will not be wasted. Scrolls and table tents can be customized or left with a simple message letting your guest know that their attendance contributed to cancer research and that is money well spent.

www.cancer.org
katiecurl@cancer.org

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