Charity Wedding Favor???

stardreamer1223

Is anyone doing a Charity Wedding Favor?

How would you feel if you received a Charity Favor at a reception?

lalap69

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_favors_charity-wedding-favor?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:27Discussion:71796ff3-4ef9-4417-8cd5-f5edf7ccaa2ePost:5dfa62b1-b76f-4444-95f5-2994de53cfc0">Charity Wedding Favor???</a>:
[QUOTE]Is anyone doing a Charity Wedding Favor? How would you feel if you received a Charity Favor at a reception?
Posted by stardreamer1223[/QUOTE]
What is a Charity Favour?

I'm assuming you don't mean donations as favours, since your guests can't actually receive that.

dibsontop

I personally don't see the reason for it.  If you want to donate to a charity, just do it.  No need to tie it in to your wedding.  But that's just my opinion.

At the last wedding I attended, they did a charity favor.  When the bride & groom made their rounds to the tables, a bunch of people were giving them a hard time asking where the tax receipt was so they could deduct it on their taxes

lindseybuck81

I think it's a great idea. We are doing it for our wedding, although we have selected a non-controversial charity to donate to. Not everyone shares the same opinion on certain topics so you need to be sensitive to that. Most of the time, it's a waste of money to give away little favors... half the guests don't take them and the ones that do never use them!

caseyandlizzie

I don't like the idea of donating to charity in lieu of favors...jsut skip the favors altogether. If you want to donate to the charity then by all means donate it, but you really don't haev to make your guests aware of it in any way.
Also, if it is a charity that some of your guests might not support, you may end up offending someone.

trix1223

Here is, IMO,  the $25,000 question:   Why would it be necessary at all to tell your guests you're donating to a charity? What reaction do you think or are you trying to elicit from your guests? 

Many people also decide to give cookies, or bracelets, or something after saying they're giving a donation to charity in lieu of favors which doesn't make any sense at all.  Here's what that says:  "We're not going to give you a favor.  We're going to give the money we would have spent on favors to charity.  So here's a favor to let you know what charity we donated to.   We hope you like it."

And another thought about this occurs to me:  why do away with favors in lieu of donating?  Why not get rid of your flowers?  Or your veil?  Or your jewelry?  Funny how the only thing that couples ever think of giving up is the favor for the guest.

 

I don't need a favor.  I don't want a favor.  You're already giving me dinner, drinks, and entertainment.  But to somehow convince yourself that you're giving something TO me when you give to a charity is just silly.  Because you're not doing anything at all for me.  You're doing something for you.

If you're really sacrificing here, take something away from YOU, and not from your guests?

mrs.rab

FI and I are donating to the shelter that he got our kitten. (When he proposed he also gave me Cleaver the same night). So we are just writing out a little note card thing with Cleav's picture on it. 

I really don't like favors that people do give at weddings, and do think it's a waste of money and some peoples time if it is DIY. So that is why we are doing this. 

I would LOVE it if more people did this esp. if the cause is something near and dear to you!

Best of luck!

mwhitson14

I'd love to know what you consider a non-controversial charity to be, because in my opinion, someone is going to have a problem with it, for one reason or another.

For example, the shelter? Is it a no kill shelter? Did you check out their expenses to make sure the money is being spent as it should be? I'm not trying to pick on you, and I do think a shelter is an awesome charity, just trying to get you to think about how your guests might be thinking.

OP, just donate to the favor on your own time, don't mention it at your wedding, and skip favors if you can't think of anything else to do. The best favors are edible.

mrs.rab

Like I said anything that is near and dear to you and your FI you should go for it...

The shelter saved my little perfect bubb, my guests will be thinking how instead of wasting our money on giving them some crap candy or some bubbles that they will eventually throw away the money went to feeding an animal, giving them a vaccine, or helping to pay for any surgery costs. 

kelleyku05

It's YOUR wedding.  If YOU want to donate to a charity and let everyone know about it, go ahead!!!!   The wedding is celebration of YOU and your Fiance.  If you love animals, and you obviously don't want to give everyone a kitten, then donate to a shelter.  If someone you loved died of cancer, by all means, donate to that.  My BF donated to the sculpture park where she had her wedding and put up a little sign at the gift table about it.  I think it's a find thing to do if the cause is fitting to you and your fiance.  You're never going to please everyone, so don't even try!

kjmcgivern

I think it is a GREAT idea. We went to a wedding last summer and they donated to the American Cancer Society in remembrance of the bride's grandmother.  Most people either forget to take their favor home or throw it out or just dont have any use for it!  Spend your money where it counts - not on trinkets!

chosen175

IMO, donating to a charity is NEVER a bad thing - it's not like you're donating to a sweat shop in South America.  Yes, there are charities that aren't quite up to par, but I doubt most brides would say "Hey, instead of a custom candy bar, we're donating that $$ to Planned Parenthood."  People KNOW to stay away from the controversial places. 

I would much rather have that dollar donated to help feed a homeless animal than to have yet another cheap piece of plastic crap or something monogrammed with someone else's name on it.  Those go into the trash as soon as I get home.  At least the donation favor will do some good, not just take up space in a landfill.

CA2MT4EveR

I am against it.  The first time I saw this was about 3 years ago and there was a pamphlet at every seat about the charity they decided on.  Seemed like there was more money involved in the fancy advertising than actually put towards the charity itself.

There are many charities I do not agree with, for whatever reason, and it would not be a "favor" to me if you donated money to them.  I would rather you put your money towards something else than that.

wcvsb3b5

karaan your kitty is ADORABLE!

We have been debating doing a charity donation instead. Before coming on here everyone I spoke to thought it was a good idea. After hearing some other thoughts I am questioning my choice a little bit. We would buy things that the local animal shelter needs and bring it to them. We are really big on helping the animals in the shelter and our families are big animal lovers too.

CA2MT4EveR

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_favors_charity-wedding-favor?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:27Discussion:71796ff3-4ef9-4417-8cd5-f5edf7ccaa2ePost:67da2fad-7de0-4e0c-a93b-a1e955e0eefc">Re: Charity Wedding Favor???</a>:
[QUOTE]karaan your kitty is ADORABLE! We have been debating doing a charity donation instead. Before coming on here everyone I spoke to thought it was a good idea. After hearing some other thoughts I am questioning my choice a little bit. We would buy things that the local animal shelter needs and bring it to them. We are really big on helping the animals in the shelter and our families are big animal lovers too.
Posted by wcvsb3b5[/QUOTE]

Donation physical items is great.  I worked for an animal shelter and we welcomed litter (non-clumping kind), food, bowls, and other tangible items.  Cash donations typically went into an account that could be used to purchase medication for euthanasia.  If this is not something you support, then I would not donate money.

Again, donating to charities or other groups is great if it is something you believe in.  But this is for you, not your guests.  Do not make an announcement of it as a favor.

aprovencher21

I was against charity donations as wedding favors until my Aunt who I love was diagnosed with breast cancer.  We're going to donate to one of the two most heavily involved in research foundations.  I'm going to include a card at each table stating in lieu of physical favors we donated to so and so foundation in honor of my Aunt.  It has a very personal meaning to us and I'm so happy to have decided this as it suits us.

mica178

Donate away to any of the above worthwhille charities, but don't call it a favor.  A little printed card that pats yourself on the back for your charitable donation is just a piece of junk to me (much like personalized shot glasses).  Think about it this way, you get the tax deduction for the donation, but what do your guests get out of it?

Use the money you would have otherwise spent on those silly cards (I cannot believe what theknot charges for those donation cards) and donate a larger amount to your charity.