ideas for guests to select charity

eric and jess

The bride and groom will be making a donation in honor of each of their guests... they would like each guest to select one of three charities toward which that donation will be directed... any ideas on how to re-word that, and how to display it?  This is for my sister's wedding in March and she asked for help.  She wants to have a visual representation of each charity.  Our most recent idea was having each charity description in a different small frame in a different color, and beads of that color in bowls, and each guest would string a bead for the charity that they selected.... I've never heard of someone using multiple charities so it all just seems confusing!

Simply Fated

Question before I can answer... what if none of those charities are one a guest likes? Is there a "none" option? Or an "other" option?

eric and jess

Hmmm I guess not... I believe it is an organization in honor of the groom's mother (cancer), the bride's mother (MS) and World Vision.

calliopeia2013

Yeah, I really don't like charity favors because they're not really a favor to the guest, you know?  Unless, I guess, there's a "none" option.  It's a such a good-hearted idea, but it really risks offending/alienating people, if they don't like your charities.  If your sister is set on doing it despite that, I really think any technique is as good as any other- the beads thing sounds cute, and no matter what you're going to do, some people are going to be confused/not participate/do it wrong/whatever.

But any time where your guests are going to have to follow complicated instructions to figure out what to do (not that the beads are that complicated, but people aren't going to figure it out without explanation), things are going to get a bit mixed-up.

tldh

I don't like the idea of doing charity donations at a wedding (just make the donation but don't be a show off about it) and I really don't like the idea of them having their two charities in competition with eachother.

Simply Fated

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_ideas-guests-select-charity?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:cb37f5ba-1579-4a9c-9235-6f9a7567feafPost:922ec23d-8a31-4240-b8db-0e633df303cc">Re: ideas for guests to select charity</a>:
[QUOTE]Hmmm I guess not... I believe it is an organization in honor of the groom's mother (cancer), the bride's mother (MS) and World Vision.
Posted by eric and jess[/QUOTE]


Those are favors to the bride and groom, not the guests.

heb557

Set cards at each seat. Have them put the cards in diffent baskets. Make sure to have the baskets labeled. That will make the sorting process easier.

 However the easiest thing would be just to set the donation budget split it in half and save the guests the trouble of deciding.

eric and jess

Thanks for the feedback.  Actually, there will be favors also...  I like the basket idea.  Where would you put the baskets?

juma1111

Stick the baskets on the guestbook table.