How to Politely Incorporate Charitable Donations Into a Wedding

It is a very admirable urge to use your wedding as a way to give back to your community. The bride who wishes to find ways to support a beloved charity is a refreshing break from the Me-First Bridezilla attitude that one sees more often than we would like. At the same time, a wedding is not a fundraiser, and it is important not to offend your guests in the name of doing a good deed. This is a look at ways that a couple can politely incorporate charitable donations into their wedding.

The frank reality is that people are not particularly crazy about receiving a card that says “In lieu of a favor, a donation has been made in your name to _____”. They just aren’t. It is not really a gift for them, after all, but a gift for your favorite cause. No matter how worthy the cause may be, it is not more worthy than showing hospitality to your friends and family. Keep in mind that there are some things for which a charitable donation simply cannot be substituted. It is not going to fly to give make donations instead of giving bridesmaid gifts.

This does not mean, however, that it is impossible to work in a charitable donation as part of the wedding favors. The best way to do it is to find a charity that you support who sells something nice that you can give as favors. The Arbor Day Foundation, for instance, sells little live trees that you can give as favors, and the proceeds go to support their efforts. Many charities do something similar. This is the perfect solution, because it allows you to give money to your favorite cause, while also giving your guests a nifty little gift.

There are some other interesting ways to incorporate charitable donations into your wedding plans behind the scenes. You could hire a volunteer from your favorite organization to provide a service at your wedding and then donate whatever you would have paid a professional to do perform that task. In some cases, they may be able to hook you up with a volunteer who has expertise in an area of need, such as bartending, but there are also other tasks – coat check attendant, for example – that could easily be done by any adult volunteer. By the way, there is no need to make a big fuss about your charitable donation (like printing a note about it in your programs, for instance); doing the good deed should be the motivation, not getting recognition for it.

New Year’s Eve Wedding Favors

Champagne is a popular part of many New Year’s Eve celebrations, and it would be a great idea for a wedding favor. To make it even more impressive, hang a small strand of crystals around the neck of each bottle (almost like a crystal necklace for the Champagne – how festive!) with a message of thanks from the bride and groom. There are a few variations on this which would work very well, such as substituting sparkling wine or Prosecco for Champagne. A non-alcoholic sparkling cider would be another option, especially if you are likely to have underage guests or tee-totalers at your reception.

A very fun idea for a New Year’s Eve wedding reception is a masquerade theme party. Beautiful party masks would be a perfect favor for this style of reception. Look for very fancy masks with plenty of sparkle and feathers, in the style of the renowned Venetian masks. For the gentlemen, a classic black mask would be appropriate (not as fun as the masks for the ladies, but that can’t be helped). Encourage your guests to wear their fun new masks during the reception party. Set up a photo booth so that you can get pictures of everyone in their masks. Think what a fun addition that will be to the wedding album.

Help everyone start their New Year off with miniature calendars for the wedding favors. This would be a fun project, and has become so easy to do at one of the online photo sites like Snapfish. Put some thought into the pictures that you select for the calenders. The best ones are seasonal for each month. To make the favor even more fun, highlight non-traditional holidays throughout the year like National Relaxation Day or Go Fly a Kite Day.

Edible favors are always a bit hit, and they would certainly be great for a New Year’s Eve wedding. Choose fancy sweets like handmade truffles displayed in silver boxes. Another great favor would be silver and gold M&Ms personalized with the bride and groom’s names and the wedding date. Place them in clear containers so that the metallic colors will really show and tie it up with an elegant black satin bow. With any edible favor, it is a nice touch to add a personalized tag with a message from the newlyweds.

Wedding Favors as Centerpieces

When looking for a way to trim the wedding decorating budget, it helps to find items that can do double-duty. One very clever idea is to arrange your wedding favors in a way that doubles as a centerpiece. There are many ways to do this, and the results can be as charming as they are thrifty.

Flowers are the most popular type of centerpiece, and a great option for wedding favors as well. The blossoms you select and form of display will depend on the style of your reception. Let’s say you were having an informal country celebration and wearing a very simple lace wedding dress and delicate jewelry – painted tin pails planted with sunny yellow daisies would be darling. Set an small wooden bushel basket (upended) in the center of the table and arrange the little pails of daisies around the basket. Cluster one group of three on top of the basket to add height to the centerpiece design.

Special vases with single stems can also work beautifully for favors that double as centerpieces. Choose a flower with a very large bloom, such as one full hydrangea stem or a lush garden rose in full bloom. Make it a unique favor by picking out vases with character, such as a mis-matched collection of white milk glass vases. Or opt for the clean look of chic narrow oval vases. Play up the modernity of the vase by using flowers in a vivid color like bright orange or fuchsia. Group the vases in the middle of the table to create the illusion of a large display of flowers.

Candles are always popular for both favors and centerpieces, so why not combine the two into one? The key is to display the candles in holders which are beautiful enough to be keepsakes. (After all, a half-melted candle in a plain glass votive holder is not much of a gift!) Tall etched glass candle holders will look beautiful with the flame flickering in them. When your guests see how pretty they look, they will be delighted to find out that they get to take them home! Or create an enchanted effect for an evening wedding by hanging small lanterns in jewel tones over the centers of each reception table. Put them on hooks which will make them easy for the guests to remove their lantern to take home at the end of the night. A unique favor and a unique centerpiece idea all rolled into one!

Do Good While Getting Married

Planning a wedding can feel like a charmed time in your life. While you are in the midst of all that bridal bliss, why not find a way to share your good fortune with others? From charitable donations to environmental good deeds to helping animals, there are numerous ways to do good while getting married. Take a look at these suggestions to get ideas that you can use to “pay it forward” as part of your own wedding.

Start with supporting local vendors in your community whenever possible. Get your bridesmaid gifts from the local boutique which handcrafts jewelry right in their back room. Hire an artist to handmake letterpress wedding invitations for you. Order a wonderful blackberry jam from someone at your local farmer’s market. When you do good in this way, it is a win-win situation for your wedding and your community.

Charitable donations are becoming increasingly popular for wedding gifts and favors. Perhaps you already have a house full of stuff; why not request that in lieu of gifts a donation be made in your name at your favorite charity? These gifts can also come from the bride and groom. In lieu of traditional favors, make a donation to a charity. Put out an elegant card at each place setting informing guests that a donation has been made in their name. Just be sure to select a charity which is going to be acceptable to everyone (animals are good, political causes are not).

After the wedding, there will be even more opportunities to do good works. You can donate your wedding gown to Making Memories, a foundation which raises funds for victims of breast cancer. Make arrangements to have surplus food donated to a food shelter at the end of the reception. You can even have your wedding centerpieces delivered to a nursing home to brighten the day of the residents. With so many easy and meaningful ways to make your wedding a time to share your good fortune, it will be simple to find a couple of things that you can do to pay it forward.

Quirky Wedding Ideas

Every wedding shares many elements in common, but that is no reason that you have to do them in the expected way. Most brides will give their attendants bridesmaid jewelry, but instead of giving each girl an identical set, why not have custom bridesmaid jewelry made with unique variations for each attendant? What a simple way to show each of your bridesmaids that you see her as an individual, not just as part of a matched set.

Your wedding favors are a great place to try something a little different. No matter how traditional the wedding, it is always okay to go out on a limb with the favors. At one wedding I attended in a mountain resort, the newlyweds gave pens from the resort as their favor; not just any pens, but the retro kind filled with liquid and a moving scene. To dress them up, they handmade special clear triangular tubes which fit the gifts to a “t”. It made a nice presentation for favors which were inexpensive, but also fun, unique, and enjoyed by all the guests.

Centerpieces are one of the main forms of decorations for most wedding receptions. Flowers are always gorgeous, of course, but blossoms in a vase do not always look so original. Think of new ways to display your flowers, like putting them under a sheet of Plexiglass on the table or inside clear boxes. Or skip the flowers altogether and design centerpieces around something that is near to your heart. Book lovers can stack up piles of their favorite classic stories (pick up vintage hardcover versions in second hand shops) and top with a ribbon or a few loose cut flowers. Or maybe you are headed to Paris for your honeymoon. Attractive Eiffel Tower replicas would look marvelous as centerpieces. Almost anything goes, as long as it looks stylish or beautiful.

Allow your mind to wander and your creative juices to flow, and before you know it, you will have planned a wedding which is quirky, fun, and entirely you.

Cute and Affordable Wedding Favors

The wedding favors are a nice way to thank your guests for attending your wedding. Yet they need not be extravagant to be enjoyed, especially when you consider how many of the favors you will need to buy for your entire guest list. These are some great ideas for cute and affordable wedding favors.

Some of the best wedding favors are those which tie in with some other aspect of your plans. Let’s say that you like hearts, and are planning to use them for everything from your bridesmaid gifts (heart shaped crystal pendants make beautiful bridesmaid gifts) to your invitation motif. A very cute idea for the favors is a heart shaped cookie cutter on each place setting. It is something which will reinforce your theme, is romantic, and will cost less than $1 per favor. You can even make your favors do double duty by tying a card with each guest’s name on it to the cookie cutter and laying them on the plates at the dinner tables.

Candy is always a popular wedding favor; the trick is to present in a way that feels original. An adorable idea for a spring wedding would be to get tiny “nests” in which to place the candy. They will look very charming, yet are not costly. Their diminutive size also means that it won’t take a lot of Jordan almonds or chocolates to make the nests look nice and full. It sure beats a circle of tulle holding the candy for originality and style.

Some wedding favors look more expensive than they really are. A bride who has creative abilities could purchase a large quantity of plain bud vases or votive holders and paint them herself. A design which ties in with your wedding theme would be lovely, just be sure it is something that would be attractive for everyday use. In other words, a clear vase handpainted with morning glories would be very pretty and thoughtful, but one personalized with your initials and wedding date would not be something your guests would be likely to use in their homes. The possibilities are nearly endless, and remember that great wedding favors do not have to be costly or extravagant to be appreciated by your guests.

Great Wedding Favor Ideas

Most wedding favors will fall into a few basic categories. There are theme favors, keepsakes, home décor, and of course edible or culinary favors. Of all these categories, the edible favors are far and away the most popular, both to give and usually to receive. The trick is to find that one favor that will in some way tie in with the rest of your wedding and will feel like a personal thank you to your guests.  When choosing your favors, always keep in mind that following trends is not nearly as important as following your heart. These are some ideas for great wedding favors that your guests are sure to love.

Boxed candies have always been a traditional wedding favor. Even when they are not particularly original, it is a treat that guests are happy to receive. However, you can make your candy gifts more special by personalizing them in some way. For instance, if you are being married at the beach, fresh salt water taffy is nice. Vermont couples could give maple candies, or if you were a Mississippi bride, custom chocolates in the shape of magnolia flowers would be lovely. Anytime you can impart a local flavor to your wedding, it is going to be special.

Keepsakes are another way to go for your wedding thank you gifts. These can range tremendously, and will often tie in with the theme, location, or season of the wedding. If you have artistic talent, you can even consider making these types of favors yourself. At Christmas wedding, beautiful silver plated ornaments would be wonderful. A bride from the Southwest might think about choosing handcrafted Native American ceramic ornaments for her guests.

Décor items are another favor idea. Candles are always a good possibility because they can suit so many different wedding styles. If your wedding is very elegant, with lots of sparkling crystal details and jewelry, cut crystal votive holders would be an appropriate accent. Or let’s say that your style is more relaxed, and you are wearing a casual bridal gown with handcrafted wedding jewelry; a unique handmade bark candle holder would be a fun favor idea. Theme favors are also popular, and they can come from across any of the other categories.  It is fine to have some sort of personalization on your favors, but be sure that the wedding date or your names is not so prominent that it distracts from the beauty of the gift.

Ideas for Displaying Wedding Favors

The wedding favors you give your guests will make a lasting impression. Make sure it is a great impression by offering thoughtful thank you gifts which are beautifully displayed. These are some great ideas for displaying wedding favors.

Many wedding favors come in small boxes, especially candy. Think about how the gifts can be displayed in a way that ties in with the rest of your wedding. For instance, if you are having an Asian inspired wedding, wrap the boxes in exquisite pieces of patterned origami paper or delicate handmade rice paper. Tie a thin silk cord in a rich red or gold around each box (these are the lucky Chinese wedding colors). To make a real visual impact, stack the beautifully wrapped favor boxes in a pyramid on a specially designated table. Add to the theme by decorating the table with lucky bamboo in pots.

Beach theme weddings are a special category. A destination or beach wedding is so much fun that you will want to enhance the theme whenever you can. For the wedding favors, think about choosing something like a votive candle in a frosted glass holder accented with a silver starfish charm. To display the gifts, create a low wooden tray, fill it with sand or unique smooth sea glass, and nestle the votives inside in neat rows.

Candy bars are one of the most popular wedding favor ideas these days. Think about how you want to arrange the candy for the most attractive display table. For an elegant wedding, use tall clear glass apothecary style footed vases with lids. Take a silver link tag and print the name of each candy on it, then hang it around the neck of the vase. If you were having more of a casual backyard wedding with a simple handmade wedding dress and informal jewelry, opt for a more down to earth style of candy bar. How about tiny galvanized tin pails painted with a gingham check? You can fill the candy bar with your favorite childhood candies or make it extra stylish by choosing only candies in your wedding colors. Of course your guests will need a way to take home all of their sweet treats, so provide them with something like clear Chinese take out containers or clear glassine bags. Put out a stack of customized stickers with your wedding monogram to seal the bags or boxes once they have been filled with loot!

Favorite Fall Wedding Favors

Autumn is a great time of year, and there are all sorts of things that evoke the spirit of the season. When you are selecting your wedding favors, it is nice to seek out those with an autumnal flair. They will make an especially nice token for your guests to take home from your wedding.

When it comes to wedding favors, what guests particularly enjoy are edible treats. There are all sorts of tasty fall treats that you can offer. Pick one that fits the general style of your wedding as well as the time of year. For instance, if you are having a fairly casual wedding, with the bride in a simple dress and silver handmade wedding jewelry, you can go with a fun and casual fall favorite, like a big, beautiful candy apple or a caramel dipped apple. Your guests will adore the sticky, nostalgic take-away.

Personalized wedding favors are always pleasing. For an autumn wedding, one unique idea would be to present each guest with a small bottle of a fruit wine, such as one made from Northern Spy apples. You can have custom labels printed for the bottles with your names, wedding dates, and a brief message to your guests. To make the gift even more special, tie a decorative wine stopper to the neck of each bottle.

Of course, one of the most distinctive things about fall is the characteristic autumn leaves. A simple but charming fall wedding favor would be a pair of leaf shaped cookie cutters tied together with a piece of plaid ribbon or raffia placed at each guest’s seat. Use the copper cookie cutters, which are much prettier than the plastic or tin ones. Attach a small tag to each set of cookie cutters with a thank you message on the front, and your favorite cookie recipe on the reverse. This is a favor that can be assembled inexpensively, but it is something that your guests will actually find useful and enjoyable.

These are just a few of the top ideas for fall wedding favors. Feel free to design your own special favors that explore the scents, flavors, or colors of the season. Your guests will be sure to enjoy your carefully selected favors.

Beachy Wedding Favors

Beach weddings are as fun and lighthearted as summer itself. When you are choosing favors for your beach wedding, be sure that they capture that sunny spirit. These are some great ideas for beachy wedding favors.

Edible favors are always a hit at a wedding. There are a couple of great options for tasty favors with a seaside theme. Cookies can be made in the shape of sailboats and fish and presented in a glassine bag. To take it up a notch, put the bag of cookies in a mini canvas tote with a nautical motif like an anchor or a beach umbrella. If you grew up on the East Coast, then you probably know that one of summer’s sweetest treats is fresh saltwater taffy. This is the perfect sort of nostalgic thing that guests love to receive as favors.

It is always fantastic to combine your escort or place cards with your favors. After all, who doesn’t love to kill two birds with one stone? One beachy wedding favor that is sure to wow your guests is a small brass compass with their name inscribed on it. It has the perfect nautical feel and it also makes a really cool and unusual keepsake from your wedding.

Candles are popular favors, and there are some great ways to make your candles tie in with a beach theme. Specialty stores have beautiful little seashells with candles in them, which is a very elegant beachy favor. Crafty brides can also make their own beach theme candle favors. Small tin pails can be filled with candle wax and a wick to make an easy gift. Use a piece of raffia to tie a starfish to the handle of the pail. Another idea is to make your candles in medium sized clear glass containers and embed shells in the wax along the outside.

The right wedding favors will make the perfect send off for your guests. They are a great way to thank your guests for coming as well as to give them a parting gift that they can enjoy. When you are having a beach wedding, your favors can be just as much fun as the wedding itself, so have a good time selecting your personal favorites.