Traditionally wedding favors consisted of a net or box of almonds or chocolates, in modern times wedding favors have become something entirely different & it is now not uncommon to receive small keepsake style gifts as well as edible ones. But there is also a new trend for wedding favors in the form of charitable donations.
A charitable wedding favor means the couple donate their entire favor budget a chosen charity or charities instead of giving their guests those little keepsakes in pretty boxes. Many couples will choose to donate to charities or causes which are close to their hearts & then present their guests a small note informing them that instead of a wedding favor a donation of $x has been made to a selected charity.
There are many ways to donate to charity & then present this type of favor to your wedding guests. Some couples will feel guilty about not providing their guests with a little memento of the day & so will set aside a small part of the budget for a token gesture of chocolate hearts or the like. However many couples need not worry as most guests are pleasantly surprised by the gesture & give very positive feedback to the couple after the wedding.
If you are considering going down the charitable favor route here are a few options for you to consider.
The I Do Foundation
This website specializes in charitable wedding favors & can offer lots of advice, options & suggestions. They also have a good stock of information about various charities & links to their registries.
The Just Give Organization
This organization can give you some unique ways in which you can donate to charity through your wedding favors. You have the option of donating as a group on behalf of all your guests, in which case you will receive a PDF file to download & print & display at your reception so your guests can see the donation. Or you have the option of creating individual gift vouchers which can be redeemed with over 1 million charities worldwide.
Do it Yourself!
If you do it yourself you can choose the charity or charities that you want to donate to & design your own cards explaining to your guests about charity wedding favors. You can also look various charities at www.charitynavigator.com which will show you a who's who of charities around the world & gives them a rating for most useful, organized & efficient when it comes to using the donations made.
How will you present your favor?
Many couples will simply leave a note card on each place setting explaining the charitable donation & how much was given, although it is entirely up to you whether or not to disclose this. Those organizations above will give you some advice on how to word these cards.
If you don't want to go down the route of note cards, you can arrange to have a sign or poster displayed somewhere within the reception so all your guests can see it. Another option is to announce it during the speeches or at some other appropriate moment
