Do you remember any of the favors you received at weddings? Me neither. Oh wait, I do have a wine stopper somewhere that I don’t think has been used. Probably still in the cute bag it came in, too. A little [insert noun] with the wedding couple’s names on it is not practical. Mom and Dad may love to display it on the mantle forever, but not everyone. No matter what you choose, favors literally cost hundreds of dollars for something that is left on the table or remains in the bottomless pit of Aunt Flo’s purse. If you are going to give favors, at least get some that leave a lasting impression or are very practical.
If you want to save some money and time, why not make a donation to your near and dear charity of choice? You can print up on plain paper your message and put in an inexpensive frame. Display this on the seating assignment table or the guest book table. It’s a nice touch to add a simple lit votive candle next to it. In all honesty, no one has to know how much your donation was for. Just remember, no amount of money is too little for the kindness of giving.
Examples:
In memory of a loved one lost to an illness or disease: In lieu of favors, we have made a donation to The Chron’s & Colitis Foundation in memory of Deborah Fenton. In addition to the message in a frame, you can add a framed picture of the person or include the picture at the bottom of the framed message.
To a cause you support: Instead of offering favors, we have made a donation to The Humane Society. Perhaps you can add some pics of your fur babies for a personal touch. You can also add a donation collection jar next to your framed message.
To support a GoFundMe page: In lieu of favors, we have chosen to support “Help get Joey to Summer Camp”. Please join us by making a donation (and provide simple instructions on how).
To add some humor: Instead of giving our guests favors, we have chosen to add money to our honeymoon fund. Please donate here (donation jar) to make our honeymoon amazing! Those that don’t get the humor in this….well, um, oh well. You can come up with any message that will get a laugh and make the point that favors are a waste of money.
Make your own or you can save time and order a custom printed like this customizable example from Amazon.
Below is another example of one available on Amazon.
