Friday, July 17, 2009

One More Non-Traditional Element…

I’ve had a lot of different thoughts regarding the favors that we’ll do for our wedding guests. And when I say a lot, those two little words just don’t seem to encompass the sheer amount of thoughts that I’ve had. A lot. Two little words that mean so much.

I’ve literally changed my mind on the favors at LEAST a dozen times. I started with baked goods, moved on to crafted goodies, went back to baked goods, then treat bags of mixes that guests could bake later…literally all over the board. But the other day, I came across an idea that I really, really liked. And it tied into another “problem” that I’ve been stewing on the back burner for a while. And you know that I like killing two birds with one stone!

I’ve been thinking about a way to bring in our loved ones that are no longer with us…using charms on my bouquet or personal memorabilia in our décor that gives a nod to each of them…the ideas are endless and there will be more on that later, I promise. But the one thing that they all have in common was that they lost their battle with cancer. Yes, you read that correctly, everyone that Mr. CC and I would want to honor on our special day that is no longer with us is no longer with us due to cancer.

What better way to bring them closer to us on our day, and honor them at the same time, than with a donation made to an organization like the American Cancer Society? I can’t think of anything better…

It seems to be a popular choice of late to opt out of doing traditional bridal wedding favors and make a charitable donation in the guests’ names instead. I like this idea for several reasons, mainly that the gift would mean something. Both to us as the bride and groom paying for it, and to the guest as I’m sure that most of them have known or at least heard of those that we would be honoring with this request. I like that our guests will not just get junk that they don’t need or want to be thrown into a drawer or shoved onto an already packed junk shelf in their homes, but that the donation could go towards research for a cure or treatment of those currently struggling.

For as long as I can remember, this is something that Mama CC has done in lieu of flowers at a funeral of a loved one who lost their battle with cancer. I lost my paternal grandmother at the young age of 14, and even then (which was MANY moons ago!) Mama CC made a donation to ACS in my grandmother’s name instead of spending gobs of money on a floral arrangement that would be gone within a few days time. I thought it was a thoughtful and kind gesture at the time…and nothing has changed in my opinion on the matter since then.

So I talked this over with Mr. CC and luckily he agreed with me that this would be a fitting memorial to our loved ones, and a perfect “gift/favor” for our wedding guests. He’s SUCH a good guy!

And since you probably know that I can’t just do this with a little piece of paper stating what we’re doing, I’ll probably still do a baked treat in a bag and on the tag, there would be an explanation of the donation. That way the guests do get someone a little sweet to snack on later (or right then!) and we get to make our donation.

I like it. It strikes a chord deep inside me as being a good thing to do. I talk a lot about our budget and paying for this big wedding, and I worry about it constantly, but this is money that I can feel good about spending!

Are you doing something non-traditional for your wedding favors? Do you like this idea or should I just stick with something a little more standard?

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