We at Loving Invitations hope you’ve had a wonderful Christmas with your nearest and dearest. Christmas, as we all know, is a time for celebrating with friends and family. It’s also a time to show goodwill and kindness toward others. For this reason, many people choose to give to charitable causes at Christmas time, and many charities will renew their appeals for assistance at this time of year. There are countless worthy charities, all of which deserve all the support they can get.

Of course, giving to charity is a wonderful thing to do at any time of the year, not just Christmas. Charities rely on the kindness of ordinary people in order to carry out their missions, and they are constantly appealing for help. Almost any large gathering of people presents an opportunity to raise funds for worthy causes, and weddings are no exception to this. So, in the spirit of Christmas charity, we’d like to offer you some tips on incorporating charity into your wedding day. We hope you’ll find them interesting.

Present Your Guests With Charity Wedding Favours

We’ve written in the past about wedding favours and how they’re a great way to make your guests feel appreciated. We’ve also mentioned that making a charitable donation on behalf of your guests is a great choice of wedding favour. Charity wedding favours are increasingly popular, and many charities will offer to make specific arrangements for this purpose. This will usually include tokens, such as pins or flowers, that you and your guests can use to show support. If you’d rather offer a more tangible sort of wedding favour, remember than many charities raise money by selling chocolate or other confectionary, which make ideal wedding favours.

Forgo Your Gifts in Favour of Donations

It’s customary to present a gift to the bride and groom at a wedding. Naturally, we all enjoy receiving gifts, but perhaps you already have all of the material possessions you need. If this is the case, asking your guests to make a charitable donation in lieu of a gift is a great way to do something really positive on the occasion of your wedding. There may be a particular cause which is close to your heart, and you can let your guests know that you’d greatly appreciate their generosity in giving to that cause. If you’re planning to do this, make sure you let your guests know as early as possible. Consider noting on your invitations that you’d prefer charitable donations to gifts.

Arrange a Collection for Charity

You may consider arranging a collection for charity during your ceremony, your reception, or both. If your ceremony will take place in a place of worship, consider asking the celebrant of the wedding ceremony for help organising a collection. Places of worship regularly engage in charitable work and charity fundraising, so your celebrant will be more than happy to help. If organising a collection during your reception, consider simply having a donation box, so that guests can donate at their leisure, without feeling pressured to do so.

Consider Donating Your Wedding Dress and Other Attire

Many charities accept clothes and other items as donations, which can then be sold to raise funds. You may find it difficult to part with your wedding dress, but remember that doing so could raise a substantial sum for a good cause, as well as giving your beloved dress a chance to shine again on someone else’s wedding day. The groom’s and groomsmen’s suits would also make a valuable donation to any charity, as would the bridesmaids’ dresses.

Still looking for the perfect wedding invitations and stationery for your big day? Have a look at our full range of wedding invitations and stationery here: http://www.lovinginvitations.ie/product-category/wedding-invitations/