Favors for Family

Mr. Snow Cone and I never really considered doing favors.  We weren't too gung-ho about putting together a couple hundred of a certain item, only to end up with many being left at the table at the end of the night.  We didn't want to hand off some random piece of junk to our guests that they have absolutely no need for... it would be a waste on multiple levels for everyone involved.  However, having the guests leave the reception without any sign of gratitude from us was simply not an option.  Thankfully, we came up with a way to express our thanks to our guests without going the traditional favor route.

Our answer?  The charitable donation.  Mr. Snow Cone and I were able to come up with any number of causes we deemed worthy of getting a little extra funding as a result of our wedding.  Sure, maybe all of our guests might not necessarily appreciate this approach.  Some may disagree with our idea to do charity donations at all, and some may disagree with our charity of choice.  At the risk of sounding rude, that's not really a concern of ours.  We really like the idea of expressing some generosity in conjunction with our grandiose celebration, and we've found a cause that we feel strongly about.  So, regardless of our guests' opinion on the matter, our minds are made up.

As a result, we will be donating to pancreatic cancer research on behalf of our wedding guests.  We selected this cause because of its personal connection to me.  On February 2, 2010, my grandfather passed away from this horrific disease.  His battle against the cancer was relatively brief but certainly not painless.  My family's suffering was immense, but still paled in comparison to the difficulties he endured.  All of the treatment, appointments, and testing still only bought him a handful of additional months.  It was completely devastating to see how, in the matter of less than 12 months, an individual could be transformed from someone who walks daily for exercise to someone who struggles immensely to walk down the hallway of his own home.  The silver lining in all of this suffering is that his disease brought together my extended family in a way that I don't think any of us thought was possible.  Even though he is no longer alive, the impression he made on my family is stronger than ever.

Through donating to pancreatic cancer research, we're hoping to honor his memory and help even the tiniest bit to prevent another family from enduring the suffering that this dreadful disease causes.

 (personal photo)

What charity would you use in lieu of favors?