Wedding Fundraiser!!

Hope you don't mind a little humor...

I think that most people nowadays realize how expensive wedding can be. Instead of gifts, you could use an online fundraising site like www. dedicating dollars.com and ask for donations instead of gifts. It is easy to use, and easy to share with your family and friends. And they process all the transactions via credit card, then cut you a check. You can see a sample wedding fundraiser page here. http://www.dedicatingdollars.com/donate/pc/wedding-honeymoon-c5.htm

Good luck!

This is just my two cents and you can take it or leave it. In the absence of regional and religious family traditions overriding the general rule, I would agree wholeheartedly that it is the bride and groom and only them who ultimately need to plan, save, and prepare a wedding within their means.

However! Customs vary by region. Take for example the Springfield Massachusetts area where wedding fundraisers known as Jack and Jill's with prizes and raffles and DJ and beer and all...yes 1 month before the wedding is how the tradition works.... Attract tremendous happy partygoers to support the bride and groom. In fact, here's how it works here. Most people wind up throwing their support to many brides and grooms over many years and so the good karma goes around and it comes right back.

And where I live, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with asking parents or grandparents if they want to partake in the wedding planning and/or help with costs, especially when the bride and groom are just starting out in life, especially given the surging high costs of today's stylish weddings.

For a couple with no prior marital history, this is a one-time life stage event. Weddings are a part of the human life cycle from cradle to grave and most parents who have watched their daughter grow into the arms of a new love till death do them part are not only eager to help make the big day incredible, they often insist in throwing the shower, the stag, even throwing in an engagement party if they have the means to do so. I would never ask for this stuff obviously but if offered to you, what now???

Let me put it to you in another way. How would you respond to someone who told you as a kid, Next Christmas Eve there will be no gift-giving or any kind of exchange. The right way to get your Santa Claus wish is to sell items on Craigslist.

I find it rather interesting how quickly people are to judge about this. So if I'm understanding this correctly most of you have no problem fundraising to save a life but think it's tacky to help make a beautiful wedding happen. Well my question is how do two people on disability pay for a wedding? We have had our share of financial hardships but still plan to marry in a few months. Doing as much DIY as we can but still will probably have to pay a couple thousand. We are trying to figure out to do this but earning extra money or whatever we need to in order to have a some what decent wedding. Please to tell us to that all we need to do is cut corners or have the wedding in a few years, why should we wait to make things official just because we don't have the money? We all have a right to our opinions but sometimes a closed mouth is best.

I don't think fundraising is a horrible idea...it's just not as popular with weddings. There is a gentleman who raised funds using Gofundme. It was titled Wedding for a Wedding. He provided a service, videography, for donations. He was able to raise 11,000. It's not a bad idea. You create things that your love inspires and tell people that their contribution flourishes your love fund for your wedding. I hope it works out for you. Good luck.

I am 23 years old and I am getting married next February. I would hope that no one decides to take this the wrong way, but honestly, bashing people for what they choose to do with their wedding and how they choose to do it is completely wrong. I, for one live in FL. I work for the state, and I just graduated with a bachelor's degree. My FH is a contractor with a moving company. The fact that you all can criticize people for their choices is wrong. I actually plan to have a wedding fundraiser amongst my family and friends. This fundraiser includes making dinners and selling them every week. (Ex: bake sale) The profit that we make will go into our wedding savings account. Now, you guys can say what you want but not everyone can afford to pay for their entire wedding. And even so, why put yourself in debt to do so. Better yet, your wedding wouldn't be anything without your guests so why not have them support you as well. It may not blatantly be asking straight out but nevertheless it's help. We can't say that even if we save we won't fall into hard times. All I'm saying is that no one here knows anyone else's life. Yes, I can save for my wedding, which is also something that I'm doing. But, the thought process is, being confident in knowing that if anything else happens (because life works that way) I won't have to go bankrupt or postpone my wedding. As future brides we should all understand how it feels to go through hectic planning and constant thoughts about how something will be paid. This is a reminder that not everyone is wealthy, or not everyone is perfect. My family cannot pay for my wedding but they can support by helping with the fundraising. Any dinners that aren't sold will go to the homeless. I think that sometimes we have to take a step back and realize that the things we do and say can effect others. There is no need to judge others because you can be doing just fine now, but life has a funny way of turning things around. We should be uplifting, not tearing down. All we have is our dignity, our compassion and our integrity. So stay humble ladies, because you never know when you might need to fundraise for whatever it is you may need.

View Quoted Comment Well said! I myself am getting married in July. I am on disability & my fiancee barely can afford the bills with his job. I am 40 & he is 47. We have no living parents & come from a poor background. There is nothing wrong with asking for cash only wedding gifts or fundraising. If someone you know is easily offended by the idea, you can take them aside privately and explain your financial situation to them. But those who know you and care about you would already know your situation and more than likely be understanding and supportive. If not, tell them there is nothing wrong with asking for help for something as important and special as the union of two people that love each other. If they cannot understand that, maybe they don't deserve to come to the wedding. There is nothing embarrassing with fundraising to support wedding costs, unless you already have money and can afford a basic wedding but plan to use fundraising to make your wedding extravagant.

There is everything wrong with fundraising for a wedding. A wedding can be done at the courthouse generally for around $50. A wedding RECEPTION is a completely optional, LUXURY party, and if you can't afford one, you don't get one. You don't fundraise for a wedding anymore than you fundraise for a new Ferrari.

Stag and Drag parties also know as stag and doe parties are actually very common. This is a party specifically made to raise money for your wedding by selling mostly alcohol plus an entrance fee. We are selling at ours jello shots, vodka soaked gummy bears, wine coolers, pop, water, glow sticks, 50/50 tickets, and doing 2 jars for the bride and groom and whoever has the most in their jar by the end of the night gets pie in the face

View Quoted Comment People are saying you don't fundraise for a wedding but there is literally a party fundraiser called a stag and drag or stag and doe party that was invented specifically to raise money for weddings.

There’s an app called ‘The Knot’ it will help with a lot of your wedding planning plus budgeting. Also you can add all your info on this app including your registry which has choices of adding a “new house fund” “appliance fund” , “wedding fund” and “honeymoon fund” etc. and people you share your website with can donate to that as a registry gift instead of a physical gift. I don’t think it’s tacky to add these money saving ideas. There’s no difference in handing a gift to you or donating. Money’s being spent either way by someone who loves you. And even if it’s a small amount it’s the thought that matters.

View Quoted Comment Everyone deserves at least some of what they dream their wedding to be... fundraising for it isn’t horrible. Yes nobody has to have a big reception or whatever but it’s a one time thing in your life that means a lot to couples and any bride or groom that wants that deserves it. I mean it’s not like they are forcing people to give them money. If someone didn’t want to give money, wasn’t able to support them or buy something. Then it’s perfectly fine, it’s just an idea to help them even if it’s not just for the wedding but for their new life together. Nothing has to be traditional, you can do things how you want too. If fundraising is horrible then I guess so is asking for gifts on your registry. Fundraising for a wedding doesn’t mean it’s all for the wedding. It can be for the new life as well. So y’all need to get over yourself with this “it’s so horrible”...

This thread is long dead.