Wedding Etiquette Q&A: "Can we ask our guests to donate to charity instead of gifts?"

wedding presents

Q: My fiancé and I would like our guests to make donations to two of our favorite charities. Can we let them know through an insert in our invitations?

A: The best way to inform them is by word of mouth, since gift-giving should never be mentioned in the wedding invitation. You can, however, set up a website and inform your guests that way. Share some information about your favorite charities and the reasons you have selected them. Include the addresses where donations can be sent, as well as links to the charities’ websites. On your wedding invitation you can include “For more information about our wedding please visit (your website link).” You can also create a registry of your charities with I Do Foundation and JustGive.