In Lieu of Favors

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Real Green Weddings

When Karen Delarios and Brett Delarios got married in April at the Spanish Hills Country Club in Camarillo, CA, they decided to give money to three charities in their guests' honor in lieu of favors. They chose The Ocean Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Karen got the idea when she and Brett attended the wedding of a friend of theirs. "I had a friend whose mother died of lung cancer and, rather than give favors at his wedding, he donated to non-smoking lung cancer research in honor of his mother, and it really touched me. For years I've been donating to various animal charities - mostly at the holidays - and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to send a little more money their way, while at the same time perhaps inspiring our guests to think along the same lines, and to hopefully make them aware of these worthy causes. My husband is a 'fish' at heart and loves the sea, which is why we chose the Ocean Conservancy. I personally have a passion for animals and preserving the environment and the habitats of so many animals in decline, but also have a passion for helping domestic animals that are so in need of our help, hence the Nature Conservancy and the ASPCA." These donations not only inspired Karen and Brett's guests, but they also reflected their personalities and passions, making the "favors" that much more personalized.

To let their guests know about their decision, they put a small note on each table.