I was on my newfound addiction, The Knot's Weddings 911 iPhone app, when I first saw a post on wedding fundraisers. My first reaction was one of shock- isn't that kinda rude? Don't people have to pay enough for your wedding (especially if they're traveling like they will be for mine)? Then, I read it and apparently, in Canada, it's a tradition that couples do to raise money for their weddings. It's a way of involving the community in the wedding and for them to help out with the wedding cost. It isn't an engagement party, bridal shower or anything along those lines. So, intrigued, I asked a fellow b2b for more info and Googled it. Here's what I uncovered!
First, it has multiple nicknames- buck and doe, stag and doe, social, or Jack and Jill. It's usually organized by the bridal party for the sole purpose of raising funds for the upcoming nuptials. Tickets are sold for $10 and should be sold via presale. You can also sell tickets at the door but, since you have a lot of things dependent on number of guests, it's best to do presale. You can also sell raffle tickets for anywhere from $2-$5 a piece. Raffle prizes can be anything from gift cards or larger value items like weekend getaways. There's also booze (for sale, of course), dancing, and games.
Since the goal is to raise as much money as possible, this is the one wedding party that you can invite anyone and their mother to attend. If you had budget restraints and couldn't invite them to the wedding itself, it's still OK to invite them to the social, it's a chance for everyone to be involved. You'll need to rent a space- either a bar, lounge or rental hall, hire a DJ, provide appetizers, set up the games and the raffle, and plan every little detail. If you're renting a hall- you'll need to provide liquor and pay for servers. This is also a time to save money but, sometimes to make money, you have to spend money. Couples typically make $3500-$8000, so yes, it is worth it in the end.
The time frame is usually 8p-1a and it doesn't get busy until 10p. The raffle prizes usually consist of 8-10 smaller packages and 2-3 larger packages. After you set out the food (which can be apps/finger foods) around 11p, then it's time to do the raffle and have your DJ announce the winners. Make sure that you space the raffle announcements out throughout the night so that you don't have a huge crowd waiting for the prize and then, leaving after they win. Ask the DJ to space it out in the time frame they think is best. Then, you can drink and dance the night away, raising some much needed funds for your wedding along the way.
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