Discussions

Looking for some ideas of where to ask for wedding social prizes

You could ask your employers, friends to ask their workplaces possibly. I’ve seen where the couple purchased quite a bit of pizza from Dominos for their midnight lunch and had a giftcard from dominos as a prize. You can also ask your bridal party, usually they’ll atleast chip in together to get a couple of prizes like a lotto tree. Not many businesses will donate anything unless they have ties (like a frequent customer) and I dont blame them, I’m sure many of the local businesses give lots back to the community already.

Please please please do not just ask random businesses. Go to businesses the couple frequents if you really want to ask businesses. I think you could ask the bridal party, the parents of the bride/groom and the bride/groom themselves. I think soliciting businesses is super tacky myself, especially if they have no connection to that business.

I second to please not go to random businesses asking for hand outs. I did my social by buying some of my prizes. For instance, I spent $70 on lottery tickets and profited $200 from ticket sales. Family donated some prizes. I also went to the wedding show in Winnipeg and some booths there gave me a free prize for my social in return for using their services at my wedding, which was great. Lastly, I used some points from my credit card to redeem for items that I could use as prizes.  
 
Again, please don’t go to random businesses and ask for handouts if you don’t intend to use their services.  
I remember loads of brides would waltz into my flower shop asking for prizes. None of them were willing to have me do the flowers for their wedding in return for a social prize.

I would be too embarrassed to go ask a random business for social prizes. As said before super tacky!

What we did was ask our families and bridal party members to donate prizes. We also then asked some p2p business (Tupperware, scents, etc) if they wanted to donate. It worked out well and we had some amazing prizes!  
 
I know party jockeys will give out a free trip if you book social and wedding with them!!!

Look no further than your wedding party and close family members and possibly friends. Random businesses should not be asked to donate to socials, period!  
 
And nothing to do with the OP's question but I am embarrassed that wedding socials have become what they are...a money grab! Just my opinion...

Exactly. Asking for handouts, for personal gain/benefit? If you or friends/family want to fund the prizes yourselves or out of the ticket sales, that's appropriate. Otherwise, might as well be begging....cause that's what it is.

GhOsTID said "    Grandmama said "Look no further than your wedding party and close family members and possibly friends. Random businesses should not be asked to donate to socials, period!     And nothing to do with the OP's question but I am embarrassed that wedding socials have become what they are...a money grab! Just my opinion... " Isn't that the entire purpose of a wedding social? Also, donations from a business are often seen as advertising, ad views don't come cheap so donating something that costs them very little to nothing is a great trade off in terms of value to them, especially depending on the size of the wedding party. "

Back in the day when couples were married at a younger age socials were a means to raise money to start their lives together. Buying furniture, washer, dryer, etc. Now most couples are already living together, have mostly of what they need. Lots of socials I know of use the money to either pay for the wedding or fund their vacation afterward. Businesses are constantly bombarded with social requests. Sure you say a form of advertising but I can't recall from the socials I have been to who donated what. When you are pulling in sometimes over 5 grand in money why should it be on the backs of businesses to give to pay for a honeymoon for the bride and groom?

Exactly - socials where for a get together for the couple and to help them out.  
 
The most we ever had when I went to socials was a prize of a bottle of perfume. Couples still made money.  
 
This whole asking for donations has really turned me off. I can't even imagine soliciting business for such a thing. They already get so many other important things they donate to. Not that my two tickets to go to someone's social would hurt much.