LALELA
LUXURY WEDDING FAVORS AND GIFTS WITH A PURPOSE
Ask any seasoned wedding planner, and they will agree: The most important part of any wedding or event is the overall guest experience. Aside from providing necessities like comfortable seating, properly cooled or heated event spaces, and an abundance of great food and wine, luxury wedding favors and gifts are the ultimate cherry on top. Wedding favors that allude to a couple’s love story are always a favorite, but more people are now opting for gifts with a purpose.
Enter Lalela Scarf – a South African luxury brand built to sustain the group’s nonprofit organization, Lalela, which provides education arts for at-risk youth, sparking creative thinking and awakening the entrepreneurial spirit. The only thing better than beautiful wedding favors and gifts is those that give back, ultimately giving couples the opportunity to share love on an even greater scale.
Are wedding favors still a thing?
While many wedding traditions have been deemed antiquated and unnecessary (does anyone actually say “obey” in their vows anymore?), wedding favors are absolutely still “a thing.” In fact, gifting guests with a token of appreciation for attending a wedding is an essential part of wedding etiquette. Wedding favors and gifts need not be large or lavish, but they should be well thought out and meaningful.
Lalela scarves, bags, and PJs are perfect wedding favors for guests.
Lalela offers a colorful and eclectic array of scarves, bags, PJs, and even blankets, making them perfect wedding favors for guests. Each item in the Lalela collection features a piece of artwork from one of the program’s learners and includes a hangtag that tells customers the name and age of the artist. The hangtags also share a little about the artist’s hopes and dreams for the future. A large percentage of Lalela Scarf’sproceeds go back to benefit Lalela, making the brand a sustainable cycle of life- changing art.
For destination weddings in particular, a set of Lalela PJs would be a luxurious addition to a welcome basket; Lalela bags are wonderful for toting around town; and their signature scarves can even be handed out to guests for an evening outdoor wedding ceremony under the stars.
“Lalela Scarf pieces are the perfect wedding favor or bridal party gift for a couple that is looking to give back,” says Elle Vertes, Chief of Staff. “More and more, we’ve heard from couples looking for unique and meaningful gifts for their guests that they won’t just throw away after the wedding is over. By wearing Lalela Scarf, you allow the creative works of our students to travel the world and be seen by the global audience they deserve. It’s an opportunity for a couple to give back over the course of their wedding weekend and begin to explore introducing their friends and families to a cause that is meaningful to them as an (almost) married couple.”
Who is Lalela?
Lalela Scarf was founded by Sandy Tabatznik, who co-founded the Lalela nonprofit organization with Andrea Kerzner. Based in South Africa, the Lalela program starts after school – during the hours when children are most vulnerable – with kids as young as six-years-old. Through grade 12, Lalela works to develop their artistic skills and imagination. Using art education, the role of Lalela is to clear a path to innovation and new job creation, building positive outlooks and future community role models.
“I like to see the joy our students experience in just being – that freedom of being in the moment and creating,” shares Tabatznik. “There is something so special about watching the learners get involved in their pieces. It takes them out of themselves to a place where they are allowed to make mistakes. It’s so exciting to see them learn to re- evaluate their work as they go and to be flexible with their ideas. This kind of work helps our students to develop problem solving skills. It’s a reminder to me about the way in which we should all be facing challenges in life and work – evaluate as you go and change as needed.”
Visit lalelascarf.org to shop luxury wedding favors and gifts, and lalela.org to learn more about the group’s nonprofit work.