Wedding Trends 2009: 'Responsible' Gift Registries

Do you already have enough "stuff"??

Traditionally, prior to the wedding, the bride and groom will visit their favourite store/s and make a list of items they hope to receive as wedding gifts. Recently, however, we have seen a shift in tradition, caused primarily by changing demographics.

• Couples nowdays have usually been together for many years and have accumulated most of the household items newlyweds normally require.
• Plus, the average age of the bride and groom is older than 15 or 20 years ago; therefore, the older the couple, the more likely it is that they have much of their own "stuff" to bring into the marriage and don't rely on wedding gifts to get started.

So many-a-couple are turning their attention to charity: They register their names with an organization that will accept donations on the bride and groom's behalf from the guests. All the money the guests put in goes directly to that charity; the guests receive a tax deduction and everyone has done something of which they can feel proud.

Case Study: Canuck Place

A great example in my city (but there are equivalent organisations in every city) would be Canuck Place. Canuck Place is an organization dedicated to offering specialized pediatric palliative care for children living with life-threatening illness. They also offer support for their families throughout British Columbia.

Setting up a Canuck Place registry is a quick, two-step process.

• Couples create a personal page with their photo and a message.
• They then notify their guests (by email or on the invitation), who gift the couple by way of a donation directly through that personal page.

Also works as a Guest Favour

Guest favours are another wedding tradition being affected by the new trend. Since favours are often just a token and rarely something of any real value to the guest, many couples now are opting to make charitable donations in lieu of physical favours.

Q: How do you handle the donations and still give something to your guests?
A: Couples are donating the value of what they would have spent on guest favours, times the number of guests to the charity. Then, a note is placed at each table or at each table setting notifying the guests that a donation has been made in their honour at said charity. Easy!

Choosing to donate your wedding gifts or wedding guest favours to charity is an excellent way to give back to your community. You have been blessed with the privilege of finding that one special person to spend your life with. Why not pay that blessing forward by giving to someone who could really use a little extra support?