5 Ways to Give Back on Your Wedding Day - GOODNET | Gateway to doing good

This newly married couple can use their wedding as a platform to give back. (Bjorn Beheydt Shutterstock.com0

5 Ways to Give Back on Your Wedding Day

18 Nov 2014 | By Shoshana Friedman

Charity weddings are the new rage; insert a bit of good doing into one of the most important days of your life.

Getting married is a beautiful time in a couple’s life, and a wedding is an occasion that brings together friends and family to celebrate a union of love – not to mention a great reason to party! While weddings are centered on the couple and their relationship, they’re also events with the potential to give back. Matt and Emily from HooplaHa are the inspiration for this list, as the devoted pair integrated charitable acts to all aspects of their wedding – inspiring all of their guests and making a real difference. Here are five ways that anyone taking the big leap can incorporate good doing to make their very own charity wedding – full of love and giving.

1. OPEN A CHARITY REGISTRY

A gift registry saves guests from being stumped over what gift to give – usually a list of dream items from a particular retail store. The I Do Foundation has tweaked the traditional gift registry into a charity registry, allowing guests to donate to causes closest to the couples’ heart.

In lieu of gifts, donate money to causes through a charity registry. (Kenishirotie / Shutterstock.com)

2. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION – GO THE NONPROFIT ROUTE

There are tons of places to exchange vows and have a rocking party, but how about finding a spot with meaning? Reception locations owned by nonprofits like nature reserves, universities or museums are great settings to tie the knot, with the proceeds going to support charitable activities.

Think out of the box by selecting a nonprofit venue. (Photofollies /Shutterstock.com)

3. DISTRIBUTE CHARITY WEDDING FAVORS

Guests are an integral part of any wedding celebration, and it is in good form to thank them for attending the happy lovefest. There are tons of creative wedding favor ideas – why not insert the good doing edge by sending loved ones home with a favor that supports a cause? Favors can be donations made in the guests’ honor or a product that supports a nonprofit or is made by a nonprofit.

4. GIVE FLOWERS AND FOOD ANOTHER PLACE TO CELEBRATE

Once the festivities end, leftover flowers and food are usually thrown away or discarded. With a bit of forward thinking, tasty meals and stunning flowers can be arranged to be donated to senior citizen’s homes, hospitals or homeless shelters after the event.

5. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DRESS – PAY IT FORWARD

Most women dream about the day that they will walk down the aisle, looking radiant and donning a gorgeous wedding gown. At the same time, there are a lot of lovely ladies out there who share the same dream but cannot afford it. Wedding dress donations are a wonderful way to keep on paying it forward after the party ends. Here is a helpful list that the Huffington Post put together with places that accept gently used wedding dresses in the United States and Canada.

Say yes to the dress and let someone else enjoy it by giving it away after the wedding. (Kei Shooting / Shutterstock.com)

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FORMER DEPUTY EDITOR

SHOSHANA FRIEDMAN

Shoshana radiates doing good, driven by a love for people and community. Among many topics, she writes about friendship, creativity, and healthy living.

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