Getting Married and Giving Back

​Most likely, charity is not the f­irst th­ing that comes to mind when you think about weddings, especially with the wedding industry in the U.S. alone worth more than $50 billion. But many couples are changing the “me” focus of their big day and finding ways to incorporate businesses and vendors that give back to the global communities we all have a stake in supporting.
 
Wedding Favors:
 We’ve had more than one client choose to donate money to their favorite charity in lieu of guest favors. Perhaps it’s the local shelter where they adopted their pet or an organization researching a cure for a disease that’s affected their loved one. Finding an organization that has meaning for you and your guests is the key to these charitable favors.
 
Fair trade favors are another great way to give back on your wedding day. Giving coffee from a developing country, purchased at a fair price has been a big hit with some of our clients’ guests. Even bridesmaids like getting in on the charity when they receive gifts from the bride like bracelets made from a woman’s cooperative in Sudan. Today’s guests and wedding parties alike love receiving useful and beautiful gifts that support local economies in developing countries.
 
Wedding Registries
Some couples turn the tables and ask guests to support their favorite charities in lieu of traditional wedding gifts. There are even registries that simplify the process by allowing couples to indicate the charities they’d most like guests to support. www.thegoodbeginning.com is one such registry that offers couples a selection of 800 charities in categories ranging from the arts to human rights. In fact, if you don’t see your favorite charity as an option at The Good Beginning you can petition the organization to add it as long as the charity is a 501C3 (registered non-profit) in good standing.

Philanthropic Menu Choices
 Believe it or not there are even ways for you to contribute to charity through what you choose to serve at your wedding.  For example, serve One Hope Wine at your wedding and you and your guests give back by the simple act of drinking a glass of wine. By choosing to serve One Hope Wine at your reception you’re supporting not only their sustainable farming practices but their network of charities. A whopping 50% of One Hope proceeds go to support these organizations. It’s pretty cool that you and your wedding guests could drink wine that is working towards:

Giving clean water to every single person who does not currently have access Eradicating  polio, malaria, and all seven neglected tropical diseases Feeding  every person without access to food for one year Educating every child without access to schooling for one year planting 1 BILLION trees and more.
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So if giving back is important to you as a couple you don’t have to look far for creative ways to make sure your day is about more than you.