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Remember the old saying, ”It is more blessed to give...”? It’s true!
Because you’ll be doing plenty of receiving on your wedding day, why not turn
the tables and give a little something back to those in need? Find out how to
devote your wedding to worthy causes.
Gifts that keep on giving
Buy presents for your attendants from a source that donates part of the proceeds
to charity.
Yellowbox.com offers a variety of appropriate gifts—like watches
and necklaces—(some under $30) and 15 percent of the price of these gifts goes
to your choice of one of 11 charities.
Presents in their honor
Help your attendants be altruistic. Here’s how: You donate money through
Charitygift.com
(1-877-972-GIFT), and then your wedding party members go online to choose the
charity. Giving in their names shows them you care for the world around you
(besides, if they’ve been in a wedding before they probably already have an
engraved silver flask or two). Just sign up to give a minimum of $10.00 for each
donation, plus the cost of a customized gift card ($3.95-$6.95), which announces
your gift to members of your wedding party and directs them to the site to do
their part.
Favorable ideas
Most favors get left at the reception or tossed out when your guests get home.
Face it, wine glasses with your names etched on them only go so far in a
household that’s not yours. Take the money you would have spent on favors and
donate it to your favorite charity in memory of loved ones from both of your
families. Then have your stationer print up cards announcing your gift, and
place them on the reception tables.
Goodwilled gown
That newly-preserved boxed dress will start out in your closet but may
eventually migrate (after many stops along the way) to the basement of your
future grandson’s house. Instead of keeping your dress for posterity, why not
consider donating it? The Bridal Garden of New York City, run by Sheltering Arms
Children Service, resells designer wedding dresses for a fraction of the
original price. Once your donated dress is resold, all proceeds go to programs
helping needy children. The dress (and the cost of shipping it) counts as a tax-deductible
donation. For more details, call 212-252-0661.
Generous Leftovers
Your guests will probably eat more of the food than you will, but there will
still be leftovers.
Candlelightstories.com
and
Secondharvest.org
(1-800-771-2303) both offer links to local food banks that will pick up the
leftover food (you will have to specify a time and notify your caterer) from
your reception site and take it directly to a homeless shelter, soup kitchen or
food pantry. If you want guests to share in the good feelings that come from
giving, add a simple line at the bottom of your menu, explaining that the
leftovers will be donated to the hungry.
Floral arrangements
You can’t take ’em with you on your honeymoon, so think about sharing the
beauty of your flowers with others instead. Leave the ceremony flowers at the
church or temple and give the reception flowers a good home, too—arrange to
have these flowers taken to a retirement home or hospital, so the bouquets that
brightened your day can do the same for others.
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