"I have tried to teach people that there are three kicks in every dollar: one, when you make it. two, when you have it.  The third kick is when you give it away--and it is the biggest kick of all." ~ William Allen White ~

Memorable Gifts:

The Ideal Wedding Present

For The Couple Who Has Everything

By Sharon L Norris

Couples who have accumulated everything they need for their home and life together before they marry often struggle with the concept of just what to do when it comes to wedding gifts when they marry.

The usual options for such couples are:

1)      complete a gift registry and hope that guests will choose something from it

2)      ask for gifts of money to be used for the honeymoon

3)      ask for no gifts at all

If you are in this situation and don't want to receive gifts or money at your wedding, and you really would like to do something different, why not consider asking your guests to make a Memorable Gift to the charity of their choice?

Many not-for-profit organisations struggle to raise funds for projects that benefit the community, and would welcome gifts to support their activities.

If you allow your guests to choose the not-for-profit organisation of their choice, they then have the opportunity to support causes close to their hearts. This makes their gift more meaningful and personal to them, and you may be surprised to find that the response rate is very high.

Not-for-profit associations are many and varied. Here are some options to consider:

• community-help organisations - examples include The Salvation Army, Lifeline, the Red Cross, The Smith Family, and others
• child-centred organisations - examples include The Starlight Foundation, The Abused Child Trust, Make A Wish Foundation, and others
• environmental organisations - examples include Greenpeace, Bush Heritage Australia, and others
• public/community service organisations - examples include Surf Life Saving Australia, Riding for the Disabled, Parents and Citizens/Friends Associations and others
• health or medical research organisations - examples include institutes of medical research, local hospital foundations, universities, and research foundations like The National Breast Cancer Foundation, and others
• animal welfare organisations - examples include the RSPCA, Animals Australia, Animals Matter, and others.
• religious organisations - examples include faith-specific religious groups/churches/foundations

So just how do you go about asking your guests to make a charitable donation as their gift for your wedding? It's easier than you think.  Here is just one example of the way in which you can ask your guests for this unusual wedding gift:

The fact that you're coming to our wedding

is all the gift that we need.

As we have everything we need for our life together,

we would like to ask that you consider making a gift not to us,

but rather to a charity or not-for-profit association of your choice.

A gift that keeps on giving and helps others

is something that can change someone else's lives,

hopefully for the better.

And if you wish, you can let us know

which organisation you supported.

Alternatively, you can, if you wish, ask your guests to support a charity or not-for-profit organisation that you and your partner support. If you wish to do this, you can contact the organisation of your choice and ask them to provide donation envelopes that you can send to your guests with their wedding invitations.

Memorable Giving is not all that different from Memorial Giving, which happens sometimes when people pass away. You may have attended a funeral where the family requested gifts of cash to particular causes in lieu of flowers being brought to the funeral service. The difference here is that Memorable Gifts are made in honour of special occasions like weddings, rather than after someone is no longer here.

Memorable Giving at weddings has caught on overseas, and some savvy not-for-profit organisations do already have sections of their websites devoted to such gift-giving. It may take a while to catch on here as a wedding gift trend in Australia, but it is already happening here in a small way.

If you'd like to see an example of this at work, check out the Just Give site at: http://www.justgive.org/weddings/ideas.jsp. This site also gives you other ideas for giving to others at your wedding, such as donating your flowers to good causes, and volunteering time on your honeymoon to helping non-profit organisations with their activities. Of course, not all the ideas there will appeal to everyone, but they certainly give you something to think about.

Happy celebrating!

© 2008 Sharon L Norris      http://www.sharonlnorris.com.au/        All rights reserved.

This article is provided as general information for prospective marriage clients. It may also be used as a teaching tool for celebrants. However, this article is covered by copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the express permission of the author and copyright holder. The author protects her web-based intellectual property through the use of Copyscape internet plagiarism search tool.