Yesterday I blogged about how to use a non-traditional gift registry for a traditional celebration like a wedding or baby shower. It’s a common question when people register for non-stuff like photo sessions, home ownership, or experiences. Since the focus of the post was on how to make it fun for gift-givers to bring a non-traditional gift to a shower, I didn’t delve too deeply into all the possibilities for the kinds of gifts. Specifically, I didn’t talk at all about all that can be done for charity with a Deposit a Gift registry and how that can be tied into a shower theme, a growing trend amongst our users who want to give back amidst all the joy the are receiving.

Today’s Inspiration? Giving Back!

So what does this have to do with today’s post? Well, I’ve been searching all day for my blogging inspiration (as evidenced by this PM post!), and luckily it found me in the form of two wonderful blogs: The Thirty Something Bride and Ashley’s Bride Guide. They teamed-up to share an experience visiting Thistle Farms, a Nashville non-profit business that makes bath and body products created by the residents of Magdalene, a community for women recovering and changing their lives after battles with prostitution and addiction. I was very moved and had to share. This is a perfect example of an amazing organization that offers so many opportunities to be part of major life celebration and gifting events.

Not only can you do the obvious and facilitate donations by including a charitable gift on your registry, but  you can also:

1. Incorporate their products into your celebration as guest favors or gifts for the shower-throwers.
2. Donate your time and volunteer! Your shower could even be themed around this with volunteer time as a component complementing the socializing, munching and gift opening.
3. Go beyond the shower and incorporate it in your wedding day:
   • In lieu of favors make a monetary donation or, after the party donate elements like your centerpieces or food to those in need.
   • Include a charity close to your heart into your ceremony.

*We donated to the Central Asia Institute, who you may recognize from the bestselling book ‘Three Cups of Tea,’ that builds schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The donation certificate was the “thing of value” that we used for our exchange under the Chuppah — kinda hard to see but it’s what my groom is holding up in the air.

Of course, you can always refer guests to donate directly, but if you include your charities of choice as line-items on your Deposit a Gift registry, everything is in one place and simpler for guests, PLUS it allows them to combine a charitable gift in your honor with a gift for you — something that we find guests often want to do. Even if to you the best present is their presence, most guests just can’t stick to that rule and want to give you something that you will keep and remember them by. This is a fun and rewarding compromise!

We’d love to know, how are you including charity in your celebration? Please comment and share!