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Unconventional Wedding Registries

You can only have so many pots and pans, which is why many couples seek alternatives to traditional wedding registries, such as turning your registry into a philanthropic campaign or registering for things with lifelong benefits, such as a healthy diet or money for a down payment on a house. Luckily for today’s newlyweds, a number of organizations are helping them do just that.

Victoria Schroeder of Coronado Weddings says her clients are among those who no longer register for china, linens and other traditional gifts. Most of the couples she plans weddings for are already financially established and have a lot of the items people would typically register for, she says. As a result, they are part of a growing market seeking out alternative registries.

One organization that helps couples create such nontraditional registries is the I Do Foundation, which helps couples incorporate a charitable cause into their wedding day—whether they want more plates or help toward a vacation. Through partnerships with companies such as Crate & Barrel and The Home Depot, I Do donates 3 to 10 percent of the price of gifts purchased through registries created on its Web site (idofoundation.org). Donations are given to a charitable organization—chosen by the couple from more than 50 organizations—with beneficiaries including Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity International and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. There is no extra cost to couples or their guests, but the impact is significant.

“Couples have told us that they are pleased to be able to incorporate charitable giving into their wedding because it helps them feel that the day has a lasting impact,” says Amy Cress, executive director of the foundation, which reaches approximately 200,000 couples each year.

Fresh Dining is another organization focused on creating an ongoing significance—through delivering freshly made and nutritionally balanced meals to clients’ doorsteps daily. When couples register at freshdining.com, their family and friends can make a purchase toward a healthy diet program for them, which includes nutrition counseling and portion-controlled meals. Forget the post-honeymoon TV dinners or jaunts to the drive-through; this is a gourmet-meal diet for folks who refuse to sacrifice taste for low-calorie alternatives, a service used by celebrities such as Ryan Phillippe and Ricki Lake. With dietary benefits ranging from improved cholesterol and lower insulin levels to increased energy, Fresh Dining’s approach to healthy living is certainly a worthwhile investment.

For another type of investment, such as the honeymoon of a lifetime or the down payment on a house, it may be advantageous to receive money in lieu of traditional gifts. And the most convenient way for couples to receive this is to have all of the gifts accumulated and delivered on a single gift card. GoGift sets itself apart by offering just that service. After registering at gogift.com, couples receive the sum of their monetary gifts on a single MasterCard “Stored Gift” card that can be continually funded as bridal showers turn into baby showers, anniversaries and other future events. And, to notify guests of their registry, couples can use GoGift’s e-mail notification system or tasteful tissue inserts to send out with invitations.

While it doesn’t hurt to have an extra pan or two, these new alternatives to wedding registries provide exciting options for the modern couple. After all, the impact of a charitable gift, a three-month diet or money for a down payment on a home could last a lifetime.

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