Five Ways To Make Your Wedding Benefit Charity
Given that the average UK wedding costs a cool £18,636, wouldn’t it make you feel warm and fuzzy to know that some of that dosh is going to a good cause? To make sure that your Big Day makes a big difference, 
read on:
GIFT LISTS THAT GIVE
C’mon, how many saucepans do you really need? Gift lists are an easy way to support a charity and prevent all manner of unwanted clutter getting past your front door. Using Cancer Research UK’s Give in Celebration pages, you can create a personalised web page for their wedding through which friends and family can donate. You’re sent regular updates on who has donated (perfect for naming and shaming any tightwads) and all donors receive a ‘thank you’ from the charity. Oxfam offers a similar deal which also includes a post-wedding memento pack, including the complete list of who’s bought what. If you’d rather help a group of charities or you need some inspiration, take a look at Give It, which offers Alternative, Green, African, Scottish and London charity wedding lists. Admirably, 100% of the donations are passed on to the causes you’ve selected. You can’t say fairer than that.
THINK VINTAGE
Feeling queasy about lining the coffers of the retail giants with your hard-earned cash? Given that you’ll only wear them once, why not buy vintage bridal and groomswear? (That’s posh speak for second-hand). Charity shop wedding clobber really is the perfect package. Not only do you get brownie points for re-using and recycling, but you get to help a charity at the same time, giving everyone something to feel good about.
Admittedly, the Mrs has more choice than you. Several major charity chains have shops devoted to bridalwear. Oxfam has ten dedicated bridal shops, all of which offer specialist advice and a vast selection of bridalwear and accessories. Over 95% of the wedding dresses are new, donated by designers and bridal shops wanting to make room for the next season’s stock. Oxfam pitches its prices at around 30% of high street price tags, so the average frock costs £250. There are men’s wedding suits on offer, too. Most regular Oxfam shops stock a fair few vintage suits and you can even buy online if shopping’s not your bag.
ETHICAL EATING
Whether it’s an engagement bash, some stag-do grub, a pre-wedding family get-together or the reception itself, chances are you’ll be organising at least one meal out during the engagement and wedding celebrations. A participating StreetSmart restaurant is an excellent choice. At the end of your meal, a voluntary £1 is added to your bill that provides homeless people with medicine, shelters, soup kitchens and counselling services. Already, 600 UK restaurants have signed up so there’s plenty of choice. StreetSmart pledges to ‘keep local money local’, so the £1 you donate in Leeds goes towards helping the homeless in Leeds.
DO ME A FAVOUR
Mightily sick of sugared almonds? Cancer Research UK has introduced a new line of wedding favours to its collection (pictured). A fun way to thank your guests, they also offer a personal way to celebrate someone surviving cancer or to remember someone close to you. You can request personalised favours cards and Cancer Research UK pin badges as a keepsake for a minimum donation of £1 per guest.
Oxfam’s favour packs buy an inspiring list of world-changing gifts from the Oxfam Unwrapped catalogue and they come complete with 50 assorted table cards in eight designs. They’re guaranteed to break the ice and get those tables talking.
PASS IT ON
Why not donate your purchases back to Oxfam or another local charity shop after the Big Day? If the parents are anything to go by, you’ll almost certainly be too lardy to fit into your wedding clobber before very long.
Are you supporting a charity through your wedding? Do you think traditional gift lists are outdated? Have you got some unusual requests on your gift list? Tell us about it on the forum.
Related Posts:
Leave your response!