Receiving wedding gifts from your family and friends is a way for them to celebrate your commitment. While getting gifts is great, giving something back to your community in honour of your big day can be a gift that will add a lifelong warmth to your wedding day glow.
Yvette Shier, a wedding consultant in Toronto for 12 years, says only about 10 per cent of her clientele think about making a donation of some kind. She thinks since many couples now pay for their wedding themselves they have difficulty finding extra money to give. "Or," Shier adds, "couples are so wrapped up in planning, they don't think about it." She recalls one couple who, in lieu of gifts, asked guests to donate to a camp for children with cancer, where the bride and groom met as counselors. "It's a wonderful way of giving back to the community and starting your life as a couple," Shier confirms. It might be something as easy as donating the reception flowers to a hospital or a home for the aged.
Second Harvest is an organization in Toronto which collects unused, surplus food from grocery stores, wholesalers and banquet halls, and distributes it to agencies such as community centres, shelters for the homeless and breakfast programs. According to Second Harvest, each year about 20 couples donate food from their weddings.
UNICEF Canada often sees monetary donations to mark weddings. The organization reports donations are great for people who are established and a little older, and who perhaps don't need extravagant gifts.
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