charity registry

kiwi and i aren't getting a registry. he's been in his current house for several years and it's pretty much.. full. there isn't room for the "we want" list.. and there isn't much on the "we need" list. instead, we opted for the "no boxed gifts" line on the invites. it's easier to just invest the money and use it towards a down payment on a home with a basement. (it'll be different living in a house without a basement.. i guess i'll now be afraid of the attic.) or we can use part of the money to buy some of the things we need/want and have room for after the wedding.

had we decided to sign up for a registry, i would have done it through a charity registry:

WeddingChannel.com

they set up a list for you to register for items from an impressive list of retailers who will in turn donate to a charity of your choice. the actual donation is based on a percent of the registry products purchased through WeddingChannel.com up to 3%. or you can have guests donate directly to the charity as well. they have over 100 listed charities - you can only choose one. although you can only choose a single charity from a list of 100, this is certainly a great program that gives you the opportunity register at large, common retailers while being charitable.

i do foundation

this is actually a really awesome website. they give you more flexbility in terms of which charities you want to donate to and number of charities you'd like to benefit. if your preferred charity is not on the list, they will add it as long as the charity meets their set criteria.

the WeddingChannel.com is listed as a retailer, so you have the benefit of setting up registries with the larger, common retailers with much more options open to you. the amount donated is between 3-10% depending on the stores you choose to setup a registry with. PLUS.. you can make purchases for items you'll need for the wedding through them (rings, honeymoons, invitations) - again a percentage is donated to the charities of your choice.

i can't get over how great this website is.

these registries are a total win-win situation. the couple gets exactly what they need and the charities benefit.. how can you go wrong? you may only raise $100 for a charity, but it still helps the charity. so why don't more people take advantage of it? unfortunately, i don't think engaged couples are in the mindset to even look for it in the first place. *sigh*