Charitable Weddings

June 20th, 2009

I recently watched a new show called “Wedding Day” that had an interesting new premise. A team of talented wedding planners get together to throw an amazing dream wedding for a deserving couple who could not otherwise have one. This got me to thinking, it doesn’t require the magic of television to make someone’s dream come true. The friends and family of a worthy couple could get together and throw their own charitable wedding as a surprise gift to their loved ones.

First of all, everyone on the wedding planning team would pitch in their services. If the groom’s mom is a fantastic cook, maybe she could handle the catering, with some extra help from a few sets of willing hands. Maybe the bride’s aunt is a talented baker. Great! She can contribute the wedding cake. Almost anyone who is handy with a computer can design and print lovely low cost wedding invitations to spread the good news.

Of course, not everything can be handmade by a family member. For the items that will need to be purchased, one idea could be to gift it to the bride or groom in lieu of a wedding or shower present. For instance, the maid of honor could take the bride shopping to look at sets of bridal jewelry. When the pieces are made from gems like freshwater pearls or Swarovski crystals, the bridal jewelry sets can be found for no more than the cost of any other wedding gift, and jewelry makes a wonderful keepsake for the bride even after the wedding. Perhaps the bride’s parents or grandmother might decide to gift her a bridal gown, if there is not a talented seamstress available in the family.

As you are planning a charitable wedding, you are likely to find that most people who work in the wedding industry are romantics at heart. If you share the special story of the bride and groom who you have decided to help, you just might find that some vendors can be a little more flexible on their rates or might throw in some extras for no additional cost. Promising them a big thanks in the wedding programs might be a good incentive; every company loves good publicity. And surely there could be no more heartfelt wedding than one that has been lovingly assembled by the bride and groom’s dearest friends and family.

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