We have all heard about wedding registries and honeymoon registries, but there is another concept that has been in the picture for a while now: charity wedding registries. Here, couples ask their guests to not get tangible gifts but instead make donations to an organization. According to Beth Helmstetter, founder of the charity registry platform The Good Beginning, the idea behind this concept is to encourage couples to start their beginnings by doing a good thing.

How to Pick a Charity

The best way to decide which charity you should be a part of is to pick something you can relate to. The registries that try to connect themselves with most couples are the ones that turn out to be fruitful and successful, says Beth. For most couples, who have either had parents who suffered some kind of disease or are into volunteer work, organizations with similar goals become an obvious choice. When you try to work for something that is your passion or that you connect with, it becomes more than an obligation for you, which is very important when it comes to charity work.

Perks of Charity Registries

It does not have to be either this or that for the couple. You don’t have to pick only one type of registry. You can always go for the traditional as well as the charity registry. It gives your guests a choice in deciding what kind of gift they want to give. This will just open up an option for the guests to not go for the typical gifts and instead make an impact on society. Beth shares that over time, the charity registry has seen enormous popularity among couples

How and Where to Register

There are a couple of ways you can go about registering. You can either directly connect with a non-profit organization in order to set up a fund, or you can go online and visit websites that would simplify the process for you. In case you want to go with a dual registry, you can visit websites like Zola and Joy that will help you in setting up the fund. If you are looking for a charity registry only, you can visit a website like The Good Beginning, which has all kinds of options, like national and international, for a variety of causes. And if you don’t want to choose a digital path, you can always set up a donation box at the wedding venue and request checks to be addressed to the concerned charity.