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The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the grass is growing; summertime is here, and wedding season is in full swing. If you're planning on tying the knot, or know someone who is, there's lots you can do to help green the big day, but using a green gift registry service, or buying a green gift, can help get the happy couple going in a green direction in their new life together.
While going without gifts is perhaps the greenest way to go, every newlywed couple can use something, whether it's a set of heirloom china, cash for their eco-friendly honeymoon, or donations in support of their favorite cause. If wedding bells are in your future this summer, consider using these services to make your special day a bit greener.
Green gift registries
- 3r Living offers online registration for the happy couple and purchase for the guests, and in-person options for both in their Brooklyn store. They specialize in eco-friendly tableware, linens, home accessories, and much more.
- Natural Spaces has a similar service, offering both online and in-person registry services for those near their Portland, Ore., location. Their home and garden products are eco-friendly without sacrificing style, beauty or affordability.
- Pristine Planet offers the handy option of comparison shopping, so you can sort products by price, merchant and product name; each merchant then showcases products made with fair labor, organic or otherwise sustainable materials, and local manufacturing, among others.
- Other online stores that offer registry services include Greenfeet, Greensage, Branch and Gaiam. Between them all, you'll be able to find just about anything for your personal style, budget, and green home needs as you start your new life.
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has created a unique, useful service that provides engaged couples with the opportunity to have their guests contribute to WWF's conservation work. Their Wedding Registry service helps couples create their own web page that can be sent to guests, friends and family to inform them about their unique part of the celebration and help them make (tax-deductible) donations to WWF in lieu of gifts.
- WeddingGreen.com offers another unique service that helps couples keep the clutter down, if they don't need a bunch of stuff for their wedding. Instead of gifts, couples can create requests and attach monetary values for them -- "A nice dinner on our honeymoon - $50" is an example -- and have their guests help provide these services, rather than products, for wedding gifts. It's a convenient (and perhaps slightly less tacky) way to receive monetary gifts on your wedding.
Difficulty level: Easy
More wedding-related reading on Planet Green and TreeHugger
How To Go Green: Weddings
Sweet, Fantastic Love: Reflections on a Green Wedding
TreeHugger Picks: Tips for a Green Wedding
Green Your Wedding: A Different Kind of Registry
Green Your Wedding: Choosing a Dress
Green Your Wedding: Be a Cheapskate
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