Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The Charitable Bride



Engagement party, bridal brunches, bridal shows, bridal showers, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, the reception, the honeymoon, and not to mention all of the wonderful gifts, fill approximately one year of a bride's life. During this time, she is blessed with an abundance of love & presents. Thankfully, there are more ways than one for today's bride to give back.



As we reach the middle of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I would like to introduce my newest favorite way for a humble bride to give back. Brides Against Breast Cancer, LLC (BABC) is a non-profit organization which contributes to programs assisting cancer patients and their families. Their Nationwide Tour of Gowns provides donated dresses by not only former brides, but also directly from designers, manufacturers, and stores. The gowns range from $80- *$799 with some gowns valued in the thousands. They even offer layaway for brides on a strict budget. 

 So how can a bride help this charity? 

 One way is to purchase your dream gown from BABC during one of their bridal shows. The next one within the Tampa area is November 3rd and within the Los Angeles area (Studio City) is November 9th. Below is a full list of dates and locations:

 October 19th – 20th, 2012 – Bakersfield, CA
October 20th – 21st, 2012 – Myrtle Beach, SC
October 26th – 28th, 2012 – San Diego, CA
October 26th – 28th, 2012 – San Francisco Area – Emeryville, CA
Dress Dash – November 3rd, 2012 – Tampa/Brandon, FL
November 4th, 2012 -Hill Country Wedding & Event Fair (Comfort Texas) 
November 4th, 2012 – New York, NY
November 9th -11th, 2012 – Studio City, CA
November 10th & 11th, 2012 – Cambridge, MA
November 11, 2012 – Albuquerque, NM
November 16th – 18th, 2012 – Omaha, NE
November 16th – November 18th, 2012 – Salt Lake City, UT
December 7th & 8th, 2012 – St. Louis, MO
January 11th – 13th, 2013 – Houston, TX
January 11th – January 13th, 2013 – Jacksonville, FL
January 12th – January 13th, 2013 – Pittsburgh Area, PA
January 18th – 20th, 2013 – Portland, OR
January 25th – 26th, 2013 – Milwaukee, WI
March 29th – 30th, 2013 – Anaheim, CA

 In addition to buying your wedding dress from BABC, after you say those two big words, "I do" you can donate your gown and receive a tax deduction.

 Other ways to help this wonderful organization include volunteering your time or making a monetary donation. Check out their website for additional details: www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org


Often today's bride and groom are already living together in a house full of towels, pots, pans, bedspreads and other essentials that make their home, well, their home. In these cases where material gifts are just unnecessary, the bride and groom can now include a charity within their registry.

 www.justgive.org or www.idofoundation.org are fantastic sources to provide guest an opportunity to bring joy to not only you & your significant other but also to the charity of your preference. 

 These organizations also offer an option for the bride and groom to donate in honor of their guest in place of wedding favors and not to mention tons of suggestions on how to keep your wedding green.

 Another way to incorporate charitable organizations within your big day is to utilize a company named OneHope. At www.OneHopeWine.com you can supply your bar with your favor type of wine and a portion of the proceeds go to the charity of your choice. They have also have an assortment of gift options as a special way to say thank you to either the wedding party or perhaps a gracious family member.


OneHope has over 8 causes which they aim to help to include:










Of course there are countless ways a couple can spread their love & wealth, but I find the above options are really simple alternatives to the traditional approach of donating towards a cause. Although it is easy to get caught up in the midst of your gala, it is important to remember that as you celebrate the joining of your lives, you can find easy ways to pay your good fortune forward. 
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