The Best Wedding Gift: Charitable Donations

So much money is spent during a wedding that with a bit of forethought, many items can have a charitable benefit to others. Some of these organizations can offer you a tax deduction for something that you will be buying anyways, or you can use these charities to find a great wedding deal while benefiting a good cause. Some examples include:

Donate your wedding dress. Several organizations accept wedding dresses and the proceeds go towards various charities and causes. These dresses are a discount for the brides to be and a tax deduction for the former bride. One organization is Bridal Garden that accepts dresses for donation to benefit disadvantaged children via the Sheltering Arms Children's' Service. Another example is Brides Against Breast Cancer, who takes pre-owned bridal gowns and has Bridal trunk shows that are held all over the country. Their website says that gowns range from $89 to $799, including hundreds of beautiful, new, name brand and designer gowns valued up to $4,000" as well as sizes 4 to 24, since about half of the dresses come new from bridal salon donations. It is both a good way to benefit a good cause both when purchasing a gown and when donating one.

Bridesmaids' dresses can be donated to charities that supply prom dresses to underprivileged teenage girls who cannot afford clothes for their proms. Check your local phone book to find a charity near you. One example is the Fairy Godmothers' charity in Flagstaff, Arizona. They take gowns, shoes, purses and jewelry from around the country.

Charitable wedding ceremonies or receptions. As well as being a beautiful place to hold a wedding, many museums and parks are owned by non-profit organizations, so the rental fees will benefit the upkeep of the museum and are often considered a donation and therefore are usually a tax deduction . Speak to your accountant and see what venues count as a tax deduction.

Charitable wedding favors. Make wedding favors count towards a charity or benefit a charity. Instead of giving out wedding favors that will likely not remembered, make a donation to a charity and print up little cards explaining the donation and charity. Some charities will plant trees; others will give livestock to underprivileged families in third world countries so that they may feed their family and sell the excess produce, milk or eggs to make an income. For instance, the money that would be spent on favors for one table would buy a chicken for a family, or a donation could be made to a village for a larger item that would benefit larger groups, such as a working farm animal. If that sort of donation feels a bit uncomfortable during a time of celebration, you can buy a favor that benefits a favorite charity meaningful to yourself or a family member who could not be present. Many Breast cancer groups make beautiful items in shades of pink that would make great favors for a great cause. Some charities items are unlabeled so that it will benefit the charity but will not be "obvious" as to what charity it benefits. Shopping at the greatergood.com website often benefits the charity of your choice.

Donate ceremony floral displays and wedding reception table centerpiece flowers. After the reception and ceremony, donate flowers to a nursing home or hospice to distribute to patients after reception. If you write in advance and explain your intentions, arrangements can often be made to distribute the flowers to very ill patients or those with few visitors.

Donate leftover food to a homeless shelter or women's shelter. Balloons or balloon sculptures might be of interest to a children's hospital or local Ronald McDonald's House for children.

Donate wedding items you will not re-use. You will likely want to keep certain items from your wedding day ensemble, perhaps your "something blue" or a family heirloom you wore, but other items you are likely to not use again. If they are not particularly sentimental such as your money bag or shoes or wedding slip, perhaps you can find a consignment shop that donates proceeds to charity such as Good Will or Salvation Army. They will help a good cause and another bride to be will be happy to have found a bargain.

Shop at consignment shops for bridal items. Find items yourself from Salvation Army or a consignment shop that benefits a charity, such as ring pillows, cake toppers, vintage jewelry, and other bridal items, maybe even your wedding dress. You will save money and help a good cause at the same time. If the item is intact after your wedding, consider donating it again.

Ask for donations to a charity in lieu of gifts. Now this is a big one, if this is not your first marriage or you really do not need anything for your new home together, consider instead of a standard bridal shower gift s or wedding reception gifts, ask your guests to donate to a charity of your choice. Most family and friends will take the opportunity to give you something anyways and make a donation as well. Some bridal showers become more of a ladies get together where gifts are not expected (although often are still given) and guests eat together and do the standard activities and games. If a cause is very meaningful to you, this is a very generous way to honor it if you really do not need new household items. Or consider accepting the new wedding gifts but giving your old duplicate item to a charity yourself. Think realistically with the heavier taxes as applicable to married couples if any of these duplicate household items would be feasible for you and if the tax deduction would be of more benefit than certain wedding gifts or having doubles of select items.