Green and Eco-Friendly Registries
Even if you do not need or want a lot of new things, registering for at least several items that the two of you pick out together is a good idea. It is symbolic to choose things for your new life together. It is also a great bonding experience. Afterward you can look at it and think “that's ours,” not “mine” or “yours.” It's good to have things that belong to the two of you together.
Create a Registry
Take stock of anything you might need or want, from towels to hiking gear, and register for it. Creating a gift registry with exactly what you want is good in a couple of ways. Guests will know just what to get for you. There will be less impact on the environment because there won't be duplicate or unwanted gifts you have to return, ship back, or worse — give away or send to the trash.
Request minimal packaging and no gift wrap to keep your gifts really green. That way there are fewer wasted resources, less to recycle, and definitely less to end up in the trash. If many of your guests are in the same area as you, consider registering at a local store that gets its items primarily from your geographical region.
For a green couple there are many ways to register in eco-friendly fashion.
One way is to create an online registry through the I Do Foundation (www.idofoundation.org). Large retailers have partnered with the I Do Foundation and will donate up to 10 percent of the value of the purchases from your registry to the charity of your choice. Home Depot, J. C. Penney, Target, Gaiam, and Amazon.com are just a few of the stores you have to choose from. It is easy to create a registry, and you can even create your own personal web page that gives all the details of your wedding events and links to your registries.
Another green registry option is creating a registry at a store that sells green merchandise. Choose eco-minded and socially responsible goods. There are many eco-fabulous retailers online that have wedding and gift registries. These web stores may carry a variety of things. You can find stores that sell household products made from organic, recycled, and fair trade items or furniture made from reclaimed and sustainable materials.
Some great green choices for your wedding registry are:
Greenfeet (www.greenfeet.com)
Rawganique (www.rawganique.com)
3R Living (www.3rliving.com)
Re: modern (www.remodern.com)
Green Nest (www.greennest.com)
Gaiam (www.gaiam.com)
Natural Spaces (www.naturalspaces.com)
GreenSage (www.greensage.com)
Green Living (www.greenliving.com)
Global Exchange (store.gxonlinestore.org)
You can register for sustainable household goods such as bamboo salad bowls and cutting boards, mini kitchen composters, garbage cans made from recycled tires, glassware and tableware made from recycled glass, art made from everyday recycled materials, organic bed linens made of cotton, hemp, or bamboo, luxurious organic terry-cloth robes and towels, and so much more.
Alternative Gift Registry
A really unique website to register at is www.alternativegiftregistry.org. At the Alternative Gift Registry you can let everyone know exactly what you want, even if it is something that cannot be bought in any store — such as Grandma's famous chocolate chip cookie recipe, Aunt Hilda's secret chili ingredient, or a night on the town with your best friends.
This gift registry lets you request personal things that cannot possibly be assigned a price. You can also request regular items that you can link to outside the site, and you can list local craftspeople, artisans, and even local boutiques or farms that you would like your guests to purchase your gifts from. In addition to that, you can also request that your guests donate to certain charities instead of buying gifts for you.
