The I Do Foundation is the nation’s leading expert on socially conscious weddings, helping over 10% of engaged couples "celebrate generously" each year. Through their website, IDoFoundation.org, they offer a variety of resources to couples to help them plan a socially conscious wedding and raise donations for their charity of their choice:
• Gift registries that give back, where the couple can register with I Do Foundation store partners like Target, Home Depot, and Cooking.com, and up to 8% of what’s spent by guests is donated to charity.
• A Charity Registry, where the couple can ask friends and family to consider making donations in place of gifts - for those who don’t need another toaster.
• Favors for charity, where couples make a donation to a charity in honor of their guests rather than buying the usual trinkets.
• Wedding shopping, where the couple can make all kinds of purchases like invitations and weddings bands and have a portion of spending go to charity.
• Tips and Ideas, where the couple can learn how to incorporate eco-chic and charitable ideas into all elements of their wedding.
More and more couples are embracing the idea of socially conscious weddings. This year alone, the I Do Foundation will help more than 200,000 couples incorporate charitable giving into their wedding. Through the generosity of these couples and their guests, The I Do Foundation has distributed nearly $2.5 million to date through their charitable wedding programs.
The wedding industry continues to recognize the importance of this growing trend. On May 9, 2007, the I Do Foundation was honored in New York by Modern Bride Magazine at its annual industry awards dinner with the "Loving Spirit Award." Modern Bride launched the award this year in response to the "growing commitment to charitable giving in the wedding industry." The I Do Foundation’s goal has always been to integrate charitable giving into the infrastructure of the wedding business, and the establishment of the "Loving Spirit Award" is a testimony to the progress the Foundation has made.
For more information about the I Do Foundation and its programs, visit www.IDoFoundation.org.