You know what the single best part is about planning a wedding? No, it's not finding the perfect, ruffly, sky-blue tuxedo that Max has been dreaming about. It's the chance to see so many of our good friends and family members. We're truly excited to see so many people that we care deeply about, especially those of you whom we haven't seen in too long. We can't wait to see you! For us, your presence at the wedding is more than enough of a gift in itself.
However, we recognize that some of you may wish to mark the occasion by giving us an additional gift beyond your attendance. If this describes you, then read on!
There are several ways to make gifts that would be especially meaningful to us. Firstly, we've picked out two local non-profit organizations that we strongly support, and that have a proven record of doing outstanding work in the Puget Sound region. These are
Northwest Harvest and the
Northwest Straits Foundation (both are described below). It would mean a great deal to both of us if you donated any amount of money to either organization.
Northwest Harvest (
link) is a wonderful food bank distribution center that Rebecca sometimes volunteers for. The organization's goal is to provide real, nutritious food (mostly produce) to hungry people around Washington State. Working with over 300 food banks, meal programs, and elementary schools around the state, Northwest Harvest distributes roughly 24 million pounds of food each year, two-thirds of which is fruit and vegetables. Their work is incredible and inspiring. Donations can be made
here. (When donating, please use the "Comments" field to clarify that your donation is being made for our wedding!)
The Northwest Straits Foundation (
link) is an organization dedicated to environmental conservation, clean-up, and research in Puget Sound. Northwest Straits provides funding, equipment, and scientific expertise for ecological research and remediation projects that are proposed by local citizens' committees throughout western Washington. Northwest Straits has received national attention for its successful programs to remove creosote logs and derelict fishing nets ("ghost nets") from the bottom of Puget Sound. It is recognized as one of the most innovative environmental protection organizations in the country. Donations can be made
here. (When donating, please use the "Dedication or Gift" field to indicate that your donation is being made for our wedding!))
Of course, a donation to Northwest Straits isn't the only kind of gift that will effectively serve local fish. And Northwest Harvest isn't the only thing that looks great when overflowing with local produce. For those of you who want to mark the occasion by giving us something more tangible, we've also registered for a range of household items at
Crate and Barrel as well as
Macy's. Accessing our registry at either store is quite easy. Just go to their website, click on the 'Wedding Registry' link, and search for our names. Even simpler, you can skip all of those intermediate steps by just clicking on the following links:
Crate and Barrel registry;
Macy's registry.
Please note that the items on these registries are just suggestions. If there's something else that you think we would love, or that we probably cannot live without, then you're probably right. We welcome any kind of gift that you can dream up. But the best gift of all will just be to see you in Seattle.
