6 ways to give back with your wedding
The statistics can be overwhelming and the reality, so depressing. We all want to make our world a better place, but the problems seem unsurmountable. As soon as we make progress in bringing vaccines or enacting legislation, another virus or another issue spikes in devastation.
Although it can feel like the problems are outpacing the solutions, the truth is that change can happen one small act of love at a time.
Avalanches build snowflake by snowflake. Houses are built brick by brick. And the world can improve one little action by one little action.
Today, I pulled together just a few of those ways you can add your small act of love with your wedding! Here are six ways you can give back during your "I do" season.
1. Hotel
Honeymooning in the Nashville area? Make sure to stop by the Purpose Hotel, where opportunities to give back run aplenty. From fair trade linens to humanitarian art, this hotel promises to create as much life change as possible. The project was recently funded on Kickstarter, so construction most likely won't begin until 2017. But, keep an eye on it and even if you're just looking for a future getaway trip with your new hubby, it'll definitely be worth a visit.
All the sentimental feelings come out when it's your wedding season. And with good reason. This will be the only time you walk down the aisle, so you want to make it special. Restitch Studio is the perfect solution for making your wedding dress a sentimental piece. Denise will take any fabric you may have and create a custom dress for you. You can grab your grandma's dress she always wore and fashion it into a stunning gown. Or maybe you want to wear your mom's dress but with a few modern updates. She can do it for you! And you can rest assured you're not purchasing a dress made unfairly!
This one is for all of you Southern California natives. Give is a gourmet cookie company centered on giving back. Fair-trade ingredients are baked into these delicious circles of chocolate and sugar. And, Give also donates a portion of its profit. If you're in the Southern California area, these cookies would make a perfect wedding favor!
Pouches are one of the most handy items in my bathroom drawers. They keep my makeup tidy and my nail polishes contained. These sweet little pouches would make lovely little bridesmaid gifts! Stuff them with some nail polish, gift cards and a thank you note to your sweet friends. Plus, these pouches (and the totes!) are made by women in India who have left the sex trade and found freedom.
5. Dress for rehearsal or showers
A perfect little dress for your showers or rehearsal dinner! Made at a fair trade cooperative in India, this lace overlay dress is a stunning way to celebrate your upcoming nuptials.
6. Necklace for showers or rehearsal
I love dainty, minimal and stunning jewelry. This little number fits all of those categories. Designed by Candace Cameron Bure and her daughter, these sweet necklaces benefit women all over the world. The women who makes these pieces are given the dignity of an income and the hope of a future. Pair these with the Matatrader black dress and you're ready for your showers, rehearsal or one last date before you become a Mrs!