If you’re thinking about contributing to a charitable cause with your wedding or incorporating a nonprofit that is important to you at your wedding, you’re in the right place. We’re featuring one of our “VOW” couples, Elsa and Ryan, married July 3, 2021 in central California.

We’ll share their unique ideas that you can use if you decide to donate to a charitable cause with your wedding and show you exactly how Elsa and Ryan did it.

Learn more about VOWing your wedding here.

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How It Works

VOW for Girls provides a variety of ways for engaged couples and wedding professionals to give back with their weddings and wedding businesses. 100% of the funds raised goes directly to grassroots efforts to end child marriage. Efforts include advancing girls’ rights by providing education, job training, and vital life skills. Over 177 community-based organizations in six countries currently receive grants, and 85% of those grantees are women-led organizations.

Traditionally, wedding gift lists and wedding registries are standard during a couples’ engagement – but that is changing! Maybe you are just looking to gather friends and family to celebrate your love, or your apartment can’t take anymore “stuff.” We often hear from our engaged couples that they received so many gifts during their engagement and showers that by the time their wedding comes around, they have more than they need already and their wedding registry is already purchased. Whatever your reason for wanting to support a worthwhile cause, VOW for Girls provides an option to do more with your wedding.

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How They Did It

This month’s VOW for Girls newlywed couple that we’re highlighting is Elsa and Ryan. The couple raised $2,550 for VOW for Girls in lieu of wedding gifts!

It was a simple ask for their guests to contribute to VOW through their wedding website instead of giving them wedding gifts, but to girls around the world, it can be life-changing. With the money raised from Elsa and Ryan’s wedding alone, we’ll be able to do so much good around the world and help girls choose love on their own terms.

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“Ryan and I felt strongly from the beginning that in lieu of gifts we wanted our wedding guests to put their money somewhere it would truly make a difference. When we came across VOW for Girls and the incredible work the organization does, it felt like the perfect cause for us to support.”

– Elsa & Ryan, VOW Couple | $2550 raised in lieu of gifts

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Donate & Register: You Can Do Both

Let’s be real, an exciting part of wedding planning is registering for gifts for this next chapter of your life together. Plus, you’ve probably given your share of wedding gifts to friends and family over the years and it might be nice to receive some wedding gifts as well for your big day.

Many of our engaged couples that donate to VOW for Girls through their wedding also have a wedding registry. Yes, it is possible to receive wedding gifts AND donate to a charity at the same time. Elsa and Ryan even shared a small list of registry items for those who preferred the tradition.

If you prefer to have a gift list or registry but still want to give back with your wedding, no problem! You can still get your stand mixer while giving back by adding a donation option to VOW for Girls to your registry. Learn how to add VOW to your existing registry!

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About VOW for Girls

From wedding registry donations to partner product purchases, everything donated to VOW (that’s 100% of donations!) goes directly to community-driven efforts to help girls around the world. Our grantees, which are mainly women-led local organizations, use the funding we provide to directly support girls.

Twelve million girls a year, some as young as 8, become child brides. VOW is a global movement of the wedding industry community, partners and couples who are dedicated to a world where no child is ever a bride and where every girl has the chance to live the life she loves.

If you’re in the wedding industry and you’re interested in becoming involved, please find more wedding inspiration and advice in our blog, consider becoming a VOW Pro partner and learning more about VOW’s mission to end child marriage. If you’re an engaged couple and want to learn more about supporting VOW, please visit our couples page. We can’t wait to see what good we can do together!

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