Making Weddings Into Charitable Events

At a time when engaged couples can post online gift registries with Tiffany & Company, Crate and Barrel, and even the camping store REI, a new Web site is encouraging couples to think about how they can incorporate giving into their wedding plans.

MarriedForGood.com profiles couples who have made charity a part of their wedding celebrations and offers tips for couples who are still planning the big day. It also features links to nonprofit organizations that have received high ratings, based on how much they spend on program expenses versus fund raising and administration, from the American Institute for Philanthropy, in Bethesda, Md.

Among the site's recommendations: Hold the reception at a nonprofit venue, such as a museum or historic home; donate leftover food to a local hunger organization, and flower arrangements to a hospital or nursing home; make a charitable gift in guests' honor instead of buying favors.

Joanna Dreifus, a 28-year-old New Yorker who works at the Museum of Television & Radio, got the idea for MarriedForGood.com when she was doing research for BridesmaidAid.com, a Web site she created with a former co-worker.

"I was a combination of surprised and appalled by the money that was being spent on weddings, and more specifically gifts," explains Ms. Dreifus, who paid for the site herself. "This is a time when people are opening up their wallets anyway. It would be really great if it could also be a time when some of that money is going to charity."

To get there: Go to http://www.marriedforgood.com.