Charitable giving as part of your wedding is a great way to honor a loved one who may not have been able to be a part of your special day or if you feel passionate about a certain cause, it’s a great way to stay true to your beliefs while giving back.

 If the idea of making a charitable contribution on your wedding day appeals to you there are outlets to help you with the process.  If you are not sure what organization you would like to support, you can do some research on CharityNavigator.org.  Charity Navigator is America's largest independent charity evaluator and provides a charity's performance - their financial health and their accountability & transparency. 

It’s good to do your research because if you are going to give, you want to give to a charity that will do good work with your money!  No matter what type of guest gift you decide to go with, if it’s something that you enjoy as a couple, you can rest assured that your guests will enjoy it too!

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Does your dad make a killer BBQ sauce?  Is your grandmother known for her homemade granola?  Maybe you, the bride loves to make your own salsa!  Edible guest gifts can be personal and done by you or someone you know.  Guests will definitely notice the thoughtfulness behind this gift.  To make it even easier…and cuter we’ve found a basically undiscovered Etsy shop to help you package your edible guest gift!!!!

Be sure to check out this Etsy shop for one of a kind mason jar labels! 

As you grow your lives together as a couple, you can give your guests a gift that they can take home grow and enjoy for years to come.  Green wedding gifts are something that your guests will treasure and you don’t have to worry about them sitting on a shelf collecting dust, or worse yet, ending up in a trash can!

Many of the green gifts that we are sharing today have a DIY component to them.  Do you have a green thumb and do you like to take on DIY projects?  If so, a green wedding guest gift could be the right choice for you!

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There are several online sites that let you set up a honeymoon wedding registry!

How it Works:

- Set up your online registry

- Add items to your wish list.  This could include the airfare, hotel accommodations, flowers and champagne in your room for when you arrive, a rental car, dinner at the resort, activities like golf or massages, even money to bring home souvenirs from the vacation!

- Let your guests know about your registry either via email or on a registry card

- You collect your gifts and use them on your trip!

Click HERE for a list of possible Honeymoon Wedding Registry Sites

Please Note: Most honeymoon registry sites charge a small fee for each gift transaction

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Bed Bath & Beyond

Why Register Here: One-stop-shopping and they have all of the brands you love at major department stores and specialty stores (ex. Kate Spade, All-Clad & Le Creuset)

Benefits: They offer a onetime 10% completion discount on items you registered for but did not receive. You are also eligible for free gifts when guests purchase qualifying items and returns are painless.

Bloomingdales

Why Register Here: Great customer service and knowledgeable staff.  Selection of top quality goods from major designers like Vera Wang, Monique Lhuiller and Ralph Lauren.

Benefits: One time 10 percent completion discount for up to six months after your wedding.  Discount on all fine jewelry leading up to your wedding date.  Free monogramming on linens and invites to exclusive events.

Macy's

Why Register Here: From a bathing suit for your honeymoon to new sheets, you’ll find it at Macy’s.  Locations across the US which makes shopping easy for guests.

Perks: One time 10 percent completion discount and perks for Macy’s credit card holders.

Crate & Barrel

Why Register Here: Offers modern home décor, kitchen items and furniture.  Quality items at all price points

Benefits: One time 10 percent completion discount and in store registry events to help get you started with your registry.

Gump’s

Why Register Here: A local San Francisco favorite that offers top of the line designers like Hermes and Georg Jensen.

Perks: Top notch customer service throughout the entire process for you and your guests.

For those that may not be familiar, Etsy is an online marketplace that sells handmade or vintage items including a wide range of art, home décor, photography, clothing, jewelry, food, bath & beauty products, knick-knacks and toys.  Etsy has been a very popular place to find one of a kind wedding items and décor and just recently, Etsy launched a Wedding Registry!

The Etsy Wedding Registry makes it easy for couples to choose gifts that match their distinct taste, style and lifestyle.   After a simple set up that includes selecting your wedding date you can add your favorite items.   Etsy has made it easy for brides and grooms to share their registry with their guests!

To Learn More visit the Etsy Wedding Registry Page

Tell us a little about your little one.

Kate is two years old and she is a little pistol! She loves to read and is learning how to write her name! She loves to dance and ride ponies! She has a love for life and every day she amazes me! She definitely keeps her daddy & me on our toes but we wouldn't have it any other way! As we say to each other...I love her to the moon & back!

Taylor is 10 weeks old this week and she is the mellowest baby ever! She is always so happy and when she isn't sleeping or eating (the girl loves to eat) she is giggling nonstop! She loves her big sister and I can't wait to see these two when she is a little bit older! Right now Taylor is almost sleeping through the night! This makes Mommy & Daddy really HAPPY! 

What's the best piece of advice your mother (a mother figure) gave you?

To work hard in life! Nothing comes easy and if you want it bad enough you have to work for it! I have always listened (yes mom if you are reading I did listen) to this valuable piece of advice and I have worked hard for everything I have in my life! It hasn't always been easy and there have definitely been some bumps along the way but I never gave up! I hope I can instill this into my girls!! You have to work hard! 

What is your favorite part of being a Mother?

Geeze..I don't know if there is one favorite thing but many favorite things.  I feel my life is so much more complete and I feel that I have these two precious human beings that are a true gift from God and I get to be their MOM! Every day is a wonderful day with these two in my life!!!! I love them more than words can express!  

What is your idea of mommy bliss or what is your idea of a perfect Mother's Day morning?

Every day is Mother's Day in my eyes! I was given a gift from God to be a mother and I feel that every day I have with these two little girls should never be taken for granted!  I cherish every day no matter how hard or how difficult it might be!

The perfect Mother's Day for me is for me to share it with my own Mother and to let her know how much I love her and how special she is to me as my mother and a Nana to Taylor & Kate! Happy Mother's Day to all the Mother's out there and Mommies to Be!!!!!!

Top Photo by Allyson Wiley Photography

Tell us a little about your little one.

Chloe is 19 months old (just over a year and a half) and she is quickly turning into a toddler with a personality and opinions of her own. Her smiles and giggles are infectious and I am loving this stage as she is learning new words every day and using them in context to tell me what she wants. It's so much fun...this past weekend we went to the SF Zoo and I would point out an animal and she would try and repeat what I said. Her new favorite word is now Peacock!

What's the best piece of advice your mother or a mother figure gave you?

This wasn't from my mom, but something I will always remember. I once asked my dad when I was growing up, how I could ever thank and repay him for all he and mom have done for my brother and I growing up. His response was you repay me Jamie by doing all you can to support, love and provide for your own children one day. I loved that statement and make a point to do just that for Chloe.

What is your favorite part of being a Mother?

Everything! From the unconditional love and trust in me and her daddy to the joy we get in watching her grow and learn about the world. Every day is a completely new adventure.

What is your idea of mommy bliss or what is your idea of a perfect Mother's Day morning?

A perfect mother’s day for me would be Chloe sleeping in until 6:30am and then we snuggle in bed like we do every morning while she drinks her milk. I would love for my husband to make coffee and then we head out for a casual yummy brunch all together so neither of us has to cook

Tell us a little about your little one.

My son Holden will be two this summer.  He is into exploring the outdoors whether it be by foot, by stroller, or by backpack!  This little kiddo is into the outdoors and he has already hiked some of the most beautiful terrain in the country and he's not even two yet!

What's the best piece of advice your mother gave you?

My mom always tells me not to sweat the small stuff.  She's always right. Of course she is - she's mom!

What is your favorite part of being a Mother?

My favorite part is watching Holden soak things up every day.  Every single solitary day this kid shows me something new and he certainly makes me laugh.

What is your idea of mommy bliss or what is your idea of a perfect Mother's Day morning?

Having all my boys let me sleep in past 6 AM!  (This includes our giant Basset Hound, Barkley Longfellow!)  I love to stay active so once I wake up I would love to go work out and then spend the rest of the day outdoors with the boys!

Right now suite d is a big open warehouse space, brimming with possibilities for so many things to happen there. Parties, events, meetings, classes, movie night, ping pong socials, art gallery or fashion shows-I can't stop thinking of ways to use the space. My way of describing suite d is "an unlikely space for uniquely good times," and I hope that communicates a lot.  It is a flexible, funky space and that is really part of the appeal. We are excited to work with people to create events according to their vision.  We will use curtains and flexible walls to create more intimate spaces and the furniture would be different than someone who wants an open look. As to what suite d will become-I want to create a new cool event place in Sonoma where people can enjoy food, wine, friends & family and fun.

In order to turn Suite D from idea to reality, you are looking for both community support as well as support of those that have a soft spot for Sonoma.  How can people get involved?

We are in the creative phase of the idea right now and I discovered Kickstarter, a great website dedicated to developing, as they say, "a new way to fund and follow creative projects," which seemed like such a good fit for my work-in-progress idea. I want suite d to be a part of the community and this is a way of involving people from the very beginning--they get to be insiders, in on the development.  For people who do not live in Sonoma or close by, but who know what we do with our other businesses-the restaurants and catering-and how we do things, I hope they trust our success rate and support our creativity. What I thought was cool about Kickstarter is that there is really no down side to it--you get a reward for your pledge as well as the knowledge of helping get a creative project going. The rewards I designed are all priced so they are really great deals for fun, cool thing to do--so of course, I very much appreciate everyone's support for our project, but I am glad they get a wonderful "reward" for helping out.

Mother's Day is coming up; some of the pledge offerings would make for an amazing Mother's Day gift!  How can suite d provide for a fun family experience that Mom will love?

What could be better to celebrate your Mom than a party or dinner that she doesn't have to plan, cook or clean up? There are several rewards at our suite d page where your family can pool together, so no one has to spend a lot of money, but your result is a multi-course dinner.  Seems like a good idea for the holidays--give Mom a Mother's Day gift now of the family holiday party and she doesn't have to do anything! Or, if Mom loves chocolate or cheese, how about the curated tastings? If she likes to cook, maybe a cooking class? I think there are a lot of choices.

Some of the larger pledge offerings could turn out to be quite a steal for brides to be.  Are there any limitations on the $250 five hour rental opportunity and would you be open to a bride using the $2,500 pledge to host a two hour rehearsal party for 50 (food and wine included)?

I agree that there are some great deals to be had. There are a few restrictions for the five hour rental, mostly based on availability but nothing extreme. If someone has a specific idea for what they want to do and wants to be sure it will work before they pledge, I understand that-I'd suggest they e-mail me at Sondra@thegirlandthefig.com and we can look at the details.  Most event, meeting or party ideas should work.  Or, if someone has an idea for a reward or a specific budget to fit, they can e-mail me and I can custom-design a reward. 

As for using the reward for $2500 pledge as you suggest-2 hour rehearsal party for 50 (food and wine included)--absolutely-yes-it sounds like a great idea to me and we would be delighted to do it at suite d.  People will see on our Kickstarter page that we expect to be delivering the rewards of the larger parties beginning November, 2012.

When do you think suite d will be open to the public?

That is still a little up in the air right now as we move along creating the space.  Certainly in the Fall and ready to rock for holiday time.  It is possible we may be doing some smaller events later in the summer--after May 18, we won't have a Kickstarter page anymore, but people can like us on Facebook and follow our progress there.

Be sure to see what deals the Kickstarter page has to offer you and be sure to follow the process and inspiration behind suite d on Facebook and Pinterest!