A newlywed couple from Ohio, Jonathan and Jeananne Wickham, chose to forgo the traditional wedding gifts in order to ask their guests to make a donation to a local animal shelter in lieu of gifts.
While at first there were many apprehensive guests, in the end, each of them did give a meaningful donation to “Wayne County Humane Society.”

The workers at the shelter were deeply touched by the couple’s kindness. By the time the wedding was over, the shelter had received more than 1,200 cans of wet food, 750 pounds of dry food, and loads of cleaning supplies – as well as $2,000 to put toward their medical fund.
Because of the massive amount of money donated to medical care, the shelter was able to administer life-saving medical treatment for Peaches and Debbie – two sick cats. When asked about their decision to opt out of the traditional wedding gifts, the couple of animal lovers stated that the shelter donations made perfect sense to them.

Jeananne is hopeful that their unique spin on the wedding gift idea helps to inspire other couples to choose charity donations for causes close to their hearts too. It’s quite a thoughtful gesture. And of course, we wish the newlyweds a lifetime of happiness. I’m sure the animals over at the shelter are more than thankful for their generosity and kindness.
You can watch a video about the couple’s donation below: