If you’d like people to be environmentally friendly with their gifts (AND you don’t want the same-old, same-old), you need to create a gift registry populated with items from fair trade stores to ensure that the least energy possible has been used to create your homewares and so on.

You could always register your wedding gifts with online stores which stock eco-friendly items. One of the best-known ones is Viva Terra (all of its products are organic, sustainable, earth-friendly and hand-crafted by artisans) where you can buy bamboo fabric sheets, Adirondack chairs made from reclaimed wood, or copper leaf-shaped night lights, for example.

Greenfeet has a wide range of inexpensive eco-friendly gifts which are guaranteed to be conversation-starters - what about a composting bin, or a vintage pool ball wine bottle stopper?

Others might choose to forego traditional gifts altogether at the cleverly named non-profit organisation Changing The Present. This website encourages you to select gifts from hundreds of non-profit organisations representing over 30 cause categories. Guests simply select the gift which means the most to them and your relationship. You might donate 10 books for a library for $50, or for the same price, teach 100 rural people about financial literacy, or provide a prosthetic limb so someone can learn to walk again.

Thanking people for sending you a gift is THE best way to ensure that they’re willing - even delighted! - to give you more gifts (and not thanking them will offend them no end).

So I was a little surprised to find an article with suggested wording to thank guests for your wedding gift! Interestingly, none of the suggested thank you note “scripts” included a space for the actual gift so you could, in theory, use EXACTLY THE SAME WORDING on everyone’s thank you cards - and no-one would be the wiser! It might take you only a quarter of the time, but it wouldn’t be particularly personal, would it?

If you’re one of the many who use gift registries you could always mention how much you’re looking forward to using the gift they bought off your list (that you chose, don’t forget - so there could be a story behind why you selected it) and how you’ll be thinking of them when you use it. 

Dear [guest name],
We were so delighted to see you at our wedding and we were thrilled that you gave us the [espresso machine/silverware/luggage/hurricane lamps etc] we love so much.

It was so lovely of you and we will think of you when we [drink coffee/have a dinner party/go on holidays/eat outside etc].

We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Love

[you two]

Of course, you might not want to use this format if they gave you bedsheets.

What will they think of next?!

A New Jersey-based company called Cold Cuts Media has created a new iPhone/iPod application called REGIFT that will catalog the gifts you want to pass on. Since two in three adults have regifted at some time (I certainly have), this could prove very useful to keep out sticky social situations (such as eventually giving the gift back to the original gift-giver).

Costing just $0.99 from the ITunes App store, you can: track what you want to regift, take a shot of it, record who gave it to you, when and for what gift occasion, make notes on who NOT to give it to, categorise it, and then mark it off as “regifted” once you’ve rewrapped it and sent it on its merry way.

Just to make extra sure your regifting effort goes um, unnoticed, it even prompts you to check for receipts, engravings, cards or some other identifying factor that would indicate it had been originally given to you.

Perhaps this is one app that all couples should add to their wedding gift registry…

It’s becoming increasingly common for couples to request cash, not gifts, for their wedding present.

But many guests feel a bit squeamish about handing over cash and many worry that it’s just going to be spent frivolously.

In 1996, the US Federal Housing Administration encourage lenders to offer bridal registry accounts where couples could stash away cash from family and friends towards a loan for their first home.

SunTrust Mortgage, a subsidiary of SunTrust Bank was one lender which created a wedding registry, where guests would make a deposit and the company would notify the bride and groom to let them know. It is such a practical way to help them get a loan together, that it’s surprising that more banks haven’t got in on the act.

A credit union in Los Angeles, Water and Power Community Credit Union (WPCCU) has just launched the MatriMoney wedding registry savings account to help couples get over the (deposit) threshold. They get gift instruction cards to include with their wedding invitations and gift-givers receive acknowledgement cards of their cash gifts once deposited.

Unlike any other wedding gift registry, WPCCU also offers free online financial webinars for newly engaged couples to learn how to budget and manage their money.

I think this could particularly appeal to couples where at least one of them is a security-conscious, long-term planner Taurus, Cancer, Virgo or Capricorn!

Debenhams, a UK department store, is cashing in on the huge (post) wedding gift registry market by - cynically, I would suggest! - creating what might be the world’s first divorce gift registry.

In happier days, the couple (well, really it’s the woman) picks out the chinaware and whitegoods that will adorn their new home.

When couples get divorced, there’s always someone who ends up with the huge plasma TV (often the man), while all those bits and pieces get halved. For example, someone’s going to need more dishes - and not just because a few of them got thrown around in the lead-up to the divorce - which means that more homewares are needed.

As the post-Christmas period is the most common time for couples for separate (they wait until Santa’s arrived for the kids), it is also when most divorce petitions are filed.

And according to this, is also when you get asked to give your mate Chris a toaster all over again…

Now that our credit card bills are about to arrive(!), January is a great month to have that discussion about money, spending, saving and issues such as gift-giving with your partner. On Friday 22 January there will be a very helpful Venus trine Saturn aspect.

Venus rules love, money and possessions aka gifts, while Saturn rules responsibility, thriftiness, planning and caution. When these guys make a beautiful trine, it is the PERFECT time to discuss gift-giving and a workaround that will please both parties.

Saturn is the Headmaster of the zodiac on a good day and so he treats everything as a lesson or exam to be mastered.

“Gift-giving is incredibly important to me as it lets me show my love and appreciation for others. You would rather save the money for our future.” Discuss.

Alrighty then. On 22 January, why not tackle the gift-giving issue in alphabetical order.

1. Anniversary gifts. Unless you’re a newlywed, most couples stop giving each other traditional anniversary gifts after the first three years and then prefer to go away for the weekend (which, ironically, is more expensive). If it’s not your first, second or third, and it’s not a big milestone like a 10th, 15th, 20th or whatever, perhaps you can agree to have a nice dinner instead. (Obviously you want to agree on this so you can be around to discuss anniversary gift-giving all over again next year.)

2. Birthday gifts. I realised that I’ll be buying a minimum of 19 birthday gifts per year which frankly horrified even me so if you have a partner (and he makes you buy all the gifts for his family, too), you could be up for a lot of gifts.  First make a list of each person you like to give at least one birthday gift to. Multiply that by a modest $50 to get your total. Once you’ve picked yourself off the floor, you may want to put a couple of rules in place. Perhaps you give only gifts to those friends you see at least once a month, and send cards to those you see less often. Or you replace gifts for friends with dinner at your home? Keep in mind that birthdays are the gift occasion where people are most likely to give personalised gifts so it’s worth planning ahead when there’s a special promotion on and to put away ahead of their birthday.

3. Christening gifts. These won’t happen every year thank goodness but you might decide to give gifts only if you live in the same city or base it on your closeness to the child.

4.  Christmas gifts. The Big Kahuna. For your own family you might discuss replacing what you spend on Christmas gifts with the equivalent on a family holiday, or lots of little things for one big-ticket item. Buying gifts only when they’re on sale. Or doing a Kris Kringle. Or setting up a Chrisco account. Or perhaps having a garage sale or selling stuff on eBay to finance Christmas gifts ie you don’t use your savings.

5. Engagement gifts. Again, these won’t happen every year but the woman will get engaged faster if she’s Generation X.

6. Fathers Day gifts. Can you take both Dads out to lunch on the same day to make a family affair and make that the gift? If you have to cut back on gifts somewhere, Father’s Day is the gift-giving occasion least likely to upset your father.

7. Mothers Day gifts. Hmmm, a lot more fuss is necessary here… She is your mum, after all.

8. New baby gifts. Work colleagues spend less per person when they contribute to a group gift whereas family and friends spend more on new baby gifts! Perhaps what gifts the new mother really needs are not cute hanging mobiles…

9. Valentines Day gifts. Will you feel upset if he overlooks it? What was your favourite Valentines Day gift? Did you get what you really wanted? Would you want it again? What about taking a raincheck for the following weekend when the flowers and chocolates/jewellery/lingerie/perfume boxed sets are reduced?

10. Wedding gifts. Again, weddings don’t necessarily happen every year although I did have three in six weeks one year. Are you going to faithfully stick to their registry or will you give them something that is very “them” but not listed? You do have up to one year to give them a wedding gift - at which point you can start the discussion all over again.

Most wedding gift registries tend to specify actual products but a new Canadian one, UponAStar lets you see inside the wishes and dreams of the couple getting married, not how many towels nor knives and forks they need.

It is, in fact, an online “wishing well” asking for money but it’s done so stylishly that guests who normally baulk at being bailed up for cash will enjoy taking part.

UponAStar’s wishes of course, cost money (and they specify how much these “wishes” cost and the quantity they’ll need) but the nice thing about it for many is that it is not “stuff” but memories they can share for always.

Many couples might take the immediate gratification of honeymoon wishes - ie horseriding on the beach, Hawaiian massages, hot air balloon ride or whatever - to enjoy right after the wedding. Others may wish to start a family (many brides these days are super-efficient and are already pregnant at the ceremony), while others may be further along the parenting path and wish for an education fund to put their pre-teens through university. Still others will be in renovation mode and wishing they didn’t have to spend their weekends covered in sawdust but to get a tradie to do some of the work.

You can wish for anything you want of course, but the catch is that you will still have to price it (even approximately) if you are to receive your wish.

According to the wedding gurus at GetMarried, the US holiday season between Thanksgiving (the last Thursday in November) through to Valentines Day is the most popular season for engagements with approximately 35-40% (or 550,00-650,000 couples) getting married in the 12-18 months afterwards.

Here are their top 10 bridal trend predictions for 2010. Some of them are frankly, a little weird, but there are a few others which could be added to a novel gift registry, especially if you need help with wedding expenses.

1. Non-linear wedding aisle.
Well marriage is hardly linear, more of a game of Twister and Monopoly with a Get Out Of Jail Free card so maybe that’s the idea? Or is it to be photographed on your best angle? I truly doubt this one will take off… If it does, a Gemini, Scorpio or Aquarius would be the most likely candiate.

2. Comfort foods
When the economy tanks, everyone wants to go back to basics which is great news for your wallet (although maybe not your waistline). Why not consider adding your catering bill to your gift registry, ask Uncle Tim to share some of his dusty bottles in the cellar or have your aunt make the cupcakes. And everyone really does love chicken. Comfort foods are nirvana to Taureans and Cancerians.

3.  Gifting techie gadgetry
Technology is a tricky one because it becomes obsolete so quickly, making your friends and family waste their money on something you can’t keep. Whatever PDA, iPhone or other techie gadget you get in 2010 is unlikely to be any use in say 2015.  However, for the retro girl/guy marrying that iPod addict, why not consider buying software that convert records to a digital file? One for the Aquarians.

4. Texture-inspired invitations
Embossed, die-cut and engraved invitations are the go for 2010 as they’re supposed to mimic your wedding decor. Unfortunately the bride will be the only one who notices the seamless theming. Yes, you could ask for someone to pay for your invites as their gift to you but um, don’t. This trend could suit the Virgos.

5. Cobalt blue
This colour is set to be the hottest colour for brides in 2010. And in about oh, 10 years or so when everyone looks at your bridesmaids in this electrically charged 80s colour (I was very fond of it myself then), they will laugh. What about keeping it to gifts like vases, table linen, candlesticks, picnicware, or cushion covers? I see this one suiting fun-loving Sagittarius.

6. Wear-again bridesmaid dresses
I like this trend. Whether you or your bridesmaids are paying for their dresses, it’s nice to think the frocks will get some wear again, like regifting…Pisces are super-sentimental and will appreciate this one.

7. Three-dimensional save-the-dates
Here’s they’re talking about items like paper umbrellas to signify a destination wedding. This is where you might want to add honeymoon excursions and attractions to your gift registry. Or even a B&B gift certificate for when you get home and feel a bit anti-climactic. Sagittarius again.

8. Old Hollywood glam for men
Think Cary Grant - even George Clooney. If your man doesn’t have a good pair of shoes, why not put that in your wedding gift registry. He will have them for years! This will thrill the Librans and Leos.

9. Blogger brides
Blogging about your wedding planning is becoming surprisingly common. If you’re a techie yourself, maybe you could give her free hosting, cool apps or a hand at programming as your wedding gift? If they can make their blog into a money-making exercise, this trend might suit Capricorn while Gemini might try it just for fun.

10. Personalised everything
Last, but definitely not least, brides want a wedding which is completely customised for them, from personalised invitations, monogrammed guest books, and made-to-order favours to gifts which are all about the couple.  Some of these things are fun but just add to the cost of your wedding. In addition to the array of personalised homewares and books you could ask for, I think a personalised set of cards and envelopes embossed with your names and address would be a nice addition to your gift registry. And you just know your aunt would buy it as that would give you the stationery on which to write your thank you cards! This trend will suit Aries, Leo and Libra (who likes everything matching).

A clever new US gift registry has been launched which lets couples and singles save for a home deposit, renovation or furniture.

Hatch My House allows users to set up a registry, which through cute illustrations, allows gift-givers to pay towards a front door, a window or say, a new set of taps via payments from Paypal.

They pay a one-time fee of $24.95 and can create a “home” illustrated in the colour of their choice. Currently available in representative Craftsman or brownstone styles, visitors can vote for the next house style to be introduced, whether that’s a San Francisco-style Victorian Queen Anne, the Santa Fe-style of Spanish Revival, New Orleans’ French Provincial or Boston’s Federal style.

This gift registry could be a lot more palatable to people who want cash to buy a home - and to their guests who get a say in how it’s spent.

But it could even be used by families whose home has been destroyed by natural disaster or say for twentysomethings and thirtysomethings who are still living at home and need a little nudge to find their own place…

facebook is notorious for people posting all sorts of things about themselves.

Now you can manage your wedding gift registry on it! The new app, Gift Registry 360, created by The Knot wedding gift registry allows engaged couples to register for gifts at multiple retailers and to manage that list within facebook’s Weddingbook application.

The Gift Registry 360 application is apparently searchable on on five retailers - Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn,  Target, and Crate and Barrel - which, to date, have partnered with The Knot. (Unfortunately, as of today, I couldn’t find any mention of the application on those five retailers…)

Couples can bookmark gifts from any online retailer and can upload images of items from bricks-and-mortar stores that don’t have a website, with a note that to buy that item,gift-givers must schlep to the store.

Sure beats going crazy with a zapper for three hours in a department store.