This is Bill Begal and his bride, Kira.

Instead of accepting gifts or registering for a traditional wedding registry, they opted to ask their guests to sign up for a very different kind of registry. A bone marrow registry. They set up a table at their reception where guests could sign up.

Check out their story in the video below:

If you’re looking for a unique way to give back at your wedding, this may be an option for you. Although, this is no easy ask of your guests. Volunteering to be a marrow donor is a big deal. It’s a long-term commitment that can take anywhere from days to years for someone to be called upon for testing. Once chosen, donors undergo a 45- to 90-minute surgical procedure in which they are put under anesthesia. Stem cells from the bone marrow are extracted with hollow needles from the back of the pelvic bones. (Ow.) Recovery can take several days. 

As unappealing as that procedure sounds, Blood Services Canada reports that as of 2015, there were 25-million people worldwide registered as potential donors. #YAYhumanity! 

To find out more about the Blood Services Canada OneMatch Donor Program, go here.

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