Daniel and Shubha's wedding
Shubha Bala & Daniel Baer
November 8, 2015
Your presence at our wedding is gift enough. Seriously. We really, really appreciate your willingness to make the trek (be it a walk or a flight!) to celebrate this joyous moment, and your love and support are the most important things we need to begin our journey together. We very genuinely do not expect any gifts at all. After all, we do live in a tiny New York apartment!
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Having said that, we know that some people simply can't resist gift-giving, so we have set up a smallish registry.
The first two items on the registry are donations to two organizations that are near and dear to our hearts.
1 - Immigration Equality
Immigration is not just political for us - it's personal. Both of our families are immigrants (Shubha's parents to Canada, and Daniel's grandfathers to the U.S.). And this year we ourselves have had to deal with the immigration process (with Shubha immigrating from Canada). Despite all of our privileges and the not-so-awful consequences of rejection, the process has been stressful, time-consuming, and confusing (to say the least).
Immigration Equality is an organization that is a legal lifeline for people whose very lives are in danger because of who they are - people for whom the system is much more challenging than it has been for us and for whom the stakes are much higher - LGBT individuals who have been forced to flee their countries of origin. We want everyone to have the fortune that we are lucky enough to have today.
2 - Transportation Alternatives
Bicycling is another thing that is both personal and political for us. We both love and rely on biking all over New York City, and our ability to enjoy (and get around) our city in this way hinges on the many advocacy victories that Transportation Alternatives has won and continues to fight for - not just bicycle lanes and greenways, but lower speed limits, enforcement of traffic laws, and a whole host of street redesign initiatives that help to reclaim NYC's streets from the automobile and re-orient our streets toward the people who use them - saving many lives in the process and maybe even helping save the environment too!
We have also included a few suggestions for "gifts of experience" as we embark on our first year together, as well as a handful of more traditional gift suggestions.
But honestly, we cannot stress enough - your well wishes are really appreciated - and are all that we would like and expect!
***In order to select this item and donate, click on the Immigration Equality link below. (Clicking on the "Give This Gift" button only notifies us of your intention to donate.)***
Free legal services for LGBT and HIV-positive immigrants.
We'd like to be able to acknowledge your very kind gift so please select "This donation is in honor or memorial of someone" when you donate, and indicate shubhadanielwedding@gmail.com for the notification e-mail.
***In order to select this item and donate, click on the Transportation Alternatives link below. (Clicking on the "Give This Gift" button only notifies us of your intention to donate.)***
Reclaim New York City's streets from the automobile and promote bicycling, walking and public transit.
From the T.A. website (link below), select "Donate" from the menu bar and please click "Honor/Memorial Gifts" so that we can acknowledge your gift. Our mailing address is 59 Clifton Place, Apt. 2R, Brooklyn, NY, 11238.
***In order to select this item, click on the BAM link below. (Clicking on the "Give This Gift" button only notifies us of your intention to give this gift.)***
BAM is one of our favorite performing arts venues in Brooklyn - not just for music but also for theater, dance, talks, movies, and more. We would love to be able to go to shows that aren't what we would normally see!
***In order to select this item, click on the Brooklyn Brainery link below. (Clicking on the "Give This Gift" button only notifies us of your intention to give this gift.)***
Brooklyn Brainery is the well-known community-driven education center in Prospect Heights. We love taking classes here on all sorts of topics and ideas, from arts and crafts to naturalism to neighborhood history. Classes cost from $5 to $75.
***In order to select this item, click on the Brooklyn Kitchen link below. (Clicking on the "Give This Gift" button only notifies us of your intention to give this gift.)***
As we embark on married life together we hope to be able to feed ourselves (or rather... Shubha hopes to be able to contribute somewhat to the cooking while Daniel wants to improve his skills).
One option is the Brooklyn Kitchen, which offers a range of classes from knife skills to mozzarella making. There's even a South Indian home cooking class (which Shubha thinks could be a good place for her to start.)
Classes seem to range from $75 - $100.
But we're also open to cooking classes anywhere in Manhattan or Brooklyn - if you know somewhere good!
***In order to select this item, click the "Give This Gift" button and follow the directions.***
What better way to communicate as a married couple than through music? We would love to be able to take singing lessons together with an amazing teacher (specifically Yumi Tomsha, whom we recommend if you are in NYC).
***In order to select this item, click on the Nitehawk Cinema link below. (Clicking on the "Give This Gift" button only notifies us of your intention to give this gift.)***
The Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg is a cinema eatery offering first-run and repertory film programming along with food and drink service in the theaters - including food and drink specials inspired by the specific films on the screen.
Basically - movies, food, fun!
***In order to select this item, click on the Turnstile Tours link below. (Clicking on the "Give This Gift" button only notifies us of your intention to give this gift.)***
We recently took a bike tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard with this group and found it so well-researched and engaging. We'd love to learn about other corners of our city from some of their other tours (Brooklyn Army Terminal, Immigrant Foodways, Harbor tours), all of which are offered in partnership with non-profit organizations.
***In order to select this item, click the "Give This Gift" button and follow the directions.***
We would love to take private yoga classes together with an amazing teacher Daniel has discovered.
***In order to select this item, click on the Spa Castle link below. (Clicking on the "Give This Gift" button only notifies us of your intention to give this gift.)***
A castle AND a spa?? Neither of us has ever been to the famous Spa Castle in Queens, but we'd love to go and relax for the day.
***In order to select this item, click on the NY DEC link below and call the phone number listed. (Clicking on the "Give This Gift" button only notifies us of your intention to give this gift.)***
We've got a tent. We've got a car. The Department of Environmental Conservation runs campgrounds in the Catskills and the Adirondacks. Like true wilderness conservationists (and/or state government bureaucrats), the DEC offers only one option for purchasing Camping Gift Cards: by telephone.
***In order to select this item, click the "Give This Gift" button and follow the directions.***
Joining a CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) next year will let us put some of those cooking skills to use! Windflower Farm, a small organic farm in the Taconic hill country of upstate New York, distributes fresh produce to our neighborhood in Brooklyn via the nonprofit, volunteer-run Clinton Hill CSA.
***In order to select this item, click on the Finback Brewery link below. (Clicking on the "Give This Gift" button only notifies us of your intention to give this gift.)***
Finback Brewery in Queens is one of New York City's newest craft breweries and is (hopefully) supplying us with some of their local brews for our wedding. We think it would be fun to support them (and enjoy more of their unique beers) by becoming members of their Community Supported Beer program.
A gift option for those of you who like to find cool things - we love teapots and would welcome any nice teapots.
New, handmade, secondhand
The only board games we have are cribbage and bananagrams (neither of which is actually a board game). With winter fast approaching, we need some other things to do when we're stuck at home in the cold! Pass on any favorites you may have.
Although we don't have a lot of outdoor space, we do have a fire escape with room for a little bird feeder.
If you have a super-favorite cookbook you'd love to share with us, we'd welcome the new recipes!
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
Bats!!!!!!!!!!
A bat ultrasound detector or echolocator has been on our list of desired things since our first bat walk at Wave Hill in the Bronx. Very useful when you're trying to stalk bats.
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
So we can bring our meals up to the rooftop!
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/slate-12x5.5-cheese-board/s216018
***In order to select this item, click on one of the links below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/all-clad-6.5-qt.-slow-cooker/s684409
or
www.crateandbarrel.com/cuisinart-4-qt.-3-in1-cook-central-multicooker/s633113
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
www.crateandbarrel.com/black-stovetop-popcorn-popper/s497401
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
www.westelm.com/products/8076700/?wlitemid=8076700&wlid=sxxfh72xhl&fromrgl=1
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
http://www.westelm.com/products/4140380/?wlitemid=4140380&wlid=sxxfh72xhl&fromrgl=1
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
www.crateandbarrel.com/french-kitchen-marble-mortar-and-pestle/s347213
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***
***In order to select this item, click on the link below. (Please also click on the "Give This Gift" button to indicate that you've purchased this item.)***