HAVE you ever wondered what gift to give a modern bride and groom?
In days gone by, the gifting of household items was a necessary tradition, but today, it's often the case that couples have shared a house for some time.
Having been to numerous weddings of friends and family, Barraba farmer Charles Roche saw an opportunity to change the way we gift.
"When I looked closely at my friends weddings, I could see they had all the basics, but that's exactly what they were receiving from their guests," Mr Roche said.
"What the bride and groom really wanted was a big ticket item like an art work or a lounge suite."
He said the wishing-well concept which is favoured at many weddings is frowned upon because it's impersonal.
"Really, it's just asking for money and for the guests it doesn't feel like giving a gift at all."
Mr Roche teamed up with an Internet-savvy friend Dominic Byrne and together they created a website called The Gift Collective.
The website allows people to nominate one or more items they would like to receive as gifts.
A photo of the gift is uploaded to the website and visually divided up into a number of puzzle pieces, and guests are then directed to the site where they can purchase however many pieces of the puzzle they like.
"When friends and family start to buy the pieces of the puzzle, they feel like they are giving something tangible," he said.
"It's a form of online giving that in every way is like giving a real gift."
The website launched in September, and has proven proven popular with people having milestone birthdays, baby showers, and families organising their Christmas presents.
"There is generally a move away from bridle registries with people saying, 'you know what, I don't need a lot of little stuff'," he said.
"They are wanting one or just a few quality gifts they can keep and cherish."
Mr Roche tends to his online business while he is out and about farming his property, "Mt Lindsay", on the Horton River at Barraba.
He runs Australian White sheep and Angus cattle across 2400 hectares.
All he needs to run his online business is high speed internet, mobile phone coverage, and the occasional trip to Sydney, he said.
"Many of my friends here in Barraba are using the internet to pursue off-farm businesses - it's not as hard as you may think, and there is lots of help available," he said.
"Many of them are rural women, and they are carrying on a business they started elsewhere, or have started a new one altogether."
n Visit www.thegiftcollective.com.au
