After Zac, the other great love of my life is the New York Times. Like Zac, the New York Times just gets me, and tells me everything I want to know.

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A sassy little article popped up earlier this week that took a playful stab at personal finance planners, gurus and the oblivious. “The Bride Became Debt Free” presents an imaginative list of financial services that you’ll never see in this lifetime, and a part-venting (maybe ranting) of the whole financial services industry.

One idea I found crazy enough to work. And since we queers have a history of being social trailblazers, I propose that we get underway to being able to implement this crazy idea for our commitment ceremonies and weddings.

Instead of sticking with the traditional bridal registry, M.K. Dunleavey proposes the idea of creating a debt registry. This way, you’re helping the young couple pay off student loans and credit card bills instead of giving them stuff they already have or don’t really need.

Already one friend argued with me saying, “That’s why cash is given at weddings!” Sure, a young couple may use that cash to pay off debt, but who knows what debt? Maybe it’s going to help pay off the caterers, the florists and all the other unsettled wedding expenses. But that’s no fun. That just reminds you of how the expensive the wedding was already. The danger with cash is that maybe the young bride and bride or groom and groom will get too tipsy and start tipping everybody in their line of vision. I could see myself and Zac getting into that predicament the way we drink on big occasions.

And sure, you could always write the couple a check. But waiting in line at the bank to deposit a check is not romantic. Way to kill a honeymoon!

Maybe Dunleavey is taking a shot at the redundancy in some financial services, but that’s what makes capitalism great. If there’s an unsatisfied need, then there’s a market for it. For any ambitious entrepreneur out there looking for a sure-bet business idea, I encourage you to create a debt registry for commitment ceremonies and weddings for the queer community. Find some way to consolidate and streamline the whole process of getting a couple’s debts paid, add some pretty wedding-like packaging, and I can guarantee you will have at least two customers ready to send you business when it’s time to tie the knot.

The whole point of my rebuttal to / support of Dunleavey is, having your beloved friends and family help pay down your debt as you embark on a lifetime journey with your partner sounds like a beautiful and wonderful idea, even through something as zany as a debt registry. I’d much rather see my Department of Education balance say $0 than serve cheese puffs and Swedish meat balls on a sterling silver tray with my last name (most likely) misspelled in the engraving.

Of course, I would never propose the idea of getting married to settle one’s debts. Our community already has enough trouble having the validity of our unions recognized. But, I am completely serious about this idea of helping a young married couple pay down their debt. Weddings are terribly expensive for the couple and their families who (may possibly) help with the expenses. It is a special day to share with anyone who means anything to you, and thus the cost of a wedding is a necessary expense from the heart. The expense however could be softened by having friends and family help with debts that would be neglected by the couple or pushed to the back burner to pay for the wedding.

Until the day comes when there’s a debt registry, consider your wedding gift for your friend or relative to be a payment towards their Mastercard of Visa account(s). There’s no doubt you’ll be the next best friend of the newlyweds.