We have decided to take an alternative approach to the typical gift registry process.  You can choose from three different options: 

The Goods:

There are two local, Minnesota establishments we have chosen for tangible gifts with a focus on American made products:

Duluth Pack Password - lindsandben

Cooks Visit the store, or contact Elisa directly eneese@cochmail.com or 651-228-1333 (then press 1) and reference either of our last names. (FYI- the Cooks online Gift Registry is not up and running yet, so you won't be able to look us up that way)

The Honeymoon:

You can choose to purchase an activity for us on our honeymoon to Norway:

Trip To Norway

Charity:

You can choose to donate to one of our preferred charities:

Time To Fly - Children's Cancer Research

Cameroon Football Development Program

- We appreciate all gifts and donations in our name - Thank You!

More Information On Our Gift Registry Decisions:

Lindsey's love of baking combined with Ben's talents in cooking continually bring us to Cooks of Crocus Hill. We were thrilled when we saw they offered gift registries, so we quick hopped on our bikes and rode down Grand Avenue and signed up right away. Duluth Pack is another spot that brings us a little further North (and closer to the wedding location). All of their bags and packs are handmade in their factory in Duluth, MN. We'd invite you to read about their history, as it is quite an interesting story! Secondly, we wanted to offer a couple other, "less conventional" options that give the gift of once-in-a-lifetime experiences or the gift of a more hopeful future for others.

Being longtime viewers of New Scandinavian Cooking (an amazing cooking show on PBS that is set in various Scandinavian countries), we've continued to dream about a trip to Norway. Following the engagement, we couldn't think of a better place to go on our honeymoon. Having seen other wedding websites offer their guests to "purchase an experience" for the couples, we thought we'd try something like that for our trip to Norway. How it works is that we will give you various options of activities, flights or accommodations coupled with a suggested amount that it will cost, and you can "purchase" it for us as a gift. We have already come up with a creative way to thank those who partake in this option, which we think will make you feel that you are part of our experience.

Finally, what better way to celebrate our union than to appreciate what we already have and give to those who have very little? We both have been involved in various charities throughout the years and want to invite our guests to give the gifts to their causes. Children's Cancer Research Fund is a wonderful organization, which seeks prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of childhood cancers at the University of Minnesota. Both Ben and Lindsey run in their annual 10K event called Time to Fly. We admire the work they do and love that the funds raised benefit a local program.

Another organization close to us is the Cameroon Football Development Program. This organization was started by Justin Forzano, a close relative of the Ransom's. Justin first travelled to Cameroon through his university and noticed how many of the local youth was without simple and basic needs, but that their love of soccer kept them encouraged. He quickly saw a link between Cameroon's love of soccer and, with a little help from abroad, a more sustainable and brighter future for generations to come.