BOSTON -- One couple preparing to get married has decided to put the gifts aside and do something for others.

Scott Langlands popped the question last year on the Fourth of July. The wedding is next month, and the colors are red, white and blue.

The bridal shower was Tuesday, and they couple did not ask for any gifts, Boston television station WCVB reported. Instead, the couple wants family and friends to give blood to the American Red Cross.

The bride, Lauren Williamson, is a cardiac nurse at Sturdy Memorial Hospital. The groom is a National Guard member, Iraq war veteran and inspector for the American Red Cross.

"We had a place to live and we had the dishes and stuff that people would give at a shower. We're not the type to ask for gifts from people," Williamson said.

"Unfortunately, there is a lot of activity in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I've seen firsthand what it's like to lose people and people who need that blood," Langlands said.

The need is especially high in the summer.

"We usually collect a lot of blood from students, but we don't have the drives running," said Melissa Quinlan, of the American Red Cross.

Sturdy Memorial Hospital regularly has blood drives in December and July. The happy couple's parents all live nearby, but have never given blood until now.