A wedding gift is something that many people feel in asking for money is inappropriate, but in truth it is very often the most logical gift to request. This is because contemporary tradition has preferred wedding gifts intended to furnish the new home that the couple will be moving into.
Of course, it is now often the case that couples have been living together for some time before the wedding, and many of the items that would previously have been bought by guests are already in the home. So as the happy couple, why not ask for money to contribute towards the enjoyment of your honeymoon for example? The article below has pointers on how to request money with dignity...
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Honeymoon Gift Lists - Asking For Money As a Wedding Gift
By: Gillian Donaghy
If you would like to ask for money towards your honeymoon on your wedding gift list this article has tips on how to do this.
Couples getting married in the UK have traditionally been given household items as wedding gifts. This was to help the couple as they started a new life together and popular gifts included items such as kettles, toasters, bedding, towels, dinner services, cutlery and glassware.
It's not a new concept for newlyweds to be given money as a wedding gift - in some countries and cultures couples are automatically given money by their guests. Times have changed and in the UK many couples getting married already have plenty of household items and often ask for money. Perhaps the money will be used for the honeymoon, a deposit on a house, furniture or a new kitchen.
Sometimes couples will only ask for money as wedding gifts; others will mix gifts of money with other wedding gifts.
Are guests happy to give money as a wedding gift? Some people aren't keen on wedding gift lists, but friends and family will usually want to give a gift to the happy couple and most people want to give a gift which they know the couple will appreciate and get use from. At Nearly Married's wedding gift list service, our gift lists often have a mix of gifts of money as well as other gifts. Guests will often purchase gifts of money instead of more traditional wedding gifts. Some guests like to purchase a combination of gifts and money. Our recommendation is that if couples want to ask for gifts of money this is what they should do. And the answer is yes - most guests are happy to give money as a wedding gift.
We recommend that couples who are asking for money as a wedding gift should also consider adding some gifts to their gift list so that everyone's preferences are accommodated. So if couples are looking for money towards the honeymoon other suitable gifts which complement the honeymoon list could be luggage, a camera or camcorder, photo frames or photo albums.
We also recommend that couples should try to be specific about how the money will be spent so that guests feel that they've contributed towards a specific item. Most gifts of money are for the honeymoon where guests usually put money towards specific elements of the honeymoon such as accommodation, flight upgrades, car hire etc. When couples set up a honeymoon gift list there are usually standard honeymoon gifts to add to their list such as drinks by the pool or a romantic meal for two which guests can then buy for them.
Another tip is to personalise your gifts of money if your gift list provider offers this service. If so, couples can customise their entire honeymoon list with their own gift names, descriptions, prices and pictures - so if couples want money to swim with dolphins then go on to have a romantic dinner for two at a specific restaurant and stay overnight in the local boutique hotel these gifts can all be automatically added to their list. It's also a great way to personalise thank you cards to guests by adding a picture of what the guest contributed to such as a picture of the couple swimming with dolphins.
By Gillian Donaghy
Published: 9/30/2008
Available at: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/honeymoon-gift-lists-asking-for-money-as-a-wedding-gift.html
