Honeymoon Fund Vs Gift Registry?

"If my guests think it a great idea, then how is it tacky?"

Ah yes, the ghost of rationalization rears its ugly head. Many people think this about cash bars, two tiered weddings, dollar dances and other wedding things as well... Like Rev Colleen said, if you are truly blessed enough to have everything you 'need' either upgrade your current belongings or, I suggest, donate to charity. But, I am sure you will do as you wish.

It is a great idea. A honeymoon gift registry is to get extra money for couples to do the extras on their honeymoon. Not intended to pay for the whole thing. I have known many couples that have used this and have been very happy. They just did not need another toaster or food processor. There was mention about the service fee "for handling your money" think about it, this is a company and they are not just handling your money, they are processing your gifts, accounting and customer service to not only to the couple but to the guests that may need assistance. And yes the 7% service fee is cheaper than most state tax. Personally I will be using Honeymoonwishes.com, they have great customer service, you can chose where your service fee comes from and they let you request payment on your registry when ever you like. Plus a friend of mine used it and they had a great experience with this service.

I agree, a honeymoon registry is tacky. So there really is no polite way to ask guest to contribute to that.

But it's not tacky, tacky is just asking your guests "just give us cash" by doing a registry they feel like they are buying that part of a very special time. It just like being registered at Macy's or any where else. It's just this way the couple who has everything is not stuck with a bunch of stuff that will sit in a box and not get used because they have four of them.

Eh EVERYTHING is perceived as tacky by someone somewhere...it's a SUBJECTIVE term....it's all good! You have to make your own judgments, if it works for you and your guests then so be it....there are TON of things I find tacky that other people just adore. Doesn't make me or them right about it! Who cares?

I was talking to my mom about it just today and she said she would be very put off by that. It's practically the same as asking for cash. If you can't afford your own honeymoon maybe you shouldn't have one.

The whole purpose of a registry is not to pay for your honeymoon but to help with the extras. It is more common these days for couples to register for their honeymoon then household items. The guests will buy "portions" of your honeymoon and feel like they are a part of it. You should call a honeymoon registry and talk to them about it, I found that after I spoke to them I felt a lot better about the whole idea. Trust me if you already have household items this is a great thing.

I agree if you can't afford your honeymoon you shouldn't EXPECT someone else to pay for it...but that's like saying you shouldn't register for towels because if you can't afford your own towels you shouldn't expect someone else to buy them for you. I don't expect any kind of gifts ever. But if I am asked what I want for a gift, which is why people want to know where you're registered, I will give them an honest answer. When I give a gift I want it to be something the person really wants and needs. I love travel way more than "stuff" so that's what I registered for. You're totally right, there are going to be people who are put off by it. But if I lived my whole life making decisions only to avoid offending people I'd drive myself nuts! I take them into consideration of course but there's only so much you can do

We also have everthign we need because we have lived toegtehr for 3 years. We did a honeymoon registry and it worked otu great. i think if you want to do it go for it!Check out a local travel agent. We did our through them and it worked out great! And as said, its not to pay for the whoel thing but extras. i spoke to many peope atthe wedding an dthey said they all loved being able t contribute to or honeymoon. they said it was 1) easy and 2) they felt like they were able to help send us to somewhere great

Most people prefer to give a gift that will have a lasting, sentimental value. Sure, vacations create memories, but many people like you to be able to think of them when you use something.

Surely you can upgrade some household items or maybe get some nice china.

You can also have a limited registry and people might just decide to give you cash.

I definitely think that if you have the honeymoon registry you should still have a traditional one as well, for the people who prefer that as the PP mentioned. I had both and almost everyone did the honeymoon registry! SO I guess they were ok with it...but c'mon, it's not that they want to give you something of lasting sentimental value, what's lasting or sentimental about a Crockpot or towels?

A honeymoon fund is pretty much like asking for cash, because usually they'll just cut you a check at the end, not actually book things for you. So even though someone buys you "a romantic brunch for two" you don't necessarily have to spend the money on it, which is why some people don't like them.

If you do a honeymoon registry, do a small gift registry too. Some people are really put off by giving cash and checks for weddings, so they want to give you a physical gift to help start your new life. You can always find things you want. Upgraded towels or 800 thread count sheets? Ice cream or bread maker? Blu-Ray player? I'm sure there's stuff you wish you had.

I personally wouldn't think it was horrible if one of my friends or family members registered for their honeymoon. I mean, the whole point of a registry is to get things you want, so if that's what you want, you might as well tell people. That said, some people like to give tangible items, so you might want to consider registering somewhere for some traditional items, just so that you don't get something weird that you have no use for whatsoever.

Actually, my parents still have plenty of things that they received from their wedding 40 years ago.

I love that I think of the people who gave us the gifts when I use our pyrex set or stemware or cookware.

Sure, people have different priorities, but many people in older generations would rather give something more lasting.

Aww congrats on your parents being married so long! I love hearing of anyone making it 40 years

On our wedding website, under the Registry page, we used the heading "Wishing Well Wedding" and selected a poem from the following site: http://www.bridesofaustralia.com/Wishing_Well_Wording_Poem.html

Yes, there are some that prefer a gift, there are even some that will buy you a gift that's not even on your registry, and there are some that don't mind giving cash, a check, or even a gift card. You'll never please everyone, but it's not about them, it's about the two of you.

If you let people know what you are using the cash for (i.e. a new home, a honeymoon), then they do feel that they are helping you get something that you can use.

We encourage our Members to register with at least one other retail company. This gives your guests the option to go the more traditional route or give a gift toward your honeymoon. We found this to be successful at our wedding and we actually registered for items to bring on our honeymoon from REI. We recommend setting up a wedding website and having a registry section. This will make it easy for your guests to find your registries and provide them with a choice.

Here's to a fabulous honeymoon!

Brandon Warner

President & Co-founder

www.travelersjoy.com

Skip the Blender. Register your Honeymoon.