Honeyfund

Most people aren't going to contribute until around the date of the wedding, as that would be their wedding gift. Also, many people dislike them for a variety of reasons and will often opt to bring a check or cash in a card to the wedding itself.

I know it would be nice to have the money before you have to spend any of it, but like Hannah said, most people will see gifts, even cash funds, as something they give you at a wedding/bridal shower or at the wedding itself and will likely contribute to your Honeyfund closer to when RSVPs are due or the actual wedding date approaches. We're doing a cash fund for our honeymoon too, so I get it!!

7 months is way too early to be expecting people to give a wedding gift. I wouldn’t expect anyone to contribute until a month before the wedding or later. That’s typical with traditional registries also. As PP mention, a lot of people do not like contributing to Honeyfunds- many people do not feel comfortable giving their financial information online, don’t want to utilize a service that takes a portion of the money they have contributed, or don’t like how impersonal it is. My brother and SIL set up a honey fund and only 2 people (out of 150+) contributed to it. Most people just gave money in a card at the wedding.

I would only plan the honeymoon you can afford without any funds from friends and family. A girl I worked with did not heed this advice and they planned an Italian honeymoon. Although they did get many $ gifts for their wedding, they did not receive them until the day of the wedding....far to late for them to use it to pay for the actual honeymoon. Since they didn't have the money to pay for the honeymoon earlier, they lost their initial deposits.

What many people do is, book and pay for the honeymoon with their own funds and hope they recoup some with wedding gifts. But, keep the honeymoon as something they can afford without the funds, just in case.

I will add in, I always give $ gifts for the actual wedding but I have never contributed to a wedding fundraising website. I don't like to expose my financial data to a lot of websites, so I only selectively shop online. Plus, I didn't like that I either had to give more than I wanted to cover the percentage taken by the company or I the couple had to receive less than I intended because of this same fee.

I would not give $ for engagement or shower gifts and I give the wedding gift on the wedding day.

Didn’t do a honey fund or cash fund we actually did a traditional wedding registry but ended up only getting money from everyone and the money we received was the day of the wedding or week after it. So if you’re looking to use the honey fund money for a trip I wouldn’t wait for it since guests give at the wedding or close to it and even afterwards.

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I agree with all of this! NEVER plan/book something you don't currently have the money for because you never know. If you are relying on this money for the honeymoon I would recommend waiting to plan your honeymoon and don't take it immediately after your wedding. Go on it a few months after and use the money gifted to you. I also agree that even if a couple used Honeyfund I'd still probably just write a check, it's much easier for everyone.

Also people don't "donate" to your honeymoon fund. Donations are for charities and those struggling and in need. Wedding/honeymoon funds are gifts.

I’ve never heard of anyone giving to a honeymoon fund ahead of the wedding. Most people we know didn’t have them and got cash/checks as gifts at the wedding, but even those who did have a cash fund didn’t get anything in it until a week or two before the wedding. If you’re relying on getting money in that to plan your honeymoon, I’d either plan for a delayed honeymoon or change your honeymoon plans to something you can afford on your own.

The only time you will receive gifts early will be the odd occasion where you have guests who are unable to attend but wish to send you a gift anyway and it arrives before the wedding, otherwise, no one will give a wedding gift in advance let alone 7 months ahead.

I think you may perhaps have expectations of your honeyfund which are contrary to what they're actually intended for. Honeyfunds aren't used to fundraise for the wedding / honeymoon ahead of time - its just a different form of gifting but the same gifting concepts as physical gifts will apply in that people will give the gift (if they choose to) on your wedding.

I would advise that you reconsider what you are planning to use this honeyfund for and make plans based on what you can right now afford.

It would literally never occur to me to send a wedding gift 7+ months before a wedding, whether I was doing it through a site like Honeyfund or just sending a check. I agree with everyone else that you should plan and pay for the honeymoon that you can afford, and then use any money you receive just before/at/just after the wedding to pay back your savings or whatever else you need or want at the time.

Whatever you do, don't put effort into "getting the word out" that you need people to send you money now so you can plan your vacation. That strategy is highly likely to backfire on you and you will get less money than if you said nothing.

Most people don't really give to it until closer to the wedding.

also you'll find a lot of people will just prefer to hand you the cash

The best idea to eliminate the stress is to book a honeymoon (and wedding) that you can actually afford on your own. That way you’re not relying on others and anything they contribute is simply additional.

That’s not how Honeyfunds work. People MAY contribute to it on or near your wedding date in lieu of a physical gift. You should plan the honeymoon you and your future spouse can comfortably afford now. Any contributions you later receive as a wedding gift will just be a nice offset to your costs.

Yup to all the above. A few people gave us gifts/cash (we also used an online fund) 1-2 weeks before the wedding but most gave at the wedding.

Book the honeymoon that you can afford.

No-one is going to contribute 7 months before your wedding.

Many people don’t like the Honeyfund concept.

Yeah 7 months is way too far out for gifts! Expect the majority of contributions to be in the week before the wedding 🤣 or people may just see that and gift you cash in a card.

Dont expect anything until right before the wedding or on the wedding day. As a guest to anyones wedding whether its cash or an item I dont plan on gifting it until the wedding day

Don't expect for them to give you enough to go. It's nice if they do, but I wouldn't expect it so you aren't disappointed. A lot of people don't like giving cash gifts or the concept of honeymoon funds. Also, most people don't give gifts until right around the wedding. I'm talking the month of leading to the days after.

My advice is not to bank on people contributing.

Three strategies:

1. Only set up for "extras". Whether these are nice dinners, excursions, tickets to show, etc., choose things your honeymoon would still be great without, but you would love to have.

2. Book the honeymoon you can afford, and anything anyone contributes can just go back into your bank account to "soften the blow" so to speak.

3. Plan on taking your honeymoon a while after the wedding - like several months - so that your guests have plenty of time to gift you what they will and you'll know exactly how much you have toward it.

As others have said, even with it being a honeymoon fund, most people are not going to contribute/gift until much closer to the wedding. Some may do it when they receive the invitation, but in general, expect to not see that money until very close to the wedding.

I did one for my bridal shower. We were super successful on it. Most people gave a gift and honeymoon fund which honestly surprised me but I was super grateful. On my invitations I wrote where I was registered at or they can contribute to our honeymoon fund.

View Quoted Comment How is that not how Honeyfunds work? It’s literally advertised on their website to help couples pay for their honeymoons.