Weddings today are a far cry from the puffy-sleeved, tight perm affairs of yesteryear, in many ways. Not least of which being the circumstances of the engaged couples before they tie the knot.
They already live together
It used to be the case that a couple generally didn’t live together until they were wed, and so it made sense that wedding gifts consisted mainly of homeware for the new couple to fill their first house with. We live in 2017, however, and couples are more likely to live together before their big day – after all, if you don’t know whether you can put up with your partner’s bad habits (put the toilet seat down! It’s not hard!), is it really worth making it all official? The thing is, if you’ve already lived together for a few years, you would definitely have cooked a lasagne, roasted a chicken or grilled some halloumi (whatever’s your bag), so you’ve already got pots and pans.
Photo by cocoparisienne
You surely will have had some jam (or marmite? Maybe some honey) on toast to go with your morning coffee, so you don’t need a toaster or a kettle. And even though it would make a nice change to have six matching glasses in the cupboard, you’ve already got 246378 mis-matched ones, each with a story to tell, so you’re not sure if there’s space anyway.
Weddings are expensive!
Weddings are also pricey, and it’s not always the case that the families pay for it all, as was common in the past, so couples are likely to find themselves with an empty savings account after tying the knot. This means that there isn’t really any money left over to be able to splash out on a nice romantic getaway as husband and wife. So, couples tend not to need three toasters and a crystal fruit bowl, but thankfully it’s become acceptable to ask for something far more fun – contributions to a honeymoon!
Why not ask for experiences instead? Photo by Guillaume Flandre.
Rather than ending up with a lot of random stuff that they don’t want or need, by asking for honeymoon money, newlyweds are getting memories and once in a lifetime experiences.
It’s easier for guests
As for the guests, buying a wedding gift can be a minefield and often you can end up buying something that will gather dust for several years. By being given the option of honeymoon money you can be sure that your gift will be appreciated and contribute to something amazing for the couple.
Ask for Honeymoon gifts. Photo by Dave Lastovskiy
A honeymoon fund can be more creative and thoughtful than just sticking a cheque inside a card. For example, with flyustothemoon.com, guests can enjoy the feeling of choosing something specific for the newlyweds to enjoy. Perhaps they want to contribute to flight upgrades, pay for a romantic meal for two or make sure the pair get to experience something incredible on their trip that the gift giver would recommend. With the addition of a personalised note, this can become a very special and sentimental gift to help celebrate the newlyweds special day – and during their time on their honeymoon too!
How to ask for it
There was a point when asking for money might have come across a little awkward as it wasn’t the ‘done’ thing. However, you just need to look at the many poems that have been written for this exact reason, and it’s clear that it’s becoming more and more popular now. The best way is to print off one of these little poems and pop them in with each invitation you send out. That way, everyone knows from the beginning what you would like as a gift for your special day.
Add a poem to your invitation. Photo by stempow
If you’ve got a house full of all the homely bits and bobs you could possibly want or need; it makes perfect sense to ask your loved ones to help you enjoy a once in a lifetime holiday and make amazing memories as a newlywed couple.
