The internet is a strange and wonderful place, and though unintended, it’s led to an entirely new way of doing wedding registries. Before its creation, most couples went to a department store, scanned items they wanted for their home and expected to receive mostly physical gifts — even if what they wanted most of all was cash.
But now couples have seemingly infinite options when it comes to wedding registries, and while it’s still considered impolite to ask for cash, couples have found new ways to ask for cash-based gifts and show guests gratitude for their contributions.
Not all options, however, fulfills both needs. Some couples have mistakenly turned to PayPal, Venmo and now even GoFundMe to raise money to pay for their weddings or fund their honeymoons. While it’s true that those platforms can transfer money, they lack many of the personal touches that honeymoon fund platforms like Hitchd provide in spades. By using these sites, guests risk offending their guests, ending up with very few gifts and living with an unsavory reputation among family members for quite some time.
So can you use GoFundMe to pay for either your wedding or your honeymoon? The answer is a little more complex than a simple yes or no. Here’s what you need to know about using GoFundMe for your wedding or honeymoon — and what to consider instead.
What to know about GoFundMe
You might already be familiar with GoFundMe. The crowdfunding platform allows anyone to start on a fundraiser for themselves or on behalf of someone else.
The causes for these fundraisers vary, but they’re usually associated with helping someone in a difficult situation. Some people ask for donations after living through a natural disaster such as a flood or tornado. Others start fundraisers on behalf of someone in their community who is going through a difficult time. Many raise money for families who lose homes in a fire or face chronic illnesses.
In any case, these fundraisers aim to send money to those, who through no fault of their own, find themselves in terrible situations with not enough money to cover these unexpected disasters.
It’s also important to note that while it’s free to start a GoFundMe, there are some fees to be paid. According to the platform’s site, GoFundMe charges a 2.9% transaction fee plus 30 cents. Depending on the credit card, there may be an additional fee on top of that. These fees are charged per transaction.
Can I use GoFundMe to raise money for my wedding?
If you’ve noticed from the previous section, one thing seems to be very true regarding GoFundMe: It’s mainly used to help people going through tough, troubled times.
What the platform is decidedly not used for is to fund more personal or vanity projects. The people using this site are in real trouble. They’re not trying to raise money to fund a big, expensive wedding. They’re asking for money not because they want to, but because they are left with no other choice.
When it comes to your wedding, you and your partner have tons of choices, no matter your income level. If you’re looking to save money on your wedding, you can:
- Choose a wedding date other than a Saturday when venues usually charge less.
- Shorten your guest list and have a more intimate affair.
- Select less expensive attire for the big day, checking out vintage shops or looking for less traditional dresses and suits.
- Opt for less elaborate and expensive flowers and centerpieces.
- Put off the big day until you’re in a better financial position to pay for your wedding.
No one will stop you from using GoFundMe to pay for your wedding, but your friends and family might consider it tacky and rude to ask others to help pay for your big day. It may not seem like a big difference to ask for a toaster versus money for the DJ, but it’s the longevity of the gift that matters. Your wedding is just one day, but a new toaster would be something you use every week and think of the gift giver while you use it.
Guests also might feel weird chipping in for your wedding and then being expected to buy a gift. It’s a big financial burden to place on your guests and one they’ve likely never felt obligated to pay before.
The bottom line is that there are plenty of ways to pay for your wedding, but crowdfunding on GoFundMe should not be one of them. You don’t want to risk alienating your friends and family members by asking them for money on a platform meant to mainly help people going through some of the worst days of their lives.
Can I use GoFundMe to fund my honeymoon?
So many of today’s couples find themselves in a somewhat difficult position. Not only are they paying for their wedding themselves, but they’re also paying for their honeymoon. That’s two big expenses, right on top of another.
If this describes you, then you might be feeling that crowdfunding your honeymoon is the only way to feasibly pay for both experiences. Weddings are expensive, and when compounded with your everyday expenses, then it likely feels that trying to pay for both is impossible. Even if both you and your partner work, it’s tough to raise enough money to hold even a small wedding, no matter how cost-cutting or frugal you might be.
But there is a better way to pay for your honeymoon, one that doesn’t involve crowdfunding or holding the smallest wedding possible so you and your partner can take your dream honeymoon. Instead of using GoFundMe, you should be using a honeymoon fund platform like Hitchd to help pay for your honeymoon.
Hitchd fills in all the holes in GoFundMe’s platforms. It is designed for engaged couples, not those in serious need, and its purpose is strictly to help pay for a honeymoon without making guests feel as if they’re just throwing money at you for an unspecified purpose.
What is a honeymoon fund?
With a honeymoon fund, the basic setup of a traditional wedding registry remains the same — guests scroll through the list of gifts that you want and choose which one they want to give you — but instead of asking for sheet sets and blenders, you ask for spa packages, dinners on the town and help with accommodations. All of the gifts are related to your honeymoon.
A honeymoon fund on Hitchd can include experience the following types of gifts:
- Experience-based gifts: These would be honeymoon-related activities and expenses, such as a walking tour of your host city, dinner at a romantic restaurant or accommodation expenses. By giving this type of gift, your guests will help you and your partner build memories that will last a lifetime. Remember with a honeymoon fund, the guest does not make a reservation or pay the hotel themselves. They send you the money so you can make the reservation yourself.
- Physical gifts: You can aks for physical gifts such as luggage on your honeymoon fund. Like with experience gifts, guests will simply send you the money so you can make the purchase yourself.
- Cash fund: You can also create a cash fund on Hitchd, which is like a money pool. Anyone can contribute any amount they want.
You might wonder: What’s the difference between asking for people to pay for your wedding versus your honeymoon? Part of it comes down to what your guests will or won’t be attending. It’s rather uncouth to ask for guests to pay to come to your wedding and then expect them to still give you a gift, which they will probably feel obligated to do. With a honeymoon fund, guests give just one gift, and they’re giving to fund a very special gift.
You and your partner might have been on trips before, but you haven’t been on a honeymoon until after you’re married. It has a different vibe. The pressure from the wedding is off. You two can relish in the fact that you’re finally married and spend time creating memories that you’ll revisit when you tell your children or just reminisce on your own.
Ready to start your own honeymoon fund. Here’s how Hitchd makes it work.
Fund memories, not things.
The modern registry where guests fund your dream honeymoon. It's simple and beautiful. Start your registry