Now that you’re officially engaged (congratulations, by the way!), you’re probably hearing about the long list of things to do before the big day, including building a wedding registry.
But what if building one could be a lot of fun? What if it could be a time when you ask for what you really want as a wedding present and simultaneously start planning your honeymoon at the same time?
That’s where a honeymoon registry comes in. HEere’s everything you need to know about honeymoon registries and how they can help you and your partner save for the honeymoon you’ve always wanted to take.
What is a honeymoon registry anyway?
At its core, a honeymoon registry works just like wedding registry at Bed, Bath and Beyond or Target. You, the couple, get to pick the items you’d like as wedding presents, and then your guests get to go shopping for you and pick out something meaningful to them as a gift.
The biggest difference between the two, of course, is that a honeymoon registry usually centers on experiences as gifts, specially honeymooning experiences. Instead of asking a relative or friend to buy you a toaster, you’re asking your guests to help send you two out on a romantic dinner or on a trip to the spa while you’re enjoying your lavish honeymoon together.
The process of a honeymoon registry, once you create one, is simple:
- Step 1: A wedding guest chooses a gift on your honeymoon registry that he or she would like to purchase.
- Step 2: The guest purchases the gift (Hitchd lets users choose multiple ways that guests can pay from credit cards to cryptocurrency) by sending you the amount asked for through your honeymoon registry.
- Step 3: If you’re using Hitchd, the money goes to your preferred account, ready for you to book that flight or reaserve those tickets.
Some honeymoon registry sites won’t let you access your gift money until after your big day. Others will limit how much or how often you can withdraw fom your account. With Hitchd, your money goes straight to you, so you can book your honeymoon confidently knowing that you will be able to pay off your credit card in a timely fashion with your gift money.
With a honeymoon registry through Hitch, you can even ask for physical gifts in addition to the experience ones. Some couples ask for luggage or other travel-related expenses that will be the journey much sweeter.
What goes on a honeymoon registry?
There’s no limit as to what you can put on your honeymoon registry, but most couples like to include:
- Airfare, train tickets or other travel expenses
- Acommodations at a hotel, resort or Airbnb
- Dinners and drinks
- Entertainment (tickets to a ball game or musical)
- Tours
- Spa packages
The key to impressing guests is to thoughtfully design the gift description and include photos and links to help guests understand exactly what they’re giving you. If you sign up with Hitchd, you’ll have access to thousands of stock photos as well as introduction and gift templates to help jumpstart the writing process.
Types of honeymoon registries
No two honeymoon registries look exactly the same, and the great thing about building one is that you get to decide what is useful or what isn’t.
Here are a few types of honeymoon registries that most couples prefer to use:
- Going-away honeymoon registry: This type of honeymoon registry will have all the gifts needed to jetset away from home and have a fabulous time. These registries will include many of the gifts listed above.
- Staycation honeymoon registry: Not ready to go far just yet? A staycation lets you be a tourist at home, enjoying all the little benefits you might take for granted. Instead of asking for accommodations or airfare, you might ask guests for memberships to museums or tickets to local theater companies. You’ll get to see more of your city and support those who make it great.
- Cash fund: Some couples who are eloping or having a very small ceremony and reception feel awkward asking for extravagant gifts as a wedding present. Instead of setting up a registry, they create a cash fund, which is like pool where guests can throw whatever amount of money they’d like into a single fund that goes to the couple.
All of these registries can be created using Hitchd, and we’re ready to help you if you get stuck at any point.
Why couples choose a honeymoon registry:
Honeymoon registries have explosed in popularity mainly due to two factors:
- More couples are paying for their own weddings, and;
- They’re older when they’re marrying and choosing to live together first.
These two factors can make a traditiona wedding registry a tough sell. Already, these couples have homes together, and they’re more established in their careers. They’ve replaced the hand-me-downs fom uni with quality replacements, and they’ve got the money to buy what they want.
Except a dream honeymoon.
Even the most financially set couple struggles to pay for a wedding and honeymoon simultaneously. Having a honeymoon fund stops guests from giving you home goods that you don’t need while helping you pay for something you truly want.
Having gift money come in before the big event also helps keep your credit card spending under control. During the last few months leading up for the wedding, you and your partner will be on the hook for all types of expenses. With a honeymoon registry, you’ll have some cash coming in to help you balance your card statement.
What to know about wedding etiquette as a couple
As you almost certainly know, the rules of wedding etiquette dominate this period in your life, but those rules differ when you become the hosting couple. It’s very important you adhere to these standards and do your absolute best to make all friends and relatives feel welcome.
For this reason, asking for cash outright as a wedding present is considered rude, and here’s why: No guest should ever feel obligated to give a wedding present or meet a certain monetary amount.
This is a special gift, one that guests often think long and hard about what to give. They want to show their love for the happy couple and express how much either the bride or groom has meant to them. They also hope the couple will remember them when they use their gift, which is part of the reason why home goods have been popular wedding presents.
So it stands to reason that you should avoid offending all guests if possible.
Does that mean a honeymoon registry is considered a tacky way to ask for cash as a wedding present?
In short, no.
A honeymoon registry can be respectful so long as you fulfill your end of the agreement. If a guest pays for your spa package while you’re in Bermuda, then you’d better make sure that you book your services. Whatever the gift, you need to follow through.
There are two ways to offend guests through a honeymoon registry. The first is to not follow through on the gift. It’s one thing if a death or sudden serious event derails your honeymoon, but it’s a whole other thing if you use your gift money to pay bills or buy yourself a new TV or accessory. That’s not why the giver gave you that money, so it isn’t how you should spend it.
The other way is to skimp on the thank-you note. If you’re using Hitchd, then you can send an email thank-you right away. This is a nice way to show your guests that you received the gift and acknowledge their generosity. This does not absolve you from writing out a thank-you note when you return. Your guests will want to know how you enjoyed their gift, and Hitchd keeps track of who bought what so you don’t have to remember it all.
If you’re worried about offending guests with your honeymoon registry, remember to be generous with thank-yous all over your site. You can never say it enough, so say it often.
Having a honeymoon registry can help you ask for exactly what you’d like as a wedding present, and it can help you pay for that ultimate post-wedding experience. Be mindful of how you design your honeymoon registry, and your guests will feel excited to send you two off in style.
Ready to start creating the ultimate honeymoon registry? Here’s how to get started.
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