The top honeymoon registry activities every couple can enjoy

If there's one thing engaged couples struggle to create for their weddings, it's the honeymoon registry.

It's not as if creating a honeymoon registry is difficult, but for many couples, it's the first time they have to do anything like it. Couples new to honeymoon registries like Hitchd don't know which gifts to include, beyond airfare and accommodations, or what honeymoon registry etiquette it like.

The beauty of a honeymoon registry is in its versatility. Couples can design their honeymoon registries any way they want and include only the activities that they want to try when out on their dream honeymoon.

Still, need a little inspiration? Here are Hitchd's top honeymoon registry activities that any couple can include along with our best tips and practices for many the honeymoon registry a smashing success.

Why more honeymoon fund gifts lead to happier guests

and larger contributions

Engaged couples using Hitchd have seen some fantastic successes with their honeymoon funds — but why?

To answer that, we combed through our site's registries to look at the most successful honeymoon funds to see what they had in common and compare them with other registries on the site. Our research found:

• The average contribution amount to a honeymoon registry increases by 38.5% for registries that have a varied number of gifts and experiences compared to registries that had just a single honeymoon fund gift
• The average contribution size comes to USD $130 for registries with six or more gifts compared to USD $93 with less than six gifts.

In short: The more gifts a honeymoon registry has listed, the higher the average contribution to the fund.

There are several reasons why this is true. First off, guests like a variety of options and price points to choose from, no matter the type of wedding registry. Older family members are usually able to contribute more than friends who are still working their way through school. When couples have plenty of gifts at various price points to choose from, guests feel more welcome and included.

Having more gifts on a honeymoon registry, rather than one catch-all fund, also personalizes the experience for guests. A single fund doesn't tell guests much about what the couple plans to do on the honeymoon — just that they want money to pay for it. Couples who add multiple gifts show guests what they plan to do and encourage them to get excited to hear about how the couple spent the gift.

Now some couples might be thinking that six gifts won't be nearly enough when they plan to invite 75 or 100 people to their wedding. But it's important to remember that Hitchd and other honeymoon registry sites allow couples to break down larger gifts into smaller price points so that more people can contribute to the one gift.

For example, the accommodations will likely be anywhere from $500 to $2,000. Rather than asking for one $500 gift, couples can divide that into five $100 gifts. Now more people can contribute, and they don't have to empty their bank accounts to do it.

Start your honeymoon registry. Get started for free

The best honeymoon fund gift ideas

There's nothing worse than sitting down to a computer with a specific purpose only to be inhibited by writer's block. It's not surprising that couples have a hard time deciding what to put on their honeymoon registry. After all, this is likely the first, and hopefully only time, they'll have to make one.

For those in need of a little inspiration for their honeymoon fund, here are a few gift suggestions that guests are excited to give and couples are delighted to receive.

Dinner and dancing

The ultimate date night, dinner and dancing is a fan favorite for engaged couples because it works just about anywhere in the world. No matter what city or country the couple is visiting, it's likely that they can find a restaurant and a nightclub for a fun night on the town.

To make this gift special, couples should research the city they're visiting and pick out a specific restaurant and nightclub to visit. The description of the gift can outline dishes the couple plans to try and any other cool details about the nightclub. This makes the gift feel more personal and special to the gift giver.

Depending on where the couple is going, the price for dinner and dancing usually varies between $50 and $75. This is a fairly affordable option that most guests will feel comfortable giving no matter their financial situations.

A round of drinks

Drinking as an activity? On a honeymoon, having a cocktail by the pool or sipping coffee in a city cafe can be a very fun activity. It's a great way for the couple to stop and relax in between all the other activities, and it allows them to unwind for a bit.

Including a round of drinks as a honeymoon registry gift can be a key gift to include because it's likely to be inexpensive. Most couples on Hitchd price a round of drinks anywhere between $20 and $40, depending on where they're going and whether they drink alcohol. This is a great price point for friends who are in school or maybe paying for their own weddings, and it's also a good choice for acquaintances of the couple, such as coworkers.

More than anything, buying the happy couple a round of drinks on their honeymoon just feels festive. When setting up this gift, couples usually post it as a large amount (maybe $100 or $200) and then divide that into $20 individual gifts so anyone can contribute.

Seaside excursions

For those couples heading to sandy beaches and clear, blue waters, there are a ton of fun activities that would make fantastic honeymoon registry gift ideas. These are popular activities that couples will enjoy and guests will love hearing about when the couple gets home.

For any of these honeymoon registry gift ideas, couples should break down the total cost of the tour into smaller pieces to accommodate more guests. Most of these adventures will cost anywhere from $200 to $400, which can be broken down to $50 or $100 gifts.

Snorkeling

There's nothing more relaxing than an afternoon — or even a day — of snorkeling. Unlike scuba diving, snorkeling doesn't include any heavy equipment or training, just a snorkel, goggles and usually some fins for the feet. Couples who snorkel get a cool look at the ocean floor below and will usually spot some cool fish.

No tour is really needed for snorkeling, but many tour companies on the coastline will offer snorkeling tours. These companies usually know the best places to go to see ocean wildlife, so it's often worth paying a little more rather than striking out alone.

Scuba diving

For those couples really looking for adventure on the high seas, scuba diving provides plenty of excitement and entertainment. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for couples that don't live close to the ocean, and guests love hearing all about it when the couple returns home.

When writing the description for this gift, couples should be researching scuba companies that are accredited and have plenty of good reviews. If the couple is already taking scuba diving lessons, they should also include this in the description. It shows guests just how committed the couple is to this gift.

Start your honeymoon registry. Get started for free

Spa day

No honeymoon should be complete without some serious relaxation, and what better way to relax than a trip to a local spa?

This is a popular honeymoon registry gift idea because guests love the idea of sending the happy couple off to be pampered. Couples should include a few spa options in the description and describe which services they plan to enjoy. Couples massages and facials are fan favorites among Hitchd users.

Guided tours

When exploring a new city like Rome or Paris, there are countless guidebooks and blogs that can help couples see the city for themselves — without going on an expensive guided tour. But many of those guided tours point out details and share little-known facts and legends that most guidebooks leave out.

Not only do guided tours make for great experiences, but they also make great honeymoon registry gifts. Couples can find all sorts of different tours from historical walking tours through the city to fun ghost tours at night. Many cities offer tours based around food and even alcohol, so couples should research a few fun tours they'd like to take and then add them to the gift description so guests can check them out at well.

Hiking, climbing and biking activities

While some couples head to the ocean for their honeymoons, others go straight to the mountains. Outdoorsy couples planning not to waste any time in the city will need gifts more tailored to the types of excursions they plan to take.

Here are just a few outdoor honeymoon registry gift ideas that couples love.

Bike rentals

Some couples rent bikes for a day in the city and see the sites from their seat. Others rent mountain bikes and head out on a rugged trail. No matter what option is preferred, couples have plenty of options for bike rentals. In cities, they're a great alternative to taxis or other public transportation, and in the country, they offer a good dose of exercise for the couple.

Bike rentals usually run between $30 to $50 per day depending on the bike and the location. For couples planning to do more than one day or bike rentals, the total cost of the gift should be broken down to create more gifts at smaller price points.

Theater tickets

Couples heading to just about any major city should check out the local theater scene to see what's available. In major cities like New York and London, there will be no shortage of options, but even in smaller towns, couples can find unique shows that might become their new favorites — or maybe just something to laugh about later.

Rather than just asking for money for tickets, couples should look into what's playing and choose a show for their honeymoon registry description. Theater-loving guests can then check out the show for themselves, and once the couple returns, they'll want to hear all about it.

All of these activities make for great gifts on any honeymoon registry, but to make the registry successful, couples need to do one thing: research.

The more guests know about the gift, the more invested and appreciated they'll feel when giving the gift. Couples on Hitchd are always encouraged to point to specific tours and activities they plan to try on their honeymoons, and they should be including links to any relevant websites (tour companies, theaters, etc) or photos. Guests who have never given to a honeymoon registry before will feel comfortable knowing more about the couple's honeymoon plans, and they'll start getting excited when they see what the couple has planned.

The most important thing to remember when creating a Hitchd honeymoon registry is just this: have fun. Couples should be getting excited about planning their dream honeymoon, and more than likely, that excitement will be contagious among guests ready to send off the happy couple.

Start your honeymoon registry. Get started for free