You’ve heard it time and time again; cash is king. After planning a wedding, most couples are scared to check their bank account. But, with the popular option of cash registries, times are changing.
Whether you’re a couple browsing options for wedding registries or a guest who happened upon a cash registry on a wedding website looking for more info, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to help break down the basics of all things cash wedding registry.
What Is a Cash Wedding Registry?
When a couple is getting married, they try their best to curb family and friends from going into a store for the traditional toaster or dish towel they don’t need as wedding gifts.
The first effort came in the form of a traditional registry. This gift registry allows guests to purchase a gift that the couple had picked out. That way, the gifts can be personal and guests contribute to items the couple needs in their new home together.
More and more, though, a cash gift became more popular. First, in the form of a honeymoon fund, we’re seeing that the ultimate honeymoon registry comes in the form of none other than cash.
A Cash Wedding Registry Is All Cash
As the name suggests, cash wedding registries are an entirely money-based registry, different from the traditional ones of the past. The couple sets up specific or multiple goals, and guests can contribute to the fund.
Guests contribute towards a wide variety of options, including things like:
- Charity
- Downpayment of a home
- Honeymoon funds
The cash registry continues to gain traction in modern weddings because there are so many versatile options available. Additionally, guests can make contributions to a wide variety of financial goals.
What Are Common Gifts on Cash Funds?
According to a study Nerdwallet released in 2018, the average wedding guest spends $128 on a gift. Of course, this is an average, and depending on how well family and friends know the happily wedded, this amount could quickly increase to well above that contribution.
Rather than gifting things, money is assuredly needed by every couple. A cash registry makes gifting cash easy for guests and users who set up the online cash fund. Rather than relying on a cash box, keeping everything online makes it simpler and safer for everyone.
Depending on the cash fund site you use for your cash registry, you may be limited to just a honeymooned fund. Other sites will allow you all of the freedom in the world, so you can receive cash gifts for nearly anything you can imagine.
Some of the most popular items found on cash registries include:
- Cash to help cover wedding costs
- A honeymoon fund
- Contributions to a charity
- Help with a down payment on a home
- Funds for home repairs
Home Down Payment
When it comes to creating a cash wedding with a registry, there are many different ways to think about it. For example, coming up with a downpayment can be a lot of pressure if you’re looking to purchase a new home in the near future.
Home Repairs
In the same light, another thing that can add up quickly is home repairs or renovations. People can easily spend thousands of dollars, depending on the project. Help improve the home you are trying to build with an investment in your future by putting the cash fund.
Wedding Expenses
Other times, couples use the money from their cash registry to fund wedding day-related expenses, like the wedding venue, vendors, or even the wardrobe.
The most important thing is that the cash fund is something you and your partner want or need, whatever you choose to put on your registry.
How Do You Set Up a Cash Fund?
It’s easier than you may think to set up a cash fund. Still, there are some nuances to consider. Here are some tips to help you register for cash for your wedding website.
Create a Profile
The first step to create a cash fund of your own starts with creating a profile through registry services, like the one that Hitchd offers. Once the profile is set up, the couple will input information, including their bank account information and their financial goals.
Choose Financial Goals
Some couples opt for big-ticket items, like a honeymoon fund or a cash gift to help with the downpayment for a future home. Other couples choose to ask for cash gifts from the wedding guest to help cover the costs of the wedding, including food or wardrobe.
Breaking It Down
Couples can even choose to break down the information for something like a honeymoon fund. Guests can pay for specific things like shopping in a store for things like:
- Day trips
- Hotel stays
- Train transfer
- Airfare
- And more!
Things such as a new business, classes of some kind, home renovations, charity funds, or something else of their choosing can also help to create a fully customized cash fund that family and friends can get on board with.
Setting up your cash fund is the next big step, whatever you decide the goal to be. Hitchd offers a variety of great options. You can have your registry up and running in no time by simply answering just a few quick questions (name, wedding date, cash money goal, etc.).
Best of all, you can include an image of whatever it is you’re looking for a contribution on, your trip, charity, etc.
Why Do Couples Register for Cash?
You may have noticed that the couple opted for a cash registry if you’ve attended a wedding lately. But why? We’re here to look at some of the reasons more, and more couples are looking into cash registries.
Couples Live Together Before Marriage
One of the most significant contributing factors to the increase in popularity of a cash fund registry is that today’s modern couples often live together before marriage.
When couples move in together, they combine their things, often resulting in an excess versus a need for any everyday household items.
Couples Marry Later
On the same note as couples living together before marriage, many couples are getting married later in life than in the past. Because of this, they’ve often accumulated many of the necessary household items before marriage.
Need vs. Want
Another one of the leading contributions to the popularity of cash funds today is that people are beginning to lean towards asking for what they need versus what they want. We said it once before, and we’ll keep saying it; cash is king. Having a cash registry could help alleviate some financial issues like student loan debt.
Social Media
Social media rules our world these days, and not surprisingly, it may also contribute to the desire for a honeymoon fund versus anything else for weddings. Modern couples prioritize traveling and seeing the world before settling down to have a family.
What Is the Cash Fund Etiquette?
Etiquette is especially important when it comes to weddings. Additionally, there are a few things you should keep in mind once you’ve decided that you want to move forward with a cash wedding registry. Cash wedding gifts are more common than you might think, even though some think asking for money can be rude or tacky.
Either way, you’ll want to follow the proper etiquette when requesting monetary gifts. Here are some dos and don’ts to consider when putting together your wedding cash registry.
- Ask family and friends to help shed light on your registry
- Be upfront about where the money is going
- Don’t ask for cash gifts on your wedding invitations
- Use a reputable cash registry site
Ask Family and Friends to Help
It may feel tacky asking for a cash fund yourself, so getting your friends and family involved to spread the message can help make it a less uncomfortable transaction.
Ask your parents to let guests know what you want as the most delicate approach. Having your parents and bridal party be in the know about your cash registry will help move things along since the odds are guests will ask them what you want.
Make sure you’re also explaining to this group your goals for the cash fund, honeymoon, home expenses, etc. Letting them in on the insight helps them to explain it to guests who may not be one hundred percent on board with the idea of cash gifts.
Be Upfront About Where the Money Is Going
Make your guests feel included by being transparent about how you intend to use the money, whether for a honeymoon or something else.
Depending on how you set up your site, your guests will likely have multiple options on how to give you cash gifts, including:
- Cash
- Check
- Credit card
- Paypal
- Another online processing service
You can provide a link on your wedding website to your dream honeymoon with an unbeatable image. Or, for home renovations, consider adding a blueprint to your website of what you’re working for. Whatever your financial goal is, include a note on your website for your guests to see, so they know what they will contribute towards.
Don’t Ask for Cash Gifts on Your Wedding Invitations
Especially when asking for cash gifts, being courteous is the key to everything. Call it traditional, but minding your manners and asking for things at the appropriate time goes a long way.
It won’t be polite to your guests if you ask for gifts or cash anywhere on your wedding invitations. Any mention of your cash fund in general on invitations is included. Provide a link to your cash fund on your wedding website instead of any invitations.
Please include the address of your wedding website on the invitation or have it as an insert as the most polite and efficient way to communicate your registry. Your website will ultimately serve as a hub of information for all your wedding updates, including what you intend to do for gift registries.
Use a Reputable Cash Registry Site
Online options reign supreme if you want to register a cash fund, but make sure you stick with a reputable service. While it is familiar, Paypal doesn’t make for the best registry because of fees.
Using a website with all the bells and whistles already worked in is the best way to go, even if you consider yourself a tech-savvy person. Thankfully, many options exist online for you with the increased demands of many people using cash funds today.
Hitchd offers one of the best registries, with various easy-to-use features built-in. It allows you to detail aspects of your honeymoon gifts, including things like snorkeling expeditions, surf school, Airbnb stays, and much, much more.
Protect Private Bank Information
Remember that you will have to enter your bank account or credit card information. Bank account information may also be required of your guests who opt out of paying with a credit card on some sites.
Either way, you’ll want to protect yourself and your guests with a site you can trust. Only create an account with a reputable source, like Hitchd, to avoid any credit card, Paypal, or other financial scams.
Be Weary of a Transaction Fee
Additionally, you’ll want to be mindful of how a site charges a transaction fee or other charges for things like a transfer or use of credit. With a cash fund, a certain percent of the cash gifts will often be charged as a processing or service fee.
Fees can be a hidden and sneaky percent, so make sure to check this information out. The last thing you want is your guest to be responsible for the payment of a fee when they’re trying to contribute to your honeymoon funds. Opt for sites with free credit card transaction and transfer fees, not a certain percent.
With services like Hitchd, you pay a one-time fee. That’s it! There’s no range or percent that you or your guests have to pay each time a transaction is made. Once the initial fee has been paid, you can access or transfer your money, however, free of charge. No hidden fees in store!
Don’t Forget to Thank Your Guests
Remember that a cash honeymoon fund is similar to a traditional registry or your guests going to a store to hand-select a gift for you. Always thank everyone with a personal message for any amount of funds they contribute to your honeymoon trip, charity, home renovations, or bank account.
Professional services like those provided by Hitchd help make this process easier than ever. When you create an account and register with Hitchd, you’ll have the ability to thank your guests digitally, or via a physical thank you card directly from your cash wedding registry.
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