Wedding season is upon us once again. This time around, couples are expected to spend thousands of dollars on their big day. While some brides and grooms prefer to give gifts, others want cash.
In this article, I will cover how to ask for money instead of gifts for a wedding.
Let’s get into this.
How To Ask For Money Instead Of Gifts For Wedding
While it might seem uncomfortable at first, asking for money instead of gifts is becoming more common. In fact, many Americans claim they’ve given cash to a friend or family member as a wedding present.
So, how do you ask for money instead of gifts for a wedding?
Register For Cash Funds
The most polite way to ask for money instead of gifts for your wedding is to set up a cash fund on your gift registry.
Cash funds are great for couples that are wanting to save towards a bigger goal, such as their honeymoon or buying a home.
Registry sites like Zola allow you to ask for cash gifts, honeymoon contributions, as well as physical gifts all in one place.
That being said, there are plenty of other notes that you can bear in mind when asking for money instead of gifts for your wedding.
Notes On Asking For Money Instead Of Gifts For Your Wedding
State How You’ll Use The Money
Giving a couple money instead of a physical gift can feel impersonal. As a result, you will want to ensure that you let your guests know what you intend to do with the money.
For instance, if you’re planning to build your home, or are saving for your dream honeymoon, let them know this on your wedding website!
Stating how long you’ve been working towards it, how far off you are, and the problems you’ve faced will add a personal touch to the request. In turn, this will allow your guests to feel closer to you, and they’ll be much more inclined to grant this request if they genuinely feel like they’ll be making a difference.
Ask Your Wedding Party And Parents To Let People Know
The people closest to you are going to be asked plenty of times what they think you would like or need as a couple.
Stating to your wedding party and your parents that you would prefer to receive cash over physical gifts is a good way to ensure that your guests know.
When the inevitable questions arise, your wedding party will be able to tell them what you’re saving for and suggest that they make a contribution to that fund instead of getting you a new kitchen appliance.
Never Ask For Money In Your Wedding Invitations
Your wedding invitations are not the time to ask for anything, let alone stating you’d rather receive money over gifts.
Requesting gifts on your wedding invitation can set the wrong tone, and can come across as very rude. Wedding gifts aren’t a requirement for weddings, so it’s best avoided altogether.
Instead, you should set up a wedding website to state your registry information.
That being said, you can include your wedding website information on the invitation. This website will contain all the registry information that you want your guests to know, but in a much more polite manner.
Though this is an indirect way of guiding your guests, it is much better than directly asking them for money and therefore rubbing them up the wrong way.
Place A Box For Cards At The Reception
Once you have spread the word that you’d prefer cash to physical gifts, it’s likely that many people will bring cards to the reception that contain checks and cash.
As a result, you will need to place a box for cards at the reception and have a trusted member of your wedding party check it periodically throughout the day.
Having somewhere safe where you can place these cards is essential to ensure that the money isn’t lost or picked up by someone else at the wedding.
Wedding Checks Should Include Both Of Your Names
While you won’t be stating how each and every guest makes out their check to you, ideally, you want your guests to include both of your names.
If a guest does ask you for this information, include both of your names to ensure a smooth deposit later down the line.
This ensures that no one gets confused about who is receiving the money, and also allows you to keep track of how much money is from wedding guests.
Set Up A Traditional Registry
Not everyone is going to want to give you cash, and that’s to be expected.
By setting up a traditional registry, you can make these guests’ lives easier by selecting physical gifts that you actually want.
This could save some time and exchanges down the road, especially if you receive more than one of the same item!
Remain Realistic
While attitudes towards giving money instead of a gift for a wedding are changing and becoming more popular, you need to remain realistic.
Everyone has their personal preferences on what they’d like to receive for their wedding, but not every guest is going to stick to what you ask for – and that’s okay!
Not everyone has the money to spoil the happy couple, so you need to be mindful of people’s situations when you’re asking for gifts. You can ask, but you won’t always get!
Remember that it is a privilege to receive anything. This will help you to manage your expectations and disappointment if you don’t receive as much as you would have hoped at your wedding.
Don’t Ask For Money For Your Bridal Shower
A huge part of a traditional bridal shower is opening gifts!
To avoid complications, it’s best to stick with physical gifts for this occasion and enjoy being spoiled!
If you really don’t want gifts at your bridal shower, you could always organize a gathering where gifts can’t be the focus. This could include something like a relaxing spa day!
While you won’t have gifts in the same way as you would with a traditional shower, this could be a nice and relaxing way to spend time with your friends to celebrate your big day.
Conclusion
So, that’s how you ask for money instead of gifts for your wedding!
Hopefully after reading this article you have a better understanding of the etiquette and how to ask people for money instead of gifts for your wedding.
Good luck and enjoy your special day!
