Wedding Gifts

Is asking for money an option?

Wedding gifts are a tricky subject to talk about when you’re getting married. There is a fine line between politely asking for specifics and coming across as crass; a line which is only made finer by the gifts you ask for – if, of course, you ask for any gifts.

Most couples are already living together when they get married, and so there isn’t really any urgent need for new household items as gifts. The days where traditional and modern wedding gifts – such as kitchen appliances – being given to the couple are slowly dying out as these are no longer necessary.

It is becoming more and more common to ask for money for redecorating, new furniture or to put towards a honeymoon if is hasn’t already been organised or paid for. Sometimes if the bride and groom have splashed out a little bit too much on the wedding, dress, rings or honeymoon, cash donations can be a good way of helping to cover the cost, but it’s not a particularly guest-friendly way of going about getting a gift.

It is difficult to put into words that you would like a cash donation without coming across as rude. It can be perceived as a little bit cheeky to ask for, no matter how it comes across. Guests almost always have to shell out quite a bit of money just to attend a wedding: new clothes, haircuts, travel and accommodation are the main expenses that guests will face, so is asking for extra money on top of that really an acceptable burden to put onto them?

A lot of people ask for money to be put onto a specific department store gift card like Debenhams or Next. This way they can get pretty much anything for themselves or the home and all the money is in one place and easy to track. Not only that, but it is a way of asking for money that doesn’t feel like a cash-in-hand gift, because it is going onto a card.

If you are of the ilk who would rather not ask for money, then there are a number of different options you can go for:

• Mr & Mrs couple gifts
• Personalised “marriage” style art
• Thoughtful household decorations

It is, however, very much a personal preference between the bride and groom. Some couples will think it is justified as it is their day and they have a plan with what they want to do with the money, whereas other couples will feel completely embarrassed to ask for any gifts whatsoever!

Asking for money is definitely an option for a wedding, but there is also a specific way of going around asking without sounding rude or demanding. If you keep things polite and give guests the ability to choose what they get you, whilst still pointing them in the right direction, then everyone will be happy and feel appreciated.

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