If you’ve already begun to lay the groundwork for your wedding, you probably know this will be a stressful time for your finances. When it comes to wedding gifts, you may already live with your fiancé and have no need for household items, or you may assume that simply asking for money as a gift will be the best way to offset wedding expenses. While both of these are reasonable justifications for asking your guests for cash, there are tactful (and not-so-tactful) ways to ask for it.
Register a few items you need or want at a store wedding registry for guests who feel uncomfortable giving money. Some guests want to give you something tangible for you to remember them by, so don’t restrict anyone by asking only for money.
Give your guests the option of purchasing gift cards at your chosen registry locations. For example, a gift card to a superstore may be used to purchase groceries or other necessities after your wedding.
Write “Cash is appreciated, too” or “Feel free to send a money gift, instead” on the portion of your invitation that provides registry information. Keep away from forceful or formal wording like “please bring a money gift” or “we will accept checks.” It’s your wedding, not a business transaction.
If your primary need is for more honeymoon money, there are websites that exist for guests to deposit money into an account specifically for your honeymoon. This is one of the most tactful ways to ask for money, as you can post pictures on your personal site and describe details of your exciting honeymoon plans. On your invitation, state something along the lines of, “Feel free to contribute to our honeymoon in lieu of a gift.”
Tips
A fun and common tradition for weddings is to perform a “dollar dance” in which male guests pay a dollar to dance with the bride, and female guests pay a dollar to dance with the groom (of course, gender needn’t be restricted—it can make for a few good laughs when a male guest pays the groom for a dance!). This is a fun way to collect some extra cash for the honeymoon without outright asking for it—it allows those who want to give a little extra to do it, without sending the message to all your guests that you could use a few extra bucks.
