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Prosecco & Petals
Wedding planning guide
Defining a wedding gift preference to your guests can feel a little awkward, but this will ensure that those invited spend less time worrying about what to give you and you receive a useful gift. Scroll down for a guide to the pros and cons of each wedding gift option and how to phrase your gift choice to avoid any awkwardness.
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Wedding money is a traditional gift still favoured in most cultures. Money is an easy an easy option for guests and will enable you to have flexibility in how to spend it. Many newlyweds use money to recuperate some of the wedding costs, pay for a honeymoon or as savings towards another life event. The amount gifted should be determined by your weddings guests, but will typically range from £40 - £100.
While there are a lot of online forums discussing how much to gift, the amounts given by your friends and family will vary significantly and it is vital to have low expectations, particularly if you have rather thrifty friends. It is worth avoiding cash as a wedding gift if you are from different countries unless you specify the currency: This will avoid cheques you cannot cash.
Wedding gift registries are a wise idea for newlyweds who are moving house, buying their first property or moving in together for the first time. For guest, gifting homeware feels more personalised than cash and as a couple you will have daily reminders of your wedding day. Defining the gifts you want will ensure that you don’t receive duplicates, have to return items or accept gifts that you would never want/need/have chosen for yourself.
Organising a gift registry will take some effort on your part to a) decide on a shop b) organise the logistics of delivery and c) pick out items that you would want across of a range of prices. Gift registries also remove the fun of unwrapping surprise gifts or opening envelopes with unknown amounts of cash. Gift registries can also put more pressure on wedding guests to promptly make a selection or be stuck with items they may not be able to afford.
By allowing your guests to choose their own option whether it is a gift, money or donation on your behalf, you are enabling them to be creative and give something truly thoughtful. By not defining your expectations, you will also get a genuine surprise and this can be a very fun activity after your special day. Allowing guests to give the gift they want will lessen the financial burden on your nearest and dearest.
By allowing your guests to freely decide on a gift, it is vital to set your expectations low to avoid disappointment and any feelings of resentment that can be triggered when you calculate the costs you’ve spent per head. Expect that some friends will give very small gifts and to end up with lots of photo frames, card shop wedding gifts and glassware.
Your wedding gift choice should be based on your current and short-term needs:
Cash gifts are best for those who need financial recuperation or money for a fun purpose, such as a honeymoon: This option allows guests to gift the amount they can afford and also limits any headache associated with having to buy you the right gift.
Gift registries are a good idea for those with limited housing items or those who expect to move in the near future. Homeware items are a nice gift to give and will serve as a reminder of your day.
Below are tried and tested templates to make your guests feel all warm and fuzzy and less like an ATM:
Your presence is all we ask for, but if you would like to give us a gift, we would greatly appreciate a contribution to our honeymoon fund.
If you were thinking of giving us a gift, a small amount of cash would allow us to celebrate our marriage in a special way.
Your presence on the day is all we ask for but if you would like to get us a gift we have set up a gift list at [SHOP NAME] which can be accessed by [DETAILS].