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How Wishing Well Weddings Are Changing Traditional Gift-Giving

A wishing well wedding can be the perfect solution to asking your wedding guests for money instead of gifts. It’s proven to be the best alternative to traditional wedding gifts and has gained popularity among bridal couples in the last decade. In our modern times, plenty of engaged couples will have already live together before the wedding and the start of their marriage.  Their need for fancy appliances, picture frames or extra furniture has decreased significantly. Instead, they’re requesting financial contributions towards their honeymoon, their first home or whatever they can dream up.

Wishing well weddings can be far more practical to the couples who already have it all. Whereas household gifts could easily end up being duplicate items, leaving them with too much stuff.

Giving money to newlyweds is much more common than you might think.  You’ll see the upward trend in many cultures and has become quite normal in countries like Greece, Spain, Canada, and parts of the Middle East. As a matter of fact, some people prefer to gift money over traditional wedding gifts for one reason only; it gives the bridal couple much more freedom to start building their life together and exactly as they wish. According to recent studies, 96% of engaged couples managed their wedding registry online. Not only that, it’s extremely easy and effective to manage.

It’s one of the best ways for family and friends to be a part of the couple’s next chapter. Asking for money instead of hands-on gifts might feel awkward to some but it’s okay to request cash. Aside from weddings being moments of celebration, they are and have always been a gift-giving occasion. Why? Because wedding gifts aid the newlyweds in creating their new life together. Shouldn’t there be some freedom in deciding what kind of gift is the right gift?

For those engaged couples reading through this and wondering how to make it happen, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Wishing Well Wedding | How Ask Money Instead Gifts | Wedding Registries | Calgary Photographer | Anita Jeanine Photography | www.anitajeanine.com

Cash Wedding Registries

1.) Honeyfund – It’s been the most trusted honeymoon registry for over 12 years. Honeyfund makes it easy for you to share all the ways you plan to use the funds, whether it’s accommodations, flights, household items, and so on. Your wedding guests will surely be impressed with how user-friendly it is and will likely appreciate that they get a choice on which area to contribute to.

2.) MyRegistryThe company that invented the universal gift registry concept. This site allows you to receive cash and combine all your store registries into one location. They also have an app that has a cash gift fund feature that you can download to your phone. That will help you save some time. You can tastefully add a cash fund for experiences, travel, a new home, and more.

3.) GoFundMe – You’ve probably heard about it, it’s a fundraising platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances such as accidents and illnesses. You can use GoFundMe to raise money exactly as you choose.

4.) TendrThe simple and elegant way to give and receive cash for all of life’s milestones and occasions. Your wedding guests can gift cash and pick a design from 12 different e-cards. Just note, receiving gifts are free but for contributors, there is a 2.7% fee on credit cards, plus $3. That may or may not affect your decision with this one.

5.) Zola – An online wedding registry, wedding planner, and retailer that’ll do anything for love. With Zola, they make everything easy. You can receive gifts, gift cards, and honeymoon funds in one place. They also offer free tools to help streamline your wedding planning. All-in-one platforms tend to make the process much smoother.

6.) Zank You – With Zank You, you receive all guests’ contributions in cash and can transfer the money directly to your PayPal account. Spend it how you wish after that! Additionally, Zank You allows you to send Thank You notes straight from their app.

 

Wishing Well Wedding Wording Examples and Ideas

Choosing the right words for your wishing well wedding invitations can be a tricky thing to do. You can include a simple poem for money trees and wishing wells that are polite, sweet, and a less direct way of asking for cash. Here are a few cleverly crafted wording examples and poem ideas for your wishing well wedding. Hopefully, it will make your wedding guests smile and allow you to graciously make your preference for money clear as can be. Feel free to use these examples:

 

1) Make a wish

Our two families have come together as one.
We really hope you can join in the fun!
A wishing well we thought would be great,
but only if you wish to participate.
Place a gift of money in the well,
then make a special wish, but do not tell!
Please do not be offended by our request,
as our day is complete having you as a guest.

 2) Honeymoon in a foreign land

Soon we are to be Mr & Mrs
We don’t need a wedding list of dishes.
Our life together has already begun
We have almost everything under the sun:
Two kettles, two toasters, two microwaves
Though we also have dreams for which to save.
Our dream is to honeymoon in a foreign land
And walk along the beach hand in hand.
If you would like to give us a gift
A contribution towards this would give us a lift.
We like to think of it as our ‘Wishing Well’
Which will be filled with your love, we can tell!
But the most important thing to say
Is that you are there to celebrate our day!

3) For couples who already live together

We’ve collected most things over the years
from household appliances to holiday souvenirs

With everyone travelling from so far
it might be hard fitting presents in the car

Our only wish is to see you on the day
celebrating in your own special way

But if you still wish to give a gift
Our honeymoon fund would appreciate a little lift

4) For a romantic holiday

On the road to married life
we’ve collected many things to be husband and wife.

The honeymoon, however, is another thing;
we had to choose between it and the wedding rings.

A donation to our wishing well would be appreciated in every way
as it will help to send us on a romantic holiday.

5) Short but sweet

If you were thinking of giving a gift to help us on our way.
A gift of cash towards our house would really make our day.
However, if you prefer a gift, feel free to surprise us in your own special way.

6) Prayers of love and blessings

Soon you will hear our wedding bell,
As friends and family wish us well.
Our household thoughts are not brand new,
We have twice the things we need for two.
Since we have our share of dishes and bedding,
We’re having instead a wishing well wedding.
But more importantly, we ask of you,
Your prayers of love and blessings, too!

 

Benefits of Having a Wishing Well Wedding

  • No duplicate gifts. Brides won’t be receiving multiple platters and toasters anymore.
  • Budget-friendly. It enables wedding guests to choose whatever amount they want to give without ruining their budget.
  • They are more practical than big gift boxes on the wedding day.
  • It gives you an option to buy what you need for your newly married life.
  • It can help you pay off your new home, honeymoon bucket list, and moving expenses.