My family was a little puzzled when my cousin announced, in the lead-up to her nuptials, that instead of wedding gifts she’d prefer contributions to her honeymoon.
That’s not traditional, aunts and uncles whispered. Why doesn’t she do a normal gift registry?
Non-traditional they may be, but increasingly, honeymoon registries make a lot of sense – whether for people who are getting married a little later than our parents’ generations, and so don’t need the traditional household basics of good kitchenware and towels, or even for those who (gasp!) just aren’t that into place settings.
Here’s the deal: honeymoon registries, set up through sites like Buy Our Honeymoon, allow for newlyweds to request specific experiences and gifts within the honeymoon umbrella.
It’s not like just forking over cash towards a trip — guests still get the satisfaction of selecting a particular event or activity, whether that means a scuba diving lesson or a special meal out, that the couple will remember (and, presumably, associate with the gift-giver) forever.
I haven’t got any wedding plans lined up at the moment (though any Yanks up for a greencard wedding should drop me a line!), but — as someone who spends nearly every penny I can spare on travel — I love the idea of receiving travel experiences as gifts, in lieu of the usual housewares.
To learn more, check out Buy Our Honeymoon.
Not convinced yet?
Check out Honeymoon Registries: Because You Already Have Enough Bath Towels.
Photo by gaminrey (Creative Commons)
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4 Comments... join the discussion!
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This is exactly what my wife and I did for our wedding earlier this year (by the way, we got married in Yosemite National Park…after getting engaged in Yellowstone National Park a few years before). It worked out great. We're doing our best to declutter our lives, and the idea of getting even more stuff after the wedding was a definite fear. And, like many Americans, we already have plenty of *stuff*. We used a different site, Honeyfund, and set up our own items of what folks would be buying for us on our honeymoon, an Alaskan National Park roadtrip. Some of the items included camping under the stars, a well cooked meal, an hour or two of a guided tour, and even things as banal as gas to get us there (this was during the high of gas prices, and surprisingly, was one of the most popular choices). A few of our guests complained half-heartedly, but the vast majority thought it was a really great idea, and certainly fit us. In fact, several people "spent" more than they otherwise would have because they knew how much the trip would mean to us, and how we'd never forget the memories. I strongly recommend that couples consider it.
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Totally going to try this!
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Due to popular demand we've just launched a honeymoon gift list service, and we've seen no end of enquiries. People are especially interested in our service because they know they will be going on an ethical honeymoon – supporting environments and local communities – plus we've got such a big choice, from luxury beach resorts and big adventure holidays to B&BS, but none of our holidays are your usual run of the mill package holidays. In fact, people are askuing for vouchers to add to their list so they can take a holiday at a later date to help lift them from the post-wedding blues! ” target=”_blank”>http://www.responsibletravel.com/giftlist
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