Honeymoon Registry

Most (if not all) honeymoon registries take a percentage of the amount given, either from the money you receive or directly from your guests as they're donating to the fund. We considered having one at the beginning of our engagement, but quickly realized that a lot of people have very strong opinions about them and they're widely concerned to be tacky. Instead we decided to make a registry on Amazon to update our housewares (towels, sheets, kitchen appliances). If you don't have any need for physical gifts, I suggest not registering at all. People will take the hint and gift you with a check or cash if they're feeling generous

My fiance and I didn't sign up for a honeymoon registry because of the fees. However, on our registry page on our website (we registered at Bed Bath and beyond and Amazon), we stated that guests can contribute to the honeymoon if they would like. We then put that a check can be mailed to my fiance's address and made out to him.

Ours is through Zola and I've been really happy with them so far. They have the lowest fees - they charge a 2.5% credit card processing fee, which you can cover yourself or have your guests cover - and have a pretty user-friendly setup. We have a bunch of individual cash funds for each part of the honeymoon (flights, accommodations in each city, select meals, each day trip, etc.).

My thought is that I want to make it as easy as possible for guests to contribute to us. I usually have to travel for weddings and am scrambling around trying to find a card and write a check after I get to the wedding city - it would be so much easier to contribute in advance using my credit card. And I still like to send a gift when I can't come to a wedding, so it would be great to just RSVP "no" and send some money at the same time. More than half of our guests will be traveling, so I want to make things simple and streamlined. Some people will probably still show up with cards but if they don't have time to run to a store after their flight, they don't have to now. And if people don't want to give money, we have a couple of small registries of physical gifts they can choose instead or they can just not get us anything.

Basically, know your circle. I know some users on here find them tacky, but I see them at about half the weddings I attend nowadays and always contribute to them when given the option. I'd just skip any funds with big fees in favor of using Zola, The Knot, or maybe Honeyfund instead.

It’s definitely a know your crowd thing. Some guests find them deceitful because they aren’t actually purchasing a honeymoon experience, just sending you money with a middle man taking a percentage. Some people find them great. We didn’t have one and I’m glad we didn’t because we would’ve lost over $400 to fees.

We did a House Down Payment fund through Zola and I've been very happy with it So much better than accumulating junk we didn't need, and convenient for everyone. Many guests also brought a card with a check or cash inside to the wedding, so keep that in mind if not everyone donates ahead of time! I also got some late donations - better late than never haha.

My cousin-in-law just got married and used Zola for their honeymoon fund - guests could contribute towards their flights, hotel, accommodations, etc. Do what's best for you and your husband and enjoy your gifts!

Absolutely a know your guests issue. Daughter had a full registry, which was mostly purchased for her shower. Except for some of their younger friends who gave relatively inexpensive physical gifts, ALL her older, more affluent guests gave them cash or checks for the wedding -- no deductions to pay middleman fees, no offending people who find "asking for money" offensive. I know for a fact, some of those same guests would have found a honeyfund or other cash fund super tacky and rude. Wedding guests have been giving cash for decades/generations without any direction. Why potentially offend the guests most likely to give substantial cash gifts all on their own?

We did a Zola registry and then noted on the website that we will have a card box and Venmo to avoid credit card fees. Only two people have actually used the Zola feature as opposed to others who have given us or are planning to give us cash/check/electronically sending the money but they all get the message.

We used the Knot, it doesn't charge you at all, and it's easy to customize.

They transferred money within a few days, and kept a list of who gave what. Highly recommend!

I like Zola's set up- I find people like the honeymoon fund better when you say like a specific activity that you'll use the money for. For example, while I know because of doing it myself, that the money is just money, I chose the "Romantic Dinner Out" for a friend's wedding this summer because it does feel like you're giving them something more tangible.

We did a "Volcano Hiking Excursion" and that was one of the first to be purchased, even though it's still a cash fund, I know people like thinking they are actually giving you something specific. Also, it helps to personalize the thank you cards when you send them! For my sister who purchased the volcano thing for us, I plan on sending her pictures from the excursion!