Politely requesting money instead of gifts for your wedding is a fine art, but these days, it’s more common than you’d think.

Traditionally, couples would welcome the flood of kitchen appliances, home electronics, and matching dinner mats that would arrive at their doorstep post-wedding day. Their sparkling new home would be filled with physical wedding gifts, often requested by the couple themselves simply because this was their first home together, and they didn’t have any stuff!

However, nowadays, the average couple has already been living together for many years before tying the knot and they’ve got a lot of the stuff they already need. But, what they don’t have is capital! No deposit to buy a house, and no extra budget for that dream honeymoon. 

Receiving cash wedding gifts can be a wonderfully useful way to start married life together, as it offers the opportunity to invest, or spend big on something you wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise.

However, it is still a relatively new concept and it’s worth taking into consideration the feelings of your relatives and closest friends when addressing your gift preference. So how to ask for money for a wedding gift?

Today, we’re going to share the subtle and polite ways you can ask for monetary gifts, while also exploring the best ways to receive said cash donations. 

How To Ask for Money Instead of Gifts for Your Wedding

Is It Offensive To Ask for the Gift of Cash?

As long as you ask politely, and subtly, there is nothing wrong with a cash gift request, or a special honeymoon registry. As we mentioned, the giving of traditional wedding gifts could be a wasteful way for your guests to spend their hard-earned money since you’ve probably got everything you need. 

Honeymoon contributions and wedding money funds are also a lot more common than you’d think and these days, you’re probably not the only couple in the lives of your wedding guests to have done the same.

It’s truly a hugely popular option and one that’s been made fairly effortless by a handful of specialist websites. We’ll explore these as we carry on. 

It’s also worth noting that in many cultures around the world, gifting cash at a wedding is normal. In fact, it’s celebrated!

The Italians, Greeks, and Polish all have specific ceremonies centered around the handing over of cash contributions. often involving dancing, singing, and games. It’s true that many couples from those cultures bank on the fact that this will happen because they need this sort of wedding gift to pay for their massive party!

During a typical Korean or Chinese wedding, the donation of money is usually a little less flamboyant, but it is still pivotal to proceedings, with envelopes filled with cash or a check normally given to the marrying couple during the wedding reception. 

The Best Ways To Ask for the Gift of Money

Sign Up for a Cash Registry Website

Receiving cash via online wedding registries is typically the easiest and safest way to go about things. Websites like Zola and Honeyfund will make the whole experience relatively pain-free, and in the case of Honeyfund, free!

Whichever site you choose, you’ll be provided with a simple way for your wedding guests to show their love in the form of dollars! 

If there are some physical items that you would like to request as part of your registry, then The Knot would be a good choice for you as it offers a cash option to your guests, alongside more traditional gift ideas. You and your loved ones get the best of both worlds!

It is wise to set up a registry for physical gifts, even if it’s on a separate site because there will inevitably be certain guests who will get so much more joy out of selecting something special for your home.

Rather than simply handing over cash, think about these loved ones, and come up with a few things you’d love to receive. 

Share the Link on Your Wedding Website

Even if you’re sending out a physical wedding invitation, it’s an excellent idea to set up a wedding website.

Engaged couples found them so useful during the pandemic, as it allowed them the ability to update nearly all of their guests at the same time with any cancellations or changes. A wedding website also means that everyone is notified super-quick!

Aside from any negative changes, a wedding website will also gift you the opportunity to share updates. Your online registry can be added, or even a honeymoon fund for that once-in-a-lifetime vacation, one you’d never have dreamed of making without the kind gifts of money from your guests! 

This is the ideal place to bring up the idea, and explain why you have decided to take this route. Giving loved ones a clear reason why they should give you money will help them to feel as though they’re paying towards something worthy, not to mention it will make your guests feel more connected to your lives. 

Don’t Request Money on Your Wedding Invitations

However nicely you word your request or whichever fancy font you use, it won’t help the fact that a cash request on a wedding invite is a little cold. So if you’re worried about being rude, keep all mention of this off the physical stationery.

Normally, a wedding invitation suite will contain an insert card with lots of important details. Include your wedding website on this card, directing people to bookmark it, and sign up for future updates. On this site, they should be able to easily find a link to your registry. 

Have a Physical Box for Gift Cards at Your Wedding

Even when supplied with an easy-to-use website for sending monetary contributions, there will still be people who prefer to do things in person, and with cash or check.

There is nothing wrong with this, and you should never discourage loved ones from wanting to contribute to your future. For this reason, having a box at your reception for cash gifts is a must.

There are so many ways you can customize, or create your money box to fit the theme of your big day. Have a browse on Etsy, and you’ll soon find the perfect piece of decor!