“Five or six years ago, I thought asking for money or lavish honeymoon experiences was tacky,” said Xochitl Gonzalez, owner of AaB Creates in New York, a wedding-planning company. “But couples today don’t need kitchen stuff, and most don’t entertain formally. So they don’t need a $200 place setting. Why not give them the honeymoon experience they want instead of cluttering their house with a gift they won’t use?”
Etiquette advisers agree, it is better to write a check, buy a gift certificate or give the bride and groom something they desire, even the latest technological gadgets, rather than stuff their apartments with kitchen gadgets. Older couples who have lived on their own and need no bed, bath or baking items, opt to set up a registry for donations at Honeymoon Wishes for Resorts & cruiselines; Honeyfund for honeymoon, home improvements & even fertility treatments. Others sign up with Hatch My House or similar registries, geared toward a down payment on a home or aid in fixing one up. Of course some of these sites charge a fee for their services - Honeyfund, charges a fee of 2.8 percent when a credit card is used, and report wedding guests spending about $115 per gift.
Therefore, forget about wrapping that Microwave with 15 sheets of paper and dragging that blender from the car to the reception. These couples do not want it. Ask them what they want and if it is out of your budget, write them a check towards the reception costs (at least the cost of the meal) and enjoy their event.
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