These days, most couples live together for at least a few months before getting hitched. Like Apartment Therapy says, “To the shock of your pearl-clutching grandmother, more than 70 percent of couples live together before marriage these days.” This means that the majority of grooms and brides to-be have all the kettles, toasters, blenders and cushions they need long before their wedding day rolls around, leaving scant few must-have items for any potential wedding gift list.
This has lead to a big increase in the number of couples asking for money instead. However, requesting all of your friends and family give you cash is no easy task, especially if you’re not the sort of person who enjoys asking for presents. So to help you get the wedding gifts you really need, and keep your nearest and dearest onside in the process, here’s our how to guide for creating the perfect wedding gift list.
Gifts or money?
Before you design your invitations, you need to decide whether you’re going to ask for gifts, or whether you’re going to request cash donations from your guests. If you’ve been living with your partner for a while, you probably already have all the kitchenware and soft furnishings you need, so money would be the obvious choice. However, if you have only recently moved in together, or if you’re planning on doing it the old fashioned way and waiting till you’re married to cohabit, a wedding gift list is probably a great idea.
Gift list
Even though gift lists are fairly traditional, and most guests will expect to be asked to purchase something, it’s still a good idea to ensure your friends and family know that presents are not expected. Make it clear in your wedding invite that all that’s required is their presence, but that any gifts would be greatly appreciated. When creating your wedding gift list, make sure you choose items of varying values to ensure there’s something available for all budgets.
Say it with a poem
If you decide that monetary gifts are the better option for you and your other half, you can soften the blow of asking for cold hard cash with a poem. Something like, “If you were thinking of giving a gift to help us on our way, A gift of money in a card would really make our day!”. This will make it easier to find the right words for your wedding invitation and will show your guests you’re trying to be as polite as possible when asking for gifts.
Allocate the cash
You can personalise monetary gifts by showing friends and family exactly how their money will be used. If you plan to use it for your honeymoon, there are various websites that allow guests to ‘buy’ different aspects of the trip like meals out, activities and nights in luxury accommodation. If you’re using the cash for home improvements, take the time to tell guests exactly how you’re going to use their cash when you send out your thank you letters.
Though asking for presents is never easy, if you go about it the right way you can ensure your guests are happy and you get exactly what you need to start your new life in style. For more wedding ideas and inspiration, take a look around our site today.
