How to Ask for Money for a Wedding Gift

How many people would prefer to receive money as a wedding gift?

According to a survey conducted back in 2019, it showed that 84% of couples would prefer to receive money over a physical gift and since the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis, the percentage is now more likely to be even closer to 100%.

Money as a wedding gift is perhaps one of the most practical and appreciated presents to give. The number of people adding money to their wedding registry is on the rise, with over 70% of couples asking for the gift of money last year.

If you are reading this wishing that you were in these statistics of people who can ask for money as a wedding gift but are not sure how to, worry not as below is some advice on how best to ask for - and collect - money for a wedding gift.

Wedding gifts

When it comes to what wedding gifts to ask for, they should be personal and practical as the last thing you want is to ask for things you don't actually need, want, or won't use. The more guests you have also means the harder it becomes, as that is when you may start getting the same gift more than once or different versions of the same thing.

When making a wedding gift list, consider these main points:

Get advice - If you know someone who recently got married it might be a good idea to ask for their advice on how they made their list and what sort of things they asked for to get some inspiration;
Do some research - There are lots of wedding list companies that can take the stress out of creating a gift list so it would be best to look online and see if any of them suit you;
Budgets - Your gift list needs to be accessible and fair so that everyone is able to buy a gift or contribute in some way. Having a mixture of low-cost and expensive gifts means that people have more of a choice of what they want to spend and it also means some guests might want to pool together to buy a gift;
Don't be shy - You can never ask for too many wedding gifts, the more variety for your guests the better and it creates more of a surprise element if you know that you probably won't get everything on the list.
Leave enough time - The last thing you want is for your guests to be running around last minute for a wedding gift as it is more likely to be something you don't want. Giving people a list around 6 months in advance of the wedding gives your guests ample time to buy the perfect gift;
Choose wisely and make it personal - Think carefully about what gifts you actually want. Whether it be household appliances, garden furniture, or experience days. It is one of the only times that you will both have the opportunity to create a list of everything you could possibly want and have people buy them for you so make the most of it!

If you are unsure of what to ask for as a wedding gift some options include:

Hampers - whether it be food, drink, or toiletries;
Gifts for the garden - garden furniture, birdhouses, outdoor lights, ornaments or trees. The great thing about garden gifts like these is that they will stand the test of time and be a reminder of your special day, and the person/people that got it for you;
Experiences - cooking classes, hot air balloon ride, theatre tickets or a couples photoshoot…experiences will likely never be forgotten, which is surely what every wedding present buyer wants for their gift?
Gift vouchers - a spa day, DIY store, dining out, travel or shopping. Giving the gift of choice is something that many people love, and gives them that wonderful feeling of walking their favourite stores with what is in effect ‘free money’!
Money - this way the happy couple can really push the boat out on honeymoon, renovate their home or go on a secondary mini moon 6 months after the big event
Household appliances/accessories - bedding, a coffee machine, crockery, picture frames, vases, spice racks, pans - all super practical and something that can be enjoyed long after the buzz of the big day has died down;
Personalized - dressing gowns, photos, wine glasses, chopping board, mugs or a keepsake box are a great memento of the big day!

How to ask for money for a wedding gift

Many years ago it was customary for people to receive gifts on their wedding day rather than money. However, over the years more and more people are stepping away from this tradition  and would prefer to have money as a wedding gift. This is heavily due to the fact that times have changed - many more people now live together and start families prior to marriage, and the steep increase in re-marrying means many couples already have everything they need for their home. However, asking for money can still be something of a taboo subject.

Some ways that you can ask for money as a wedding gift include:

Register for a cash or honeymoon registry - Set up a registry so that your guests can clearly see what you want as a wedding gift (money), and pay into a fund. It is one of the polite ways to ask for money for a wedding gift;
Create a wedding website - As well as having all of the details of the wedding, why not add a note to your website that you would like money for your wedding gift or go one step further and add the link to your collection pot/cash registry;
Mention your wishes to close friends and family - this is a good way to spread the word about what you want with the people you feel most comfortable with;
Refer to your present wishes on your invitations - this is the ideal place to let people know what you’d like as we’ve all been there, where the euphoria of the invite and occasion dies down and the reality hits you that you need to buy a gift…..if it’s clearly stipulated on the invite this negates that worry. It also will allow you to state clearly what it’s for:

‘It’s your presence, not presents that will make our day special but if you do want to get us something, we would massively appreciate money toward our honeymoon to the Seychelles’

This is where Collctiv can really help. Simply download the app, set up a Honeymoon pot and this will automatically generate a payment link and QR code.
Share these amongst your guests on the invites and watch your honeymoon fund start filling up with everyone’s well wishes! They can leave you a message on their payment so you’ll have a lovely time reading through them all and you’ll also have a record of who gave what if you are being planful enough to get thank you cards!

The best part of all this is how easy it is for people to pay in. They don’t need to download the app, create an account, verify anything - they simply tap to pay and in 5 seconds they are done. It’s that easy!

Publish the QR code on the wedding day - speaking from personal experience, we all realise too late that we haven’t got a present (or is that just me?!) Simply print out the QR code to your pot and put it in a holder or attach it to your gift table and people can scan it with their phones and in less than 5 seconds give you their monetary well wishes.

We’ve been reliably informed that this attracts gifts later on into the evening when copious amounts of alcohol have loosened purse strings and wallet fastenings!

Depending on how attentive your friends and family are, you may want to suggest another use for Collctiv - group gifting.

Why not suggest that people club together and with the pooled funds in their collection pot, get something really meaningful. This is particularly good for groups of individuals that may not want to spend astronomical amounts of money on a solo gift. Clubbed together, 10 lots of 20 bucks makes for a pretty special spa day, experience or fine bottle of something a little special!

Honeymoon fund

With the cost of a wedding, many people struggle to afford a honeymoon as well. Set yourself up a Collctiv pot and make it easy for people to give generously to you and your bride/groom and make your dreams come true.

Download Collctiv and start collecting money today!

Organisers bring people together

Since 2019, Collctiv has helped over 550,000 people from 113 countries come together by making it simple for organisers to collect money from groups of people. Whether it’s a collection for your honeymoon fund, putting towards a new house, or simply giving the gift of money - download our free app today and start bringing people together!