Should you have a wedding gift list if you’re getting married abroad?
Like some couples, you may feel the personal effort and expense your guests are going to to come your wedding abroad is well and truly enough and request they do not buy you a wedding gift.
The approach we took for our wedding was, “we value your presence not your presents”. However we were surprised that many of our guests still wished to buy us a wedding present and we had so many requests to set up a wedding gift list that in the end we did.
You may also find that some guests who are unable to attend your wedding abroad may still wish to buy you a gift and if you are having a small wedding abroad with a large party upon your return most people attending your party would expect to buy you a wedding gift.
“Should you have a wedding gift list?” is often a topic discussed in the Weddings Abroad Guide Community (our closed facebook group, where couples and wedding professionals share tips and ask for advice).
More often than not, you will find that couples:
a). don’t expect gifts from their guests,
b). are not sure if they should mention this in their wedding invitation, and
c). end up creating a wedding gift list or honeymoon registry at the request of their guests
Whatever you decide I think that it’s a good idea to include:
1). A short tasteful message in your wedding invitation, It can be as simple as:
“No gifts necessary”
“The honour of your presence is the only gift we require.”
“We’ve been asked what we would like for a gift and the answer is simple: you at our wedding having a great time. But if you insist then we’ll say we would also love the most amazing honeymoon possible.”
“We know that flights and hotels are expensive and your presence is a gift to us on our big day so please don’t feel obliged to bring any wedding gifts! If you do want to give us a gift we would greatly appreciate a donation towards our honeymoon.” – C & J Wedding in Dubrovnik
and
2). Set up a section in your personal wedding website which details your wishes, including a link to any honeymoon or gift list registry you may have setup.
Alternative Wedding Gift Lists
If like most couples your cupboards are already bursting at the seams and you have everything including the kitchen sink then you may want to think about having an alternative wedding gift list.
Particularly if you are having your wedding abroad, I think an alternative gift list such as a selected charity, travel vouchers or a honeymoon wedding list is a fantastic idea.
A honeymoon wedding gift list is where your guests contribute money to your honeymoon rather than buying you a traditional wedding gift. These are becoming increasingly popular and if you are combining your wedding and honeymoon in one I think they’re a fantastic idea.
Guests who have travelled to your wedding will be able to see the gift they bought you first hand and guests who are unable be at your wedding will feel like they have contributed something special to your wedding and honeymoon.
Your honeymoon wedding list could be used for any number of things, such as flights, upgrading the hotel you are staying in, airport transfers, romantic dinners, pampering sessions in the beauty parlour, massages and sight seeing trips.
There are a number of travel companies who sell travel gift vouchers or will set up a honeymoon wedding list for you. To help you save time I have listed my top picks below:
Buy Our Honeymoon
We’ve teamed up with Buy Our Honeymoon, the UK’s top independent wedding gift list and honeymoon registry service. To help fund the honeymoon of your dreams, they are offering visitors to Weddings Abroad Guide a massive 30% discount on their one time set up fee.
What makes this wedding gift list and honeymoon registry service so handy for a wedding abroad is that you can combine different types of gifts on the same list, in multiple currencies and even multiple languages. Visit Buy Our Honeymoon’s Profile on Weddings Abroad Guide.
Holidaysplease
Another great wedding and honeymoon gift list provider is independent travel company Holidaysplease. They have fantastic gift list service where guests can contribute towards your honeymoon or holiday activities. As they book more honeymoons than any other type of holiday Holidaysplease are confident they can find your perfect getaway!
If you would like the latest packages and honeymoon offers or to find out more about their git list service then simply click on the link and one of their Honeymoon specialists will be in touch.
GiveIt
Another great alternative wedding gift list is offered by Rainbows Trust Children’s Charity
If you would like to do something different and use your wedding day for the benefit of others then Rainbows Trust Children’s Charity could be the perfect wedding list for you. When your guests make a donation to charity as your wedding present, all money raised goes towards providing emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness.
If you are having your wedding abroad and have requested your guests don’t buy wedding presents but know they will anyway, Rainbows Trust Children’s Charity is a brilliant idea. This way both you and your guests will be making a difference to the lives of people who really need it.
Click here to learn more about this excellent charity.
Transporting Wedding Gifts
Whatever your stance is on wedding presents and even if you have a wedding gift list it can be almost guaranteed some of your guests will buy a unique gift for you.
With this fact in mind it would be advisable to ask your guests not to bring wedding presents to your wedding itself.
Wedding presents will only add to your luggage allowance when you return home and may be difficult for you to transport.
Hot Tips!
Personal Wedding Websites and What to Include
Read our top picks for the best personal wedding websites for a wedding abroad and to ensure you cover everything your guests could possibly need to know our my detailed list of the type of information which should included.
