Solving the Great Wedding Gift Debate

Let’s face it, most couples getting married today have lived on their own or as a couple for years, and often have their own established homes. Traditional wedding gifts – the faithful toaster, pots and pans, and dishes – just don’t cut it anymore, since most newly married couples already have the household items that they need. There are creative gift-giving solutions out there, but the cost of the items alone often renders the gift-giver speechless.

Despite the ever-changing trends of culture, one thing doesn’t ever seem to change: Newly married couples face a dramatically smaller pocket.

Online businesses have made life easier on everyone and present a perfect solution: the honeymoon registry. Honeymoon registry services offer a solution for couples, their friends and family that creates a meaningful wedding gift which will be remembered throughout the couple’s lifetime together.

The way it works is pretty simple. A couple will plan their honeymoon with the help of the registry service. The registry service then takes those plans and puts it in the form of a registry list – the exact same kind of list that you would find at a department store. Instead of containing household items, the honeymoon registry list contains pieces of a couple’s planned honeymoon. Not only can guests help pay for the big items like airfare and resort accommodations, but they can purchase romantic “gifts” like a candlelit dinner or an afternoon horseback riding. What can you think of that would be cooler than giving your newly married little sister a champagne welcome to her honeymoon hotel?

This new service is something beyond unique, it is something special that helps a couple begin their new life together in a romantic way. Traditional items like toasters and china will get old and break, but a honeymoon gift will be in the hearts, minds, and pictures of the couple throughout their lives.

Before deciding on a registry service, do a little research. Not all honeymoon registry services are created equal – some travel agencies even advertise a registry service, but all that this service includes is allowing your friends and family to mail in checks towards your trip. As a couple planning your honeymoon and helping everyone with their gift-giving, you need to make sure that the service you choose will provide you and your guests with the best possible service.

Ask the following questions to help you determine which honeymoon registry is right for you:

*Does the company provide an itemized registry list, or do they simply ask friends and family to contribute money? The people who love you want to purchase something meaningful for you, so letting them choose from a list of items makes the gift-giving special for them.

*How does the registry handle purchases? The process needs to be accessible and easy, so it should include an array of options like acceptance of credit cards, a toll-free 800-number, and the registry list should be available on the Internet so that your friends and family can access it from wherever they are located.

*Make sure that the registry sends something tangible to your friends and family, like a gift certificate and receipt. Otherwise, they will tend to feel a bit ripped off and you won’t know who to thank for what.

Many couples today find honeymoon registries to be the perfect solution for their bridal registry dilemma. By taking this route, the expense of the honeymoon is eased and the frustration of finding “that perfect gift” is taken away.

Here’s to your beautiful life together!