If you’re not interested in getting blenders and stoneware sets, or shot glasses and cookbooks as a wedding gift, and you would much rather receive money instead, you’ve come to the right place.
Having to ask for money, in general, can be a bit intimidating, and asking for money as a wedding gift requires a bit of finesse.
Keep reading for some tips to ask for money and, more importantly, how to ask for money as a wedding gift successfully.
How to Ask for Money as a Wedding gift: How to Invite Your Guests to Give Money
Asking a friend or family member for money can sometimes rub them the wrong way if you don’t pay attention to these things:
01The relationship you have
If you are not very close with a particular family member or friend, asking them for money can be a bit awkward, especially if you don’t keep in touch regularly.
Asking for money from someone like this can come off as offensive, and you may find yourself losing more than just a few bucks in your wedding gift. It is better to ask a family member or friend who you see or speak to regularly. They will be much more inclined to give.
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02Their financial situation
If you know your friend or family member is in a tough financial spot, do not ask them for money. You may come off as insensitive, and they might simply not have any cash to spare at the moment.
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03How you ask
Asking face-to-face can be pretty awkward, and in doing that, you may end up asking some family members/friends and not others. This can create a problem and can be especially awkward if your soon-to-be wedding guests have to tell you no in person.
The classiest way to request money from your guests is to use an online cash registry and include it in your wedding announcement or on your event website. You could also ask your wedding party (e.g., planner, best man, maid of honor, bridesmaids, parents) to spread the word. That way, you won’t have to ask for the money yourself.
Another way to ask for money is to simply place a box for cards at the wedding reception for guests who wish to give you a card or an envelope with money. This way, they can discreetly reach into their pockets or checkbooks and put the money into it without being directly asked.
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04The purpose of the money
It is highly unlikely that your guests are going to give you money “just because”, so you will have to include what the money will be used for to make your guests feel included in your plans and, more importantly, persuade them to give you cash for your wedding gift.
As we said, you will need to include what the money will be used for if you want to hear a “Yes” from your guests. Here are 10 ideas for how to ask for money as a wedding gift.
01New apartment/house
When couples get married, they typically want to get a new apartment or house in which to start their new lives, one where they can make new memories and start a family. But this can be pretty expensive, especially since weddings are big expenses on their own.
This is a good excuse to use to ask wedding guests for money because they will understand this and will want to help. Your guests can feel like they are helping to jumpstart your lives together as newlyweds.
Here are two examples of how to ask for money as a wedding gift to get a new place.
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“Want a lifetime invite to at-home BBQs? Help us start our life together by contributing to our new house fund.”
“We prefer your presence, not your presents, but if you must give something, it’ll go towards a new home for us.”
02Renovations
Making renovations to your home to accommodate your spouse can be pricy, and with a wedding in the works, you might have to extend the timeline for renovations. Asking your guests for money as a wedding gift for this purpose is a great way to bring them in on helping to make your house a home.
Here’s how you can ask for money as a wedding gift to do renovations.
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“Our house is something old, and we wish to make it something new. Make it possible with a cash donation from you.”
“It is untraditional to ask for cash on a wedding registry, but we wouldn’t mention it if we didn’t need it. We have all the things to fill a home, except for a proper home itself. Help us to fix it up by contributing to our renovation fund.”
03Baby fund
Babies are not cheap, and for at least the next 18 years of your life, it will be another expense on your plate. Just think about all the doctor’s visits, clothes, food, toys, schooling, and entertainment that you will have to spend on to keep your child healthy and happy.
Children are the ultimate excuse for asking your guests to give money. Starting a family is the next step for many married couples, and guests are more likely to say yes if they have children themselves. If you are pregnant at the wedding, they will be rushing to donate.
To ask for money as a wedding gift to start a baby fund, you can use these examples.
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“Our parents want grandkids, and we’ll give them many, but to do that, we’ll need a pretty penny.”
“Don’t go overboard and rob any banks, a contribution to our baby’s future will give you some thanks.”
04New car
Being married is the beginning of a new life. For your new life, you’ll need a new car, especially if the old one is beaten up or out of date. This is a perfect excuse to ask your guests for gifts in the form of cash. And, guests who can see where their money is going are more likely to support your request.
Here are some ways you can ask for money as a wedding gift to get a new car.
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“If you’re thinking of giving us a gift to help us on our way, a contribution to our new car will make our day.”
“To make our journey together more comfortable we will need a new car. Help us make this possible.”
When you already have a good home and a reliable car and have spent a ton of money on a nice wedding, your bank account will start to look a bit thin until the two of you get back on your feet again. Asking your guests for money as a wedding gift is a great way to fatten up your savings account in case of emergencies.
It is a bit trickier to sell this one, but if your guests know that you are both financially responsible, they will be more than willing to dip into their purses.
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“It’s expensive, but we wanted to get married in style, contributing to our savings will make us smile.”
“A gift of money for our well will make our life together quite swell.”
Ideas for asking Money as a Wedding Gift : Personal pursue
06Education
We are students all our lives and never stop learning, even if we aren’t enrolled in an educational institution. But, it is always nice to see people further their knowledge, no matter their age.
Using education as an excuse to ask for money as a wedding gift will work because the people closest to you usually want to support your self-improvement journey, especially if one or both of you are excellent students.
No clue how to ask for money to get your master’s degree? Look at these examples.
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“Furthering our education is our dream, but it’s not as easy as it may seem. Instead of spending lots and lots, put some money in our box.”
“Your support means a lot; please contribute to our education pot.”
07Start a new business
Starting a new business with your spouse can help you become financially independent in the future, especially when it’s time to start having kids. If your friends and family members are like-minded, they will be more than willing to support your business venture as long as it makes sense.
Here are two examples of how you can ask for money as a wedding gift to start a business.
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“Our dreams are big, but our purse is tiny. Make our dream a reality with something shiny.”
“If you want to give us a gift to help us along our way, cash is the only thing that we can say. But if you prefer a physical gift, feel free to surprise us in your own special way!”
If you guys already live together or have that aspect covered, it makes no sense to accept housewarming gifts. Who needs 4 blenders? Asking for money as a wedding gift to put towards your honeymoon is a great way to get your guests in on the post-wedding bliss. And most guests will understand the logic behind it.
Use any of these examples to ask for money as a wedding gift to fund your honeymoon.
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“The best pots and pans you can get us are the steel drums in Trinidad. We welcome any contributions.”
Ideas for your wedding gift: Doing Good for Others
09Save time on gifts
Finding a perfect and unique wedding gift can be a bit challenging for most guests, and chances are you’ll end up receiving more than one of the same item. You can use this as the basis for how to ask for money as a wedding gift since it will save your guests the time it takes to find a suitable gift.
However, this excuse might not work well in some places like Australia. A wedding registry usually avoids this happening, as the guests can go to the selected store and choose a gift from a list that a staff member will be monitoring in terms of what has already been bought.
Here are some ways you can ask for money as a wedding gift by using efficiency as your inspiration:
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“When shopping for a present, don’t be rash; save some time and give us cash.”
“Gift shopping sucks, and we aren’t trying to be funny, save yourself the headache by gifting the money.”
Asking for money as a wedding gift to donate to the less fortunate has become quite popular, especially among couples who have lived together for a while and have already established themselves financially.
Since there is no need for anything new, why not give it to someone who actually needs it? Asking for donations to charity can inspire your guests to give without much resistance.
Here are some examples of how to ask.
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“We respectfully ask that no material gifts are brought to the wedding, but if you wish to gift us cash, it will be donated to [insert charity name].”
“In celebration of our love and union, we ask for all gifts to be made in the form of a cash donation to [insert charity name].”
Lastly
If you want to hear a “Yes”, from your guests, all you have to do is follow this advice on how to ask for money as a wedding gift. Use our examples to inspire your own messages. We promise it will work.