A Few Rules to Follow
From the bride and groom’s point of view, you have a few rules to follow. Say you are combining two homes. Wedding invitations do not request anything but the presence of the person to attend the wedding. Do you ask for money instead of gifts…………no-it is down right rude! You might tell family or close friends or those in charge of wedding showers your hopes of building a new home or taking a big trip etc. They may be able to help ‘guide’ those asking what the newlyweds are going to need or want. It is a sign of consideration for you to set up a registry for those who don’t want to give money or don’t have a clue as to your taste in gifts or décor. There are companies that have set up registries that people can give to for the newlyweds to use for a honeymoon, mortgage or even special events. If you do want to give a monetary gift, it is acceptable to give it with a note as to the intent of its use such as traveler’s checks to use on the couple’s honeymoon or savings toward the purchase of a home.
Mom and dad may wonder what they might give the newly married couple. After paying for the wedding, the honeymoon and the cleanup crew, there may not be a lot left in the savings account! But parents love their kids for sure and want them to have as much if not more than what they had as newlyweds. It is not unusual for them to give a deposit on a new home or condo or apartment to give them a good start. Many parents find it a wonderful gift to help with financing towards home improvement. Many first time home buyers like to purchase ’fixer uppers’ in order to put their own personal touches to their home. Therefore, even monetary gifts from friends and family are appropriate.
