There's a growing trend these days of couples seeking non-traditional wedding gifts.
A juicer or bed sheets sometimes sounds a little mundane, while the gift of travel to a destination of your choice is becoming more and more desirable.
A honeymoon registry is the perfect solution for the couple who already has everything. This type of registry allows you to specify items and activities that will create life-long memories, so that family and friends can purchase portions of your honeymoon as wedding gifts. After all, a Mediterranean cruise is more exciting than 1500 thread-count Egyptian sheets from Hammacher Schlemmer.
Here are the things you need to do to ensure that you enjoy the honeymoon of your dreams:
First decide on the honeymoon that you want—and that you can afford—to take!
If your family and friends don’t come through, you will have to pay for it. And if you opted for a Dom Perignon honeymoon and your friends are Blue Moon drinkers, the chances that you’ll receive everything you're hoping for is slight.
You don’t want to cancel your honeymoon at the last minute. Most travel registries must be reserved and paid for long before wedding presents are traditionally given. Couples pay for a lot of their honeymoons in advance, hoping guests will chip in with gifts closer to their wedding.
Airfare and lodging can be divvied up on the registry in suggested gift amounts (say $100) or at per-night rates, the same way other couples list place settings. A honeymoon registry should also include vague items, like dinners and excursions.
Depending on your registry, some monies may just be applied as a flexible credit. If it rains on the day the couple is scheduled to go snorkeling, that dollar amount can be exchanged for (on-property) spa treatments, cocktails or room service.
Second, you should go for it.
Extravagances—in-cabin couple's massages, boating picnics, horse-back rides, overwater bungalow accommodations or helicopter tours—don't have to be reserved in advance. You can wait and see if someone orders it for you. If they don’t, you can always opt for something else that you can afford.
When you look for a honeymoon registry service, it is important to find one not only that you are comfortable with, but one that your wedding guests will feel comfortable with as well.
They will need to have a positive experience with the honeymoon registry, too. Marriott credits never expire. Honey Money, which is from Starwood's registry, expire two years from the purchase date, which seems a tad greedy since they do already have your guests' money.
Registries shouldn’t cost you or your guests an exorbitant amount for the privilege of giving you a gift.
Depending on the site you choose, there may be up to a 9% fee. Unless, you want to share your gift generosity with the registry, you should avoid these sites. You may pay a small fee (under $50) to personalize your site, but that should be an up front one-time fee. There are some registries that charge up to a $150 fee, so be diligent. Even some gift cards have a handling fee of up to 10%.
Additional items to be aware of include:
- How long has the company been in business?
- Is it safe and secure?
- How much does it cost? How are the fees charged?
- Does the company charge my guests any fees? If so what are they?
- Does the company offer bridal registry cards?
- Are any past recipients' references available?
- When will I receive any reimbursed money?
- Must I book my honeymoon registry with the agency I booked my honeymoon through?
- Can I have other gift registries?
- How do we receive the money?
- Must guests pay through PayPal or can they pay by credit card?
- Does the company have an 800#?
Make sure whichever registry you choose is a good value, one on which you would spend your own money.
There's no guarantee that prices for airfare, lodging, tours or cruises booked via any registry are the best available. In fact, please be aware that you must be diligent that the rates are not inflated.
Honeymoon registries will allow you to experience the honeymoon of your dreams and beyond. Your honeymoon should be the highlight of your wedding experience. Registries should help enhance that experience.
The registry company notifies the engaged couple every time a guest buys a gift. And all registries track who has given what in order to help you organize thank-you notes.
A honeymoon registry can really help friends and family participate in helping you create your dream honeymoon.
Photo sources: gifts, snorkeling photo courtesy of Lena Sack, honeymoon villa
Emma McKnight is a travel agent specializing in cruise vacatioons. View her website at: www.CruiseWithEmma.com or contact her at: emcknightr@cruisesinc.com.
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|12.229.71.xxx |2011-09-02 15:47:39 Suzanne - Honeymoon Pixie!
My husband and I used Honeymoon Pixie, and it was great. We used most of the suggestions you have listed here, too. The fees were really low, and our website looked fabulous!
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Thank you for mentioning the benefits of a honeymoon registry and describing the attributes behind this increasingly mainstream registry option for engaged couples.
It is great to see how popular the honeymoon registry is becoming. The very first couple that registered with Traveler's Joy was in 2004. It wasn't long until we realized there were a large number of engaged couples that were not satisfied with the diversity of the traditional wedding registry market. Since then, the honeymoon registry has grown to become a mainstream option for brides and grooms and the industry has experienced significant growth.
We are proud to have helped tens of thousands of couples honeymoon at destinations they may never have considered - a great feeling for our Members and the Traveler's Joy team.
I encourage you to contact us with any questions about our service. Most importantly, enjoy your honeymoon!
Best Regards,
Brandon Warner
President & Co-founder
Traveler's Joy Honeymoon Regist...