Is It Tacky to Ask for Money as a Wedding Gift?
By: Gigi Mill
Traditionally the newly wedded couple received wedding gifts with the idea to help them out in setting up a household, but in these times with the people marrying rather late in life and most of them well settled in their households in variety of settings are not in desperate need of another blender or toaster.
Like everything else the gift giving style has changed for weddings. First it was the wedding registries where the couple registered for the items that they thought they needed to start in married life which was considered pretty tacky in some circles but people got over it and now it has become almost a norm. In fact, whoever does not register with some sort of wedding service is considered strange. The wedding registries like everything else evolved from modest to outrageous depending on ones social status and financial position.
Then came the celebrity and rich or ultra rich “charity donation” concept, since these people could afford most things in life and then some more, they did not need to set up a humdrum household.
Finally now is the time of “money” wedding gifts, although it has been around for centuries for instance bride or grooms parents or rich relatives helping out with money gifts on the wedding day. In many countries it is a tradition to give “money” to the groom and bride on their wedding, for example in South East Asian cultures.
What is considered “Tacky” is the actual statement that the couple would like to have a monetary gift. There are many ways to get creatively around this sticky subject. The bride and grooms friends can drop a hint something like “ you know they are saving for a down payment on a car or a house etc”.
There are many places that the guests can register for monetary wedding gifts rather than the traditional gifts. There are certain banks that have wedding registries for the couple where a money gift can be made towards a down payment on a house.
It is only a matter of time when the “money” gifts will not be a controversial subject and will be widely accepted in western culture.
Go ahead and don’t be afraid to find a creative way to ask for a money gift on your wedding.
gigi mill writes for bridal shower favors and wedding planning guide