Do You Take This Destination . . .
My wedding gift-giving recently reached a new low: I gave a jackalope as a present. I am sure that the half jackrabbit-half antelope will love its new home under Happy Couple's bed.
If you don't know a couple well -- or even if you do -- it's hard to come up with an original wedding gift that has significance, relevance and purpose. You don't want your gift to be Spoon No. 12 in their set. Nor is a silkscreen of you in a smoking jacket appropriate. That is why I propose (sorry, so not intended) giving a gift that can go far -- like to another state or country.
There are a number of ways to wrap up travel in a pretty red bow. For instance, on Giftpile.com, couples can register for a honeymoon, picking out their destination, tours, hotels, etc. Their friends and family then contribute what they can to certain portions of the honeymoon. For example, you can give $50 for the snorkeling excursion, or toss in $200 to defray the plane ticket costs.
Another idea is to buy a gift certificate or card for a hotel, cruise, flight or vacation package. BnBFinder.com, for example, has gift certificates good at more than 1,000 inns around the country. You can also send the couple on a cruise through Cruise Brothers, get them a room at a Small Luxury Hotels of the World property, give them an aisle or window seat on JetBlue or present them with a last-minute vacation with Site59 (maybe departing after the wedding reception and before the brunch).
As for the thank you note: Tell the couple to skip the monogrammed stationery, which they probably received as a gift from the college friend, the Park Avenue aunt and the dentist. A thank you postcard will more than suffice.
By Andrea Sachs |
June 21, 2007; 11:01 AM ET
| Category:
Andrea Sachs
,
Wedding Travel
Previous: Honeymoons: Tried and New |
Next: The Accidental Wedding Guest
View or post comments
Posted by: ugh | June 21, 2007 11:37 AM
I give plain white or cobalt blue Gurgling Cod pitchers to those couples that don't really need to register. It has always been a hit since most people don't have one, or if they do, they usually like to have another one.
Posted by: Chasmosaur | June 21, 2007 1:20 PM
If you can't pay for the honeymoon yourself, don't 'register' for it--don't go!
It used to be weddings were about love and commitment...now it's about the cash.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 22, 2007 11:25 AM
I understand the feeling behind it, but somehow "just give me cash toward my honeymoon" just strikes me as being really, really tacky....
Posted by: Anonymous | June 22, 2007 11:31 AM
I received a wedding invitation recently that listed a registry here: http://www.thehoneymoon.com . That was... interesting. Another couple hasn't acutally booked their reservations yet, but has allotted dollar amounts in several affordability-levels towards 'eventual' plans.
Posted by: Casta Lusoria | June 22, 2007 4:39 PM
Eww, are the Gurgling Cod pitchers a joke? Who would already have one? Ugly ugly ugly, and kind of creepy too. Gifts like this are why people started using registries. At least the worm-shaped tequila bottle someone gave us had good tequila in it.
I agree that the registering for honeymoon $$$ is tacky--never dealt with the whole "I'm spending X dollars on catering per person, so we should receive gifts of at least that value" mentality until I moved east.
Posted by: KD | June 25, 2007 10:52 AM
A veiled or pointed 'invite' to donate cash is your cue to pass on the wedding. Send your polite regrets and something modest from the registry and enjoy your weekend minus travel costs, new clothes and a sacrificed Saturday. The kicker - give really good 10th and 20th anniversary gifts - honor lasting love and the folks who hang in. Let the bridezillas fund their own travel. Two people who still love honor and respect each other after a decade or two - now that is romance I will celebrate.
Posted by: gatornan | June 30, 2007 7:30 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
My guess is that you are not married. UGH! Those people who register for honeymoons are just awful - I would never think of contributing money to an event. People register for gifts to start a home - they actually want that 12th spoon. Gifts are supposed to be bought with the receipent in mind, not the buyer.