Your honeymoon signifies the start of sharing the rest of your life with the person that means the most to you. Honeymoon registries are responding to the very real need of modern couples by encouraging and allowing their wedding guests to share in the honeymoon in a unique way. Honeymoon registries allow the bride- and [...]

Your honeymoon signifies the start of sharing the rest of your life with the person that means the most to you. Honeymoon registries are responding to the very real need of modern couples by encouraging and allowing their wedding guests to share in the honeymoon in a unique way. Honeymoon registries allow the bride- and groom-to-be to treat themselves to the well-deserved honeymoon of their fantasies without having to ask their friends and family for cash gifts, or to depend on expensive loans to fund it. This idea has evolved over time, so that it is more than just a gift for couples who have enough items for their homes. Buying a private breakfast for the two newlyweds on the beach is giving the friends and family an opportunity to provide them with a really special experience, an unforgettable memory of the romance of the honeymoon.

Basically, a honeymoon registry allows you (as the engaged couple) to choose different aspects of your honeymoon and leave it to your guests to contribute towards those. This means that they can be an integral part of making your honeymoon amazing.

The gifts in each package are specific (e.g. $1000 dinner at La Syd Restaurant), which makes it easier for your guests to choose an experience and feel confident that it is one that you will treasure for a lifetime. For instance, a couple going to South Africa could include gifts and experiences like a ferry trip to Robben Island, a starlit dinner on Camps Bay Beach, a romantic stay in the Drakensberg Mountains and a helicopter flip over the Transkei coastline. Although each of these have a financial value attached to it, they are given to the couple as gifts for which the guest is paying (just as they would for a tangible appliance, for example).

Most honeymoon registries allow the couple to divide the value of a gift into portions, so that guests can pay for a part of it, rather than feeling obliged to pay for the whole of a potentially costly experience. For example, the total cost of a trip to a forest in which the couple can enjoy champagne and caviar could be divided into units of $40, so that a number of guests can contribute towards this unrivalled experience. Even cheaper options can be broken down in order to accommodate guests of varying financial means.

Although etiquette rules have given the honeymoon registry approval, some couples might still feel uncertain about asking their guests for such gifts. To avoid causing offense to those close to you that may be accustomed to the more traditional methods of gift-giving, you could include some of the benefits in the wording of your gift request. For instance, you could say, “We are so thankful to the generous friends and family that will be sharing in our celebration. We would love to remember our special day by having our dream honeymoon. Please visit our honeymoon registry at www.example.com.au to contribute towards our experience.”

As a couple, you are generally advised to pay for the honeymoon and packages in full and well ahead of time to make sure that you will not miss out on anything if it is left too late. You are then reimbursed by the honeymoon registry service provider once the registry is closed.

A honeymoon registry is very convenient for guests, as they can perform the entire process online and at their own convenience. It is, therefore, especially useful for guests that may be in another country. Guests are also assured that their gift is exactly what you want and they will feel involved in creating unforgettable memories for the two of you.

Photo Credit: Neil Cuninghame