Today's post is from Andrew Marino, of sponsor and lovely vendor Honeymoon Pixie. I think this information is so helpful in today's world of honeymoon registries, although some of this advice applies to all registries (like tip #1). So before you register, read this!
Wondering how to let your guests know about your honeymoon registry? Have you had to politely
explain your registry to guests with questions? Honeymoon registry etiquette
advice can be hard to find, and when you do, it can be conflicting. Here are
the best pieces of advice for honeymoon registry etiquette. By following these five
basic guidelines, you will be following the best etiquette practices and you’ll
minimize the risk of offending anyone.
Never Advertise Your Honeymoon Registry in Your Wedding Invitations
Miss Manners says it is not polite to include your registry
website information in your wedding invitations. Instead, you should rely on your
bridal party and family members to help spread the word about your honeymoon
registry, and you can also put the registry information in your bridal shower
invitations. Most people will ask either you, someone in your bridal party, or a
family member where you're registered so they can get gift ideas. Word of mouth
is often a great way to get the word out about your honeymoon registry.
Also, many honeymoon registry websites will provide registry
announcement cards for your bridal shower invitations, will post to your Facebook
wall the gifts you've received from your honeymoon registry, and will help you
send emails to people on your guest list. These simple things are enough to
make sure that most of your guests are aware of your honeymoon registry, and
you don't have to break any rules of etiquette to do it!
Create a Wedding
Website
There are multiple online options where you can create a
website with all the information about your wedding that’s hard to get into the
invitation. Guests will love reading your engagement story, learning about your
future plans, and getting all the details on your wedding. This is the perfect place
to include a link to your honeymoon registry, since the majority of your guests
will visit your site to learn more about your wedding plans.
Take Time to Explain
to Guests Why You're Using a Honeymoon Registry
Let's face it; if you're doing something a little different
– like using a honeymoon registry – you may get questions from friends and
family members. Take the time to
explain to people the reasons and the benefits of using a honeymoon registry.
If you have lived on your own and have many of the house items needed to start
a new home together, then explaining this to your guests will help them
understand why you have decided to use a honeymoon registry.
It’s important that your guests understand that you will
receive their gift funds to purchase the honeymoon gift experience they’ve
purchased for you. Many guests will find that giving gift funds that they know
will be used for a ‘swimming with the dolphins’ experience is more personal and
rewarding than just giving cash on your wedding day.
We also recommend having a traditional registry in addition
to your honeymoon registry. This will provide your wedding guests with more
options. You may find that your older guests prefer to give traditional wedding
gifts – and having both registries will allow you to accommodate everyone.
Gift Variety
Your guests will also appreciate having a variety of price
points to choose from. Gift prices ranging from $10 to $200 are most common.
You want to ensure that all your guests are comfortable based on their
financial ability. Expensive items can be broken down into smaller increments.
For example, a $400 honeymoon suite can be listed as 4 gifts of $100 each.
Send out Specific
Thank You Notes
One of the best parts about a honeymoon registry with
Honeymoon Pixie is that you are provided with a thank you list containing all
your gifts and the contact information of each gift giver. This gives you the
opportunity to thank guests personally and specifically for their generous gift
toward your honeymoon.
My advice is to save thank you note writing for after the
honeymoon. Then, you can tell the guests who helped buy your snorkeling
adventure about the excitement you experienced when you saw Nemo and other
tropical fish, or email the guests who helped upgrade your room a photo of the
view from your honeymoon suite. Specific thank you notes make guests feel like
they did something really special for the two of you, so let them know how much
you appreciate them and their gift to you.
Who out there is considering or using a honeymoon registry?
PS- some honeymoon registry inspiration from my own honeymoon and my top 5 tips for a perfect honeymoon
*Honeymoon Pixie is a sponsor of Oh Lovely Day and a handpicked member of our Lovely Vendor Guide