Both my fiance and I are in our mid-to-late thirties, and we have kitchen things, bathroom things, etc., but what we really need is furniture...\nHow do you politely ask for money as a wedding gift without being cheeseball? I've been saying (so has my close friends and family members) that "We are not registered anywhere, since He and I are older and we have more common things that we are saving up for household furnishings"...is this acceptable and by just word-of-mouth?\nThanks.
138828
i think the way you are going about it is fine. \nit's rude to just state it in the invitations, much better to spread it by word-of-mouth.\ni would think that people would rather give money instead of buying you something that you'll never use.
358118
Dear GAWD, NO! Buy her something girlie, and sexy. I went to a shower recently & the look on the bride's face when she opened the cake stand was priceless. She offered up her best fake smile & tossed it among the HOT teddies and panties we all got her. Lame lame lame to get registry stuff for the shower. My $.02.
157961
My fiance and I have been toghether for 6 years.  We know we are going to be together, and I would probably end up losing the ring somewhere anyway..  SERIOUSLY.  If he HAD to get me something, I would prefer he spend the money on something we can have or do together, or put the money he would have spent on the ring into savings.  Because no one should ever get married until they can support each other.  That is what being married is all about.  I don't know why all these KIDS are getting married, but they are living with their parents, or having to call home for money, or having kids...it makes no sense.  My sister got married 2 years ago, had a big wedding, and now she is divorced.  We have been toghether for 6 years, and we are still together.  We just finished college two years ago, and will not be married until we are in a financially stable position to be married.
664426
1. For a unique party favor my groom and I are giving out lottery tickets. Only $1 each.. I will have a note in the program stating the tickets were chosen because we are so lucky to have our family and friends with us on our wedding day.\nI will also add a line that all winnings will need to be split with the bride and groom!\n\n 2. Instead of having an ordinary guestbook, that you hardly will look at again, I am going to create a photo guest book.  My guestbook attendants will take polaroids of each guest... either individually or in a group, however they come, and put it on the pages of the guestbook/scrapbook.  The guests will then sign on the bottom of their picture.  My fiance and I will then have a photo album of all the guests at our wedding! :) GST\n\n3. We are getting married next year and instead of the traditional wedding we have decided to go with a "rock-n-roll" theme. We are going to have records displayed around the hall with our names on them and a picture of the two of us. Our colors are navy blue, black and silver so there will be plenty of those colors…from the silver glitter on the black tables cloths to the silver spray painted roses.\n\n 4. Since this is a second marriage and there are children that will be blended into a new family, we are decorating the tables at the reception with photo trees holding photos of my future husband and I and our children doing things together. We feel it shows that this marriage is not the union of just two people, but the formation of a new family.\n\n5. We had a shortage of single men and women invited to our wedding, most of our friends and family were already married.  So we needed to come up with something different to replace the traditional bouquet and garter throwing.  We invited everyone to the dance floor and the dj played several lovely, slow songs.  First the dj told all couples married two hours or less to sit down (everyone got a kick out of that).  Then a few moments later, any married a year or less, than five years, ten years and so on, until there was only one couple left.  They were neighbors and friends of my family and had been married for fifty years.  We asked them to stay on the dance floor while I took a seat and my husband made a big show of removing my garter.  We then faced the winning couple, congratulated them on their fifty years and asked them for their best marriage advice as we presented them with the bouquet and garter.  They were very touched and it gave us a great feeling too.
528328
Hi Eternity blue, I'm going to "assume" you are from abroad...since you used the word "pounds". LOL! My suggestion would be a "gift" card/certificate to a local cafe' or pub. You shouldn't make the gift to "personal"(in my opinion). Happy Holidays! XOXO Moonpie
197320
Cancel your internet!!  If you cant afford furniture for you and your kids you shouldnt have the luxury of other things like the internet.  If you smoke and/or drink...stop.  Add up the cost for all that for one year and see how much that is.  Stop trying to get free handouts when you can give some things up for you and your kids!!
176978
This is interesting.  Sounds like a one way relationship there.  I am sorry but gifts should not be asked for, they should come from the heart of the person buying them.  A gift is a gift is a gift it should be given out of love not pressure.  Don't feel bad.  There is definately some selfishness going on and you need to decide whether you want to live the rest of your life in a relationship like that.
412705
u gotta know the peeps.  sports-hand barbells orankle/wrist weights sets\nkitchen:  microwave popcorn popper\ngo bring a relative to visit for CHRISTMAS.\n\ngarage/car-tool sets, battery chargers-wallets for car visor.\n\npictures in a silver frame.  silver coins.  a kit to build something.  new golf clubs.  tickets to the nutcracker or broadway play.\n\ntime saving gadgets, new gadgets, airplane tickets to their relatives house.  put yourself in their shoes.  how do they live.  where do they want to go.  \nif money is no object-something from neriman marcus catalog!\nme--i need cash by the tons.  want my address?\n\nand then there's the raymond barone gift.  an engraved silver toaster with all your family names engraved on it. just don't give one to frank and marie.  they want a modern coffee pot.  haha!
461805
Ooo, the fun of managing etiquette at "split family wedding" time. Points to you and your parents for keeping things civil, even friendly, up until now! Many people don't manage it.\n\nSo what can your mom give that won't upset that great situation?\n\nNothing sentimental, unless it involves both of them - for example, a beautiful frame for a photo of the new bride and groom, to be displayed prominently, with a note that says, "May you build many happy memories together." Ditto for a really nice photo album - especially if you already have photos of them together that you can put on the cover, or inside.\n\nUm, lamp, passing torch... you know them all better than I do, but see, it isn't up to your Mom to pass the torch to her successor... unless all three of them already have some sort of in joke to that effect, one you know they ALL find amusing, I'd pass on that.\n\nNext choice -- see what they've registered for and pick something from the list. Hard to get in trouble, unless they're registered at a lingerie shop. Hard to misinterpret a set of matching serving spoons or a vase, especially if they've chosen it for the registry.\n\nNext -- a set of goblets or glasses, etched with his first initial, and hers. Also something your mom and you could do at home (craft stores have kits - practice on glasses from a thrift store until you're ready to do the gift glasses - it's easy to do).\n\nGood luck!
116794
Your wedding reception is the same day as mine!  I say take the gifts and send them a thank you.  What would be the alternative?  To hand it right back to them and tell them again that you would prefer no presents?  A lot of couples keep the ceremony itself to immediate family only and then invite the rest of the guest to join in the celebration with them.  Gifts are not for the ceremony alone, they are for the unity of the two.  They are for the celebration in general.  Also, many times when the couple expresses the "no gift" preference, it can also be read as "we prefer money."  It's your wedding!  Open a gift or two!  It may even be something the two of you could really use.
477772
My brother got an on-line payed wedding gift from this website : http://www.ordermygift.com/  i didn't give it to him so don't now how the website works, i thought it was a cool idea they had some nice items on it from what i seen.
194476
I have been in your situation.  And while you do have a year to give a gift, it didn't feel right to me to be at the wedding without a gift.  \n\nHere's what I did.  I bought a bottle of champagne and a couple of candles.  I put them in the same box with a suggestive note about the honeymoon.\n\nAnother time I took a look at the registry and discovered the couple had actually picked some smaller, more affordable items (salt & pepper shakers, sheets).\n\nDon't sweat it.  These are friends, and surely don't expect large gifts from everyone.
300359
You can if you want to.  A lot of brides do.  I'm getting married in a few weeks and we decided not to exchange gifts just because we don't have the extra money, plus we decided to buy a dog after the wedding.
513793
Maybe you can suggest a grab bag for people.  \nI think its crazy for everyone toeach give everyone the same value of unpersonal gifts.  Just makes the stores rich.  \nMaybe have each extended adult couple do the grab bag and just buy for the children?
80798
Pay Pal is a hassle anyway because the 'seller' (you and your fiance) will have to pay a small fee for the priviledge of having money dropped into your account.  \n\nCreate-a-gift\n\nSometimes what you really want isn't something that can be wrapped up in a gift box and sent in the mail. For instance, if you'd rather have money towards a new car than a 7-speed blender, you should register for -- and receive -- exactly what you want. Our "create-a-gift" service enables you to receive American Express Gift Cheques to be used towards whatever it is you want for your wedding gift -- traditional or not.\n\nWhat are American Express Gift Cheques?\n\nEssentially, an American Express Gift Cheque is a fancy way (and certainly a more polite way) of giving cold, hard cash. The Gift Cheques can be used anywhere, for anything, wherever American Express Travelers Cheques are accepted. This eliminates the possibility of having to return your fourth toaster. And these snappy Cheques are dummy-proof as well -- they are fully refundable if lost or stolen.\nHow "Create-a-Gift" Works\n\nAll you have to do is think of something you want that isn't on the registry. It can literally be anything money can buy -- a single item, a gift certificate for a service, or even just money toward something big that you two have your hearts set on. Next, make up a title for the product, such as "Dinner for Two at the Rainbow Room" or "Two Pairs of inline skates". Give your gift a basic description so your guests know what they are giving. For example, "To celebrate our one month anniversary, we plan to spend an evening at the restaurant where we first locked lips." Finally, decide the total amount of money (in $50 increments) you would like to receive towards the cost of the gift. You can then request as many $50 gift certificates as needed to reach your desired amount. So, if you would like to spend $100 at your favorite restaurant, you would enter two gift certificates for $50 each.\n\nMore expensive gifts, such as a gift of $500 toward your honeymoon expenses, can easily become a group gift shared by several guests. In this case you would create 10 gifts of $50 to add up to the total $500 you wish to receive. Individual guests can then each purchase as many gift cheques as they¹d like. They can purchase one for $50 or three for $150, and so on.\n\nPlease keep in mind that guests will be charged a $5-per-cheque service and handling fee. That means your guest will pay $55 for each $50 cheque you receive.\n\nYour "Create-a-product" appears on your registry list and functions just like any other gift. Your guest sees "Dinner for Two", selects "Add to Shopping Cart", and puts in a quantity (so they if they want to pay for the whole dinner, they can buy both $50 certificates).\n\nWhen a guest purchases one of your created products, first you receive notification via email (as with any Knot gift,) and, as with any other gift shipment, your American Express Gift Cheque will arrive via UPS so you can sign for it.\nWhat should you register for? Here are some ideas:\n\n    * A down-payment for a house or apartment\n    * A pure-bred puppy\n    * Dollars towards your honeymoon\n    * A new computer or software\n    * Car lease installments\n    * Gourmet cooking classes\n    * Museum memberships\n    * Ski-lift tickets\n    * Ballroom dancing lessons\n    * Photography or pottery classes\n    * A weekend getaway\n    * Maid service\n    * Spa treatments for two\n    * An artwork or an antique\n    * Film stock to make a movie\n    * A tree for your front yard\n    * An air conditioner\n    * A paint job\n    * Two plane tickets to Paris (in other words, anything)
515550
No no no!! That's really not what it's about!! I'm sure your family are aware that you're not flush!  They'd much rather have your company around the Christmas period than lots of material thing!  I'm sure they'd be devastated if they knew how worried you were about it!  Just get them a small item each for them to open that suits their personalities/hobbies!
95486
whoa there, as an auctioneer myself I'd say go with the antiques angle. Ever been at a dinner party when someone has asked 'what do you do?'. financial types get short thrift- antiques people get lots of attention.