Budgeting for your wedding, pre-wedding festivities, and honeymoon can be nothing short of a complicated nightmare, especially if family members aren’t chipping in. It’s common knowledge that whatever your wedding budget is, be prepared to double it as vendors love to up-charge for this particular type of celebration.
When it comes to the honeymoon, budgeting is a little easier, especially if you kindly ask wedding guests for money instead of a gift. This often occurs when the bride and groom have already been living together pre-marriage as they already have everything they need for their home. There are few things worse than being given six sets of wine glasses when you already have some.
Historically, there have been several parties said to fund the honeymoon and we’re here to break it down for you. But whatever you choose really depends on your personal financial situation and is perfectly acceptable, so don’t worry about that.
The Parents
The most traditional wedding etiquette states that the groom and his parents are responsible for funding the honeymoon. Because way back when, the bride and her family were in charge of covering the costs for the entire wedding. But over the years, society has become a little more progressive, straying away from burdening the bride with the entire wedding bill—and thank goodness for that.
It’s safe to say that in 2022, you shouldn’t depend on the groom’s parents footing the bill for your month-long Europe extravaganza.
The Couple
More often than not, the couple plays for their own honeymoon, unless parents on either side are relatively comfortable in terms of finances. In a lot of cases, parents chip in for the wedding ceremony and reception itself so all the couple is left with is paying for their romantic honeymoon. But because everything is so darn expensive these days, many couples just assume that they are paying for everything and then any monetary gifts from family members is considered a bonus. It’s hard to expect your retired parents to pay for your entire honeymoon when the cost of living is so high!
It’s also important to remember that your honeymoon does not have to be a massive international trip. You can go on a road trip to excellent honeymoon destinations in the USA. If you and your spouse love to go camping, then plan a short camping trip to a scenic destination. A memorable honeymoon with your new wife or husband does not have to cost you an arm and a leg.
Wedding Guests
Wedding gift registries are becoming less and less popular as most couples end up living together before even getting engaged. This means that they don’t need a coffee maker or bed linens as they have already purchased these together. Instead of registering at Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel, a ton of couples kindly ask for money that can be put toward their honeymoon.
If you’re uncomfortable asking for money, you can actually sign up for a honeymoon registry.
After you plan out your future honeymoon, guests can go online and pay for specific meals, airfare, or excursions that you have booked. This is much more tangible than just asking for money. However, giving money as a wedding gift is extremely convenient and requires little effort so a lot of guests are relieved when they find out the couple is looking to add to their honeymoon fund.
When you ask wedding guests for money to put toward your honeymoon instead of home decor and kitchen items, you have to be prepared to hold off on booking your trip until after the big day. Pre-planning your trip before seeing how much money you receive from gifts can be a risky idea as you might not receive as much money as you had hoped.
An Unexpected Family Member or Friend
This is certainly one of the best case scenarios: a grandma, aunt, family friend, or sibling actually surprises you with the money for a honeymoon. It’s an incredibly generous gift and you may think that it’s too much but gifting you and your new spouse with a honeymoon might mean a lot to them. When a family member or friend covers the cost of your honeymoon, they will usually let you know early on in the wedding process so that you don’t have to budget for it.
All in all, there is never a wrong answer when it comes to who pays for the honeymoon. It’s important to do what feels right for you, your partner, and your budget as you don’t want to start your marriage with a whopping load of debt.
