Yes, You Can Ask For Travel As A Wedding Gift (And Here's How To Set Up A Registry)

Want someone else to pay for your honeymoon? Who wouldn't? And it's possible if you break with tradition and register for a trip rather than physical gifts as a wedding gift. France over fancy towels any day.

A honeymoon is a time to decompress with your new spouse and enjoy new adventures and experiences together. Taking away the stress of how much this trip is going to cost — an average of $5000 in 2022 — only adds to the enjoyment. And getting your guests on board might be easier than you think. Even though it's still more usual to ask for tangible gifts rather than money for travel, 74% of Americans now say they value experiences over possessions, according to the Center for Generational Kinetics (including the baby boomer generation). So it likely won't be difficult to ask your guests to help you and your new spouse create beautiful memories.

So, where do you register for travel as a wedding gift? Spoiler alert: it's not Bed, Bath & Beyond. And how can you make it a personal experience for your guests so they really feel like they've contributed something to your life as a married couple?

There are a ton of sites out there to choose from that allow you to set up a registry for travel. Obviously, as we're talking about payments and credit card details, you need to make sure the site is trustworthy. Two with the highest ratings on Trustpilot are Traveler's Joy and Hitchd. These registry sites are transparent about the fees they charge, and neither requires you to book travel via their partners, meaning you have the freedom to choose how to book your trip. There are many more sites like this, so doing your own research is key.

Once you've chosen your destination, setting up your account is easy, and you can personalize your registry as much or as little as you want. You can add photos and tell your guests about your story as a couple and why you've chosen to ask for travel rather than physical gifts. You can also break down the gifts that you're asking for. For each, you can write as much as you want, so if it's always been your dream to sleep in a treehouse in the Bornean rainforest, tell your guests that!

You can add experiences for your guests to gift you, like wine tasting in Tuscany or scuba diving in the Bahamas. Many guests will love the idea of giving you something that's almost tangible. Both sites also allow you to add physical gifts, so if you think someone would prefer to buy you a rolling suitcase set or a snorkeling mask, you can set this up.

There are so many reasons not to ask for cash to fund your honeymoon trip. First, some guests may not feel comfortable handing over an envelope of cash on your wedding day, but many will be perfectly happy to contribute to a fund where you've made the goal clear. These registries also allow you to prepay for many parts of your honeymoon, so there won't be a big credit card bill waiting when you get home. Withdrawing is simple: When you're ready, simply request your money via a direct deposit and pack your bags.

You also don't have the worry of keeping a lot of cash safe on your wedding day and remembering who gave what. Wedding travel registries keep a record of contributors for you and even help you prepare personalized thank-you cards. You can add photos from your honeymoon and tell your guests how much you enjoyed it. The best honeymoon travel registries are an excellent way to receive something you actually want for your wedding, and they make it easy for guests to contribute and feel like a part of your first weeks as a married couple.