Traditionally, a separate card is included with the invitation showing details
of the wedding gift list. It’s up to the couple to choose gifts from
every price range.
Money – to ask or not to ask, that is the question. So. . . what’s the real
story about money as a wedding gift? Asking for cash can be a tricky
issue, so decide what you really need it for and list it as one of your
wedding gifts - for example ’donations towards home improvements’,
or ’a contribution towards the honeymoon’.
According to Peggy Post, famous etiquette author Emily Post’s greatgranddaughter-
in-law and current spokesperson for the Emily Post Institute,
“for many couples, money makes an ideal gift. And there are terrific
options in monetary gifting today; guests should consider alternatives to
cash and personal checks such as universal gift certificates. . . ”
The rest of the story is that money seems to be not only a muchneeded
commodity by most young couples starting out, but also a gift
that most people are willing to give. American Express also offers a
Gift Cheque that comes attractively packaged in a gold envelope, looking
very “wedding giftish”.
They found that we find with Gift Cheques is that there’s a special,
keepsake value unlike cash or personal checks. Couples actually hold
onto Gift Cheques they receive until they find the exact, perfect thing
they want to buy with them, whether they want to put it toward furnishing
their house or even to help pay for their wedding.
The bottom line is that requests for money continue to be a somewhat
delicate subject, but it is acceptable and must just be handled with sensitivity
and diplomacy. You can do that. It’s far easier asking for cash
when your guests know it’s going towards a definite project or gift.
