If you’re in the middle of planning your honeymoon, then you’re probably looking longingly at Airbnbs in your destination city, thinking about the amazing time you’d have. But one question might be nagging at you: How are you going to pay for that?
In recent years, some couples have turned to asking for Airbnb gift cards on their wedding registries, but here’s something they might not know: Asking for Airbnb gift cards on a wedding registry is tacky.
Why? Here’s what you need to know about asking for an Airbnb gift card on your wedding registry and how you can better ask for the gift you want without offending your guests.
Why do couples ask for Airbnb gift cards?
Gift cards have become a favorite present to add to a wedding registry, and it’s easy to see why. For most couples, gift cards function like a cash fund on Hitchd. Anyone can give an amount that feels comfortable for them, and there’s no pressure for guests or acquaintances to give high amounts out of their budgets. But unlike cash funds, these gift cards can only be used at the store or business.
To many people, giving a gift card somehow feels a little more personal than writing a cheque or stashing cash in a card. And while we know that it’s considered tacky to ask for money as a wedding present, asking for gift cards feels less forward and offensive to most guests. This is likely because the money must be spent at the place of business named on the card, which means you can’t use the gift card for personal expenses like bills or shoes. The money will almost have to be used on something for the home, depending on where the gift card is purchased.
But gift cards aren’t quite the solution to the no-asking-for-money-as-a-wedding-present rule. For one thing, you’re limited to that store or business. If you have a Bed, Bath and Beyond gift card but don’t need anything from the store, then you’re stuck with it for now. While you could try to sell it online, you might not get the full value and end up spending more time than it’s worth. They’re also not a very personal gift, and if you don’t use your gift card by the time you write your thank-you notes, then you won’t be able to share with guests how their gift impacted you.
How can you add Airbnb gift cards to a wedding registry?
Many big-box stores like Target allow couples to add gift cards to other stores to their registries, instead of forcing them to only add Target gift cards. Couples can add gift cards for Airbnb, Southwest Airlines, Disney Parks and even Visa and Mastercard gift cards that allow guests to add whatever amount they’d like.
Most couples use gift cards on wedding registries in one or two ways:
- As a final thought at the end so that if your registry becomes picked-over with only expensive items left, guests can choose a gift card instead and give any amount.
- As a gentle push towards cash on a barebones traditional registry.
While the first setup makes sense for those with large traditional wedding registries at stores like Target, the second setup is almost certain to backfire on your and your partner.
It may seem like a good idea to just create a very minimal traditional wedding registry and just hope that guests kinda get the message for themselves: that what you’d really like is money as a present or at least a gift card. But this attempt is almost guaranteed to backfire. Some guests might not catch on to the idea and just pick out something from the store anyway (even something not on the list) or too many people might end up giving you gift cards to a store where you’ll never really want to spend it. Others might understand exactly what you’re doing — and decide not to play along. Maybe they’ll give you a cheque at the wedding, or maybe they won’t give you anything at all.
Why adding Airbnb gift cards to your wedding registry is considered tacky
By now, you should have a clear understanding that the whole concept of throwing a wedding is fraught with etiquette mindfields. There are so many little rules and traditions that you’ve likely never encountered because you’ve probably never thrown a wedding before, and you do need to follow these rules because at the end of the day, it’s your guests’ experiences that matter almost as much as your own.
There are, essentially, two cardinal rules of wedding etiquette:
- Your wedding should celebrate your new union with your partner above all else.
- All guests should feel welcome and appreciated regardless of what or how much they give as a gift.
So where do Airbnb gift cards fit in? Well, it starts with the first point: your wedding is not a cash grab or an excuse to ask people for gifts. This is a celebration of the love and commitment you and your partner share. If you and your partner focus only on what guests can give you and how much they can give, then they’re going to feel slighted and very little enthusiasm for your nuptials.
It’s almost important to remember that there should never be a cover charge to go to your wedding. No guest should feel like he or she needs to give you a present in order to be invited or attend the wedding. When couples create small registries in hopes that people give cash or use other methods to push cash as a gift onto guests, it can ruin the spirit of the occasion and discourage people from attending the wedding at all.
How not to offend your guests while still asking for cash as a wedding present
All of this being said, it’s not unreasonable to want cash as a wedding present. Maybe you’re paying for your own wedding as well as your honeymoon. Having extra cash would be a big help, especially as you book your Airbnb rental. Or perhaps you want to buy a home or start a family right away. Money as a gift would sure go a long way, much longer than a blender or a toaster.
If this describes you and your partner, then it may be time to look at building a honeymoon registry through Hitchd. A honeymoon registry acts just like a traditional registry — but everything listed is experience-based, and guests don’t actually go through the trouble of booking the rental or plane tickets themselves. They send you the money, and you handle the rest.
You and your partner are in charge of adding gifts to your honeymoon registry, and an Airbnb rental would be a great gift. To add that as a gift, you simply:
- Select “experience” from the types of gifts that Hitchd offers.
- Add a title, description and photo. Summarise why you chose this Airbnb and highlight some of the amazing amenities. Don’t forget to include the link to it so guests can check it out for themselves. If you need a photo, Hitchd offers thousands of free stock images for use.
- Set a price for the total cost. If it’s a little high, then break the cost down into smaller price points. A $500 Airbnb rental could be five $100 gifts or 10 $50 gifts.
Now you don’t need to ask for Airbnb gift cards. You can just ask for the rental as a gift itself. This satisfies everyone. You get some help paying for your honeymoon, and guests feel good knowing their gift will be enjoyed and create a wonderful memory for you two.
3 Tips to make sure your honeymoon registry remains respectful
Even though a honeymoon registry presents a much more polite and popular way to ask for money as a wedding present, it is not infallible. You have to build your honeymoon registry with care.
Here are three quick tips to make sure your honeymoon registry remains respectful.
- Flush out your introduction and gift descriptions. If you leave them blank or include just a sentence or two, then guests will think that you haven’t put much thought or work into this. Write out good descriptions and remember to thank guests in your introduction. If you need help writing, Hitchd provides templates to get you started.
- Present a mix of price points on your honeymoon registry. You get to create the prices, so make sure you have a good mix of price points presented on your wedding registry so no one feels pressured to break their budgets over your gift.
- Thank guests. You can do this in your introduction, but if you’re using Hitchd, then you can thank them almost as soon as they give you gift with an emailed thank-you. Of course, you also need to send a physical thank-you after the ceremony.
Registering for Airbnb gift cards is considered tacky by most wedding guests, but that doesn’t mean you absolutely have to create a traditional wedding registry. With a honeymoon registry through Hitchd, you can show guests why this Airbnb will be such a magical experience for you and your partner, and you can assure them that the money they give you as a gift will go to its stated purpose. A final note: When you write your thank-you cards after your honeymoon, describe the experiences your guests paid for and how much it meant to you to experience these moments together. It will make for a heartwarming card that won’t be thrown out anytime soon.
Ready to get started with Hitchd? Find out more here.
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