A wishing well is a natural choice when you already have everything you need before the wedding. There are only so many bath towels, sheets and coffee pots a couple can use, so pointing guests towards cash is often more useful for everyone. It is also a far more charming way to ask for money than saying so outright.
If the idea is new to you, or you need to explain it to guests, here is how it works and how to think about amounts.
How an online wishing well works
Couples are marrying later and usually living together first, which means the household is well stocked long before the day. The traditional gifts of cookware, bedding and silverware are simply not needed by every couple anymore.
Setting up a wishing well with EasyRegistry is a simple process. You choose how you would like to receive payments, add the wishing well to your online registry, and guests can contribute straight away. You can offer it on the day or accept electronic payments whenever it suits your guests, and the money is paid out to your bank account through Stripe.
Why couples choose a wishing well
There are plenty of reasons to prefer cash over material gifts:
- You already have what you need for your home and do not want more homewares
- You want to take a special honeymoon that a little help would make possible
- You are saving towards a house deposit or a renovation and would like to start the nest egg
- You would rather direct some of the giving to a charity you care about
How much should guests give?
There is no fixed rule, and you should never set a required amount. If a guest asks, the right answer is whatever they are comfortable with. That said, guests almost always want a sense of what is normal, so it helps to know the going ranges. In Australia, a friend might give around $100 to $150, a colleague or acquaintance a little less, and close family more. Our guide on how much to give as a wedding gift in cash sets these out in detail, and it is a useful thing to have in mind when you picture your own guest list.
The point of a wishing well is flexibility, so some guests will give more and some less. Be grateful for every contribution and never make anyone feel they have to stretch.
Word the request warmly
Not every guest will have come across a wishing well, and some may hesitate to pay through a website. You can put them at ease in the invitation. Include a short, personal message explaining that the wishing well takes the place of a physical gift, and say briefly how the money will help, whether that is the honeymoon or the house. When guests understand the plan, they give more happily.
If you would like ready-made lines, our wishing well wording examples give you wording you can drop straight into your invitations, and our wedding cash fund guide covers the honeymoon-fund side. For the mechanics of the well itself, our guide to a wedding wishing well covers setup and etiquette.
Set up your wishing well
EasyRegistry lets you build a registry that every guest can access easily, with any item from any store plus a wishing well to help finance the honeymoon or whatever comes next in married life. Start yours at EasyRegistry and make giving simple for everyone.