Guest post by: Wendy Dessler
Today’s brides and grooms are mature, educated, and unique couples. In past decades, couples often went from their mother’s home directly into a marriage. We no longer hang up our high school cheerleading uniform and slip into our grandmother’s wedding gown.
Today’s bride and groom are usually in their late 20’s. They have graduated college and begun a career. They have lived on their own for a while and have taken the time to get to know each other before making a life long commitment.
When the modern couple designs a wedding, they know what they want and they work hard and spend a lot of time and money to create it. While their parents may (or may not) help them financially with their wedding, they certainly will contribute.
And this all-important day will be followed by a honeymoon vacation they have dreamed of most of their lives. This is a dream they cherish and want to share with all those they love. Their friends and family are anxious to celebrate with them and send them on their journey as a family in style.
Honeymoon Dreams
To many couples, the honeymoon is the most important part of the wedding plans. This is the first journey they will take as a husband and wife.
This is the beginning of a life together and they want their first memory to be breathtaking. Some couples are forced to omit their dream honeymoon due to the expenses of the wedding. This is how Crowdfunding began.
Friends and family expect to purchase a wedding gift for the new couple. They are often frustrated because it is difficult to buy something they know the couple wants or needs and that several other family members do not purchase the same gift.
Store registries helped in some ways, but they are not easy to set up and they often do not allow enough choice for the guests. Sure, the couple may list a serving spoon that matches their set and cost $50.00, but few guests want to hand a bride a gift box containing a serving spoon. Fortunately, registries have evolved.
Registries
The options for weddings are endless. Whether they want a formal cathedral wedding or a destination wedding in a paradise like a Belize beach wedding, it is easily obtainable. If you are dreaming about the perfect Caribbean destination wedding and would like to have it at the most romantic place you can think of, then look no further than TripAdvisor’s most romantic resort in Belize, Coco Plum Island Resort!
And while the type of wedding is a major factor in the expense, there is no such thing as a low-cost wedding. The challenges of the modern couple having the wedding of their dreams is what gave birth to the latest trend in wedding gifting.
Crowdfunding is a way to set up an easy to use, online service which provides an avenue for guests to contribute to this special event in your life. Plumfund is one of the most popular crowdfunding sites. There is no fee to your guests. You set up your account to show what you would like. Instead of (or along with) traditional store registries, you can set-up items like airline tickets, hotel rooms, dinners at particular places, and activities you would like to do while on your honeymoon. Your guests can purchase all or a portion of a particular item. This allows several guests to pool their resources to provide you with exactly what you want. It is easy and does not cost your guests any fees.
Non-conventional gifts
Because more couples are established before getting married, they do not need the traditional gifts like toasters, dishes, and towels. As young adults, they probably have student loans and other debt that must be paid off. They may be saving for a downpayment on a house, or a remodel.
This couple may opt to create a Honeyfund or Plumfund account to assist them in these milestones instead of asking for a honeymoon.
Your wedding is a once in a lifetime event. You will never again be at this moment in time again. No matter what style wedding the couple wants and no matter where they begin their journey your wedding day and your honeymoon is unique and for you alone.
Allowing friends and family to participate in making these dreams a reality is a precious and bonding experience. The smartest and easiest way to help them and yourself is with crowdfunding.
Author Bio:
Wendy Dessler. Title: Super-Connector at OutreachMama Wendy is a super-connector with OutreachMama and Youth Noise NJ who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition. You can contact her on Twitter.
