Honeymoon Registry - not a travel service

Up until now all the Honeymoon registries I've seen have been to are with travel companies. Because we're planning on backpacking through Europe none of the programs really worked for us.. until now! (Don't I sound like an advertisement?). A coworker told me about the following website that they used for their honeymoon registry:

 

The Honeymoon : Honeymoon Registry,Honeymoon Packages,Hawaii Honeymoon Vacation,All Inclusive

 

The great thing about it is that in the end they actually send you a check so you will literally have cash to spend on your honeymoon instead of just a credit towards some airline tickets etc. For us this is perfect because we can spend the money while we're their instead of being forced to plan everything out ahead of time.

 

Basically it works like this:

1. You create a registry and list items you'd like (i.e. "A Gondola ride in Venice")
2. You give this info out to your guests (though not in your invitation or STD of course - that's considered very rude)
3. Your guests pay a service charge which is a percentage similar to saelss tax (the more then spend the lower the percentage however). The rates are listed below
4. The website notifies you when something has been purchased
5. 5 days before your honeymoon they send you a check for all the money that's come in
6. After your honeymoon they send you any remaining gifts
7. 30 days after your honeymoon the account is closed.

Here's the FAQs from the website:

 

How does The Honeymoon's registry work?

The Honeymoon gift registry works like most gift registries. Instead of creating a list of gifts (china, crystal, housewares, etc.), couples list what they want to receive to have the honeymoon of their dreams. Honeymoons have many components and activities that can represent gift items: i.e. scuba diving, drinks by the pool, hotel accommodations, etc. Everything is itemized like a traditional registry-so you can pick and choose what you want to give. More expensive pieces of the registry can be split into smaller increments to better accommodate guest purchases. Once the registry is created, wedding guests can then purchase items from this list.

 

Why would couples use this type of registy?

Wedding guests like being given a choice of gifts because it gives them an opportunity to choose a gift that better matches their own personality. No one wants to give a gift that they would not appreciate themselves; which is why we recommend having a traditional gift registry for your guests that are more traditionalists and prefer giving you something that they can see, touch, and feel themselves. For others, they will appreciate the more progressive nature of a honeymoon registry because it a wonderful alternative that is simple, fun and easy.

 

Read some of the testimonials on our homepage. These are only a fraction of the comments both guests and couples are making.

 

Why would guests use this type of registy?

Couples enjoy the variety of gifts their guests give them for a shower and the wedding day. That is one reason why they choose to register with The Honeymoon. We offer an alternative to the traditional registry of toasters, china, crystal, etc. Instead of giving a physical item, you have the opportunity to give the couple the honeymoon of their dreams - and possibly the vacation of a lifetime. Let your gift to the couple be more than just a plate, let it be a memory to last a lifetime.

 

As a guest, how do I get started?

Giving a honeymoon gift is one of the most unique and wonderful gifts you can give. To find a couple who is registered at The Honeymoon, search for either party's last name. Once you've found their name, you can go straight to their registry or look at their webpage for more information about the couple.

 

As a couple, how do we get started?

Getting started at The Honeymoon is easy and fun. You create your registry by giving us key information about you and your wedding (date, time, place, etc). Looking for honeymoon ideas? You can browse through the information we have on some of the world's great honeymoon destinations, or follow the links to other information sources we feel are helpful. Need some ideas to get started? No problem! We have a wide variety of sample registries that couples have created over the years.

 

If you already have your honeymoon planned and just want to create your registry and personal wedding web page, you're ready to get started.

 

Most important, have fun with your registry and give it your own personal touch!

 

My honeymoon is the most important trip I've ever planned. What is the best way to go about planning it?

Planning a honeymoon is a big deal. You want to ensure you have the best accommodations, car rental, and travel arrangement possible. This can be very overwhelming.

 

Travel has room for all sorts of surprises which is why we suggest you work with a travel agent. You don't know exactly what you've purchased until you get there, unless you have the experience and expertise of a travel agent to assist you. Whether you have your own travel agent, use one of ours, or work with one of our affiliated travel agencies, it is important that you give your agent the information they need to get you the best honeymoon for the money. That means they'll need to know the budget they have to work with, how many days and nights you would like to stay, and what would be more important: more nights in a lesser quality room or fewer nights in a posh honeymoon suite. Travel agents need to know these things to do a quality job for you.

 

Making price comparisons are important, however the bottom line is to make sure that when you do, you are comparing "apples to apples." Many of the travel providers we work with, for example, build in special value-adds for honeymoon packages. These value-adds have costs, but their true cost to you is always less than if you were to buy them individually at the property. For example, a common value-add is a parasailing trip. Booking this with your travel agent not only saves your money, but will also save you time! Travel agents do this because it will ensure a positive experience that reflects well on them; and hopefully, you'll refer someone or come back yourself.

 

What if I've already purchased a honeymoon package or already planned a honeymoon trip through a different service?

You can still use The Honeymoon Registry! Simply create a registry and add your package details when prompted.

 

How do couples collect their gifts?

The Honeymoon will send you two checks. The first one you receive will be issued five (5) business days prior to your honeymoon. Any funds that come in after that will accumulate in your FDIC insured account, which will stay open until for an additional thirty (30) days. At that time, your registry will be closed to the public and a final check will be issued to reconcile the account balance.

 

These dates are guidelines set in place for the benefit of the couple. We realize that this schedule does not accommodate all couples and we encourage you to contact us by phone (1-888-796-7772) or email if our disbursement schedule does not work for you.

 

How do I let my guests know about my registry?

We provide an insert for your shower invitations that notifies guests that you have a "Personal Wedding Web Page" at The Honeymoon. On your web page, you have the opportunity to put all the important information pertaining to your wedding and honeymoon.

 

How do the gifts in my registry get paid for?

It is important to distinguish the difference between the registry and your travel booking, whether it be with an online or traditional travel agent. In the case of cruises and most hotel/resort bookings, a deposit must be made to hold a reservation; and a final payment needs to be made at least sixty (60) days prior to departure. This means that you are ultimately responsible for your honeymoon payment arrangements.

 

Our registries are a means to help with honeymoon expenses and to offer guests a gift alternative that may be more in step with their own personalities. You may want to have a pedicure and massage while on your honeymoon, but may have stretched your budget just getting to your honeymoon destination. Some guests would prefer to help you get that pedicure, massage, parasailing or romantic dinner; and others are happy getting you a toaster. The important thing is that guests have the choice.

 

Should we still create a gift registry elsewhere?

Absolutely! Here's why. Your wedding guests appreciate that you are trying to make their gift giving more convenient and personal. However, they also greatly appreciate alternatives that allow them to choose a gift that is meaningful to them.

 

What can a couple expect in terms of gifts so that they don't overextend themselves?

Due to the nature of our service, there is no easy answer to this question. A successful registry depends on many factors. The more creative and personal with your registry, the more apt your guests are to purchase those items for you. For instance, "Up up and away" is a much more fun and appealing description than "Airfare."

 

You may want to consider having a honeymoon themed wedding shower.

 

Although there is no obligation for guests to give a gift, most would like nothing more than to give something the couple really wants or needs. A parent, maid of honor, best man, other bridesmaids or groomsmen, or close friend can usually get the word out. People who care about you will rally for you.

 

Is there a cost to this service?

The only cost to the couple is the time they put into creating a registry and wedding web page. Couples can put as much or as little effort in the personalization of their registry as they want, though creating a registry is often both exciting and enjoyable. There are no fees for creating your registry and the service/gift delivery fee is the lowest of any honeymoon registry service available.

 

See the table below for our current pricing structure.

 

Gift Total Service Fee

$0.01 - $500.00 8.85%

$500.01 - $750.00 7.85%

$750.01 - $1000.006.85%

$1000.01+ 5.85%

 

Why is there a service charge?

The service and gift delivery fees are how The Honeymoon is able to offer you this valuable service and stay in business. In most cases, the service charges would amount to less than the cost of sales tax and gift wrap for a traditional wedding gift. They help pay for the transaction costs (credit card fees and processor fees), customer service, and the costs to operate and improve our business. Through their purchase, guests are helping us offer this service free of charge to couples. In essence, it is part of the gift they give. Most importantly, when a guest purchases a gift, the couple receives the entire gift; not a lesser amount.

 

Do I have to use one of your honeymoon specialists to use your honeymoon registry service?

Using one of our travel agents is not required, but is encouraged. Our honeymoon specialists are chosen from among the best in the country. If you do not have a travel professional to help you with your honeymoon, we strongly recommend that you consider using one from our nationwide network of professionals.

 

How do I know what each guest has purchased?

Once you've created an account, there are a number of features at your disposal: registry creation and editing, a wedding web page, guest notifications, and a registry review. Your registry review shows all gifts purchased, when they were purchased, and who purchased the gift. Couples are also notified by email of each purchase. These emails serve as a great way to keep track of gift givers.

 

Please note, guests do have the option to delay gift notices sent to couples in order to keep the gift a surprise. Items that are purchased will be marked on the registry immediately, but the purchaser will remain hidden until the date they've specified. Please be assured all notifications will be sent in time to thank guests.

i think honeymoon registries are great for the couples that have all their traditional household goods or are combining too households.

 

i researched all of the registries and think this one is one of the best

 

Traveler's Joy Honeymoon Registry - The World's Premier Honeymoon Registry Service

 

the upside to this oe is the fee is the loest (7.5%) and they send you the $$ in a check so you can use it to pay off your trip, etc...the other registry makes you use one of their referral agents.

There's a very similar registry here in mexico, but not just for the honeymoon..

 

They give you a list of household items and an average cost for it and your guests for example choose a TV that costs $200 and that's what you get in a personal bank account (They just tell you to use certain bank).. and they charge 7%, so you can use your money whenever you want.. even before the wedding

Anny is it fabulous to live in Mexico? I always wanted to live in a big mansion in Acapulco. And my sister and I always wanted to be soap opera stars. LOL. Sorry to get off topic.

 

-Glenda

LOL I think living in a mansion in Acapulco or any beach would be faboulous!!! hahahaha

But unfortunately I live in a small city, that has bad streets and no fun places to go to.. Plus real state sucks here.. houses are really expensive!! (compared to the border here, not compared with New York LOL)

 

I think Mexico has lot of beautiful places and is fun in many ways, but I'd preffer being american.. or at least to be able to live in the US..

The one I posted at top also just sends you a check - no referral agents or anything either. The girl I now sit with used this sight and it worked out great - she said they loved it!

 

Tammy, I'll check out the ones Traveler's Joy too!

 

Anny, where is Mexico do you live? I adore Mexico - I don't know how you stay so think though - the food is so amazing!

I live in the border with Texas,.. I'm trying to avoid tacos to loose weight for my wedding hehehehe, thank God I can cross the border whenever I want and go to wal-mart to buy my fat free products hahahaha

I bet you need to stay away from those delicious tacos! When I was there over the holidays I ate SO many quesadillas and fresh made tortillas... yum!

I have a really stupid question for you. When you cross back and forth across the border do you just need to show your drivers license or passport like we need to cross into/out of Mexico? I know it's a dumb question but I just always wondered...

i hope I don't sound ignorant! I always thought the US immigration policy was pretty racist - i.e. not as easy for our Mexican friends to cross back and forth as freely as our Canadian friends do.

We have a visa issued by the united states.. to get it you have to pay, then get an appointment, and then show them that you work and earn money (so they don't think you want to cross to get a job there)..

 

And it's not a dumb question, if you don't live in borders you don't know.. in fact last year we did a road trip to miami and a police officer stopped us in the road and he told my FI, why has this car crossed 150 times to the united states?? like it was a big deal hahaha it was only 150 'cause the car was relatively new..

he then understood that it was so normal 'cause sometimes it takes only minutes to cross..

Thanks for explaining! I've been wondering that for a long time! The closest border to me is 2 hours away and that's the Tijuana border - which is CRAZY BUSY! I read that it's the busiest border crossing int he world - I don't know if that's true or not but I know no one's passing through in one minute! It's more like 1.5 hours! Border towns (on both sides) are such interesting places. i read this great book called "Borderlands" once which was talking all about how cultures mix along the borders and create their own new, distinct culture... anyway can I say ! hee hee hee...

Anyway thanks for clearing that up for me!