Does anyone know of a US based travel agency or honeymoon registry company that does not charge a service fee to the gift giver and registration fee to the couple?<BR>Am tying to register for a honeymoon to Italy and do not want $1000 of the money people give to go to an agency.<BR>Thanks

how tacky! Asking for cash for a wedding gift! If you are that hard up for $$, I would suggest that you save your own money for a trip at a later date!

Not that I feel like I have to justify myself to miss manners...but for clarification...I do not need any more crystal, towels or home items..what I do need is a wonderful honeymoon to look back on forever. And who are you to judge what people register for?

I see absolutely no reason to state that asking to cash in order to pay for one's noneymoon would be in any way more greedy than asking for silver cuttlery or a washing machine. Care to explain, msmanners?

Amy, <BR>That is the tackiest thing I've ever heard of. I agree with Ms. Manners because requesting cash is inappropriate. <BR>It sounds like you're planning a wedding just to cash in for your honeymoon.

COPIED AND POSTED FROM MY RESPONSE TO THIS SAME FREAKING THREAD ON THE US BOARD......<BR><BR>Dearest Amy - <BR><BR>I must say that your request is in terrible taste. A honeymoon registry? Come on. If you can't afford to take a honeymoon on your own, postpone the homeymoon until you two can get away on your own dime. Makes me think that you are two kids who don't know any better - I hope I am right. I guess the suggestion to just go to Macy's or Burdine's and register for Waterford or Lenox formal china will fall on deaf ears. You probably eat on styrofoam plates you bought at Wal-Mart. I bet you would want to go to Walt Disney World or Myrtle Beach for your honeymoon. My husband and I married almost two years ago and would haven't had a guest in the ballroom if someone heard we wanted them to finance our honeymoon. Our east coast wedding cost $40K -- honeymoon only cost $7K for 2 weeks in the Caribbean. Grow up.<BR><BR><BR>And, from judging on your above posts to the other replies, I seem to have hit the nail squarely on the head with thinking you are abviously trailer trash.<BR><BR>Have a happy life, you cheapskate.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

<BR><BR>By the way - <BR><BR>Go to TheKnot.com and ask the same question.<BR><BR>Your ass will look like it has been barbequed when all of the other women get ahold of this truly disgusting request.<BR><BR>

I just responded to your question on the U.S. board. Don't do it honey, it's in bad taste and tacky.

Well Abby, the people who buy gifts for Amy will either comply with her request or will buy something they think she needs. Simple as that. I know I, for one, would rather give someone the money to have her dream honeymoon than to buy her that 15th crystal punch bowl (which she'd just take back to Lazarus or Macy's to get the money). Better to save her the time & irritation & just give her the money up front! : )<BR><BR>With that in mind, I think Amy is actually being altruistic in attempting to find a site that won't charge a fee for the givers, so that they may get their money's worth.<BR><BR>Sorry, Amy, I have no other advice to offer, but I wish you luck in finding such a site and I WISH YOU THE VERY BEST ON YOUR UPCOMING NUPTIALS & ON YOUR HONEYMOON, SWEETIE!!<BR><BR>@-&gt;--&gt;---

LOL!!<BR><BR>I am going to copy and paste this on the AOl Wedding Message boards and really let this little skank get worked over by everyone!!!<BR><BR>

I wouldn't even go to your reception at the fire hall with the buffet style food (meatballs and cold cuts) served in aluminum warming trays. LOL.<BR><BR>And for the people who do attend this freak show, I hope they give you gift certificates to Burger King.<BR>

Honey,<BR>Why don't you just charge your guests an entrance admission of $25.00 at the church for your fundraising tactics or pass the collection plate around when you're saying your i do's.<BR>My goodness, what are we coming to when we have to hint for cash? If you don't want your umpteenth punchbowl, then don't register for such items but to actually ASK for money to be applied toward your honeymoon is way beyond bad taste.<BR>No wonder so many people think that so many Americans are tacky. BTW, I'm an American. <BR>Miss Manners, you're language deletes your valid points. Please don't do this. I work as a wedding coordinator in Chicago and even though this is becoming popular with many couples, it is not looked upon favorably by most of their guests. Whatever your guests choose to get you is their business and you will probably collect enough money to use for a honeymoon, furniture, etc. so let it be without registering for a trip. <BR>Maybe the real issue is to scale down the wedding by style or guest list to accomodate your budget.

Being a newly married woman, I don't feel Amy's request is in poor taste at all. In my opinion, Amy and her fiance's friends and family (those attending the shower and/or wedding) would likely prefer to give a gift towards a lifetime memory, than a durable good that will collect dust and be forgotten over the years.<BR><BR>Obviously Amy has class as she was looking to have her generous friends and family avoid being penalized for giving towards something that Amy and her fiance' truly want and can use.<BR><BR>As for ms. manners and the others, you are the ones who are in truly poor taste by making such revolting and inappropriate statements. In addition, I was truly appauled by ms. manners' blatant threat to embark on a smear campaign against Amy over the internet. If that were to happen, I would recommend to Amy that she take legal recourse. I am sure The Knot.com carries General Liability and/or Media Liability insurance that covers Personal Injury (which includes mental anguish, defamation of character, etc.) via oral or written material regardless of the media type used. <BR><BR>Quite frankly, you all have every right to voice your opinion, however, there are better ways to get your point across than to belittle another human being; especially one that is suppose to be going through the one of the most joyful and blissful experiences of getting married.<BR><BR>Good luck, Amy. <BR>

First of all I think asking for money is in poor taste but it is a new world out there folks. Young people even with good taste and manners do not always like the crystal, silver and china that we of past generations have enjoyed. My daughter who was married several years ago,whom I would like to say has wonderful taste and manners, received all of her silver, crystal and china that I advised her to register for. It has never been used and I think it will never be used very much. Her group of friends prefer "Pier One" to Macy's. Maybe she would have been better off with money for a great honeymoon? Maybe Mom gave bad advice? Any way, Amy I hope that you get what you want and have a wonderful wedding any honeymoon and have many years to TRAVEL together. Life is a journey!

Pier One, Williams-Sonoma, amazon.com, and even REI (sports equipment) all have gift registries. No need to register for crystal and china if that's not something you'd use. <BR><BR>The difference between a gift registry and asking for money (including "registries" for travel, charities, etc.) is that asking for money implies that you expect a gift. As you have seen, etiquette requires that you do NOT assume that a gift is forthcoming in exchange for an invitation, which means no asking for cash and no listing your registry or other expectations in your invitation. That's just greedy, people. If people ASK, then you tell them about your registry.

<BR>Amy: I don't see anything wrong with your idea. Hinting for a cash contribution is perfectly acceptable. But I would not even bother with an online company or any other third party. Just ask people to send the check to you and book your honeymoon yourself.<BR>If I were to get a wedding invitation/announcement that says something like: "We already have everything we need for our household. But if you want to help making our honeymoon an unforgettable one, we won't say no", I'd be the first to send you a check. Easy for the giver, and money well spent.<BR>But make sure to send everyone a nice personal thank you post card from the honeymoon destination.<BR>Just disregard the MsManners posters, who probably have cabinets full of ugly stuff they don't dare to throw out. Or who have wasted everyone's time by returning needless stuff. From the language of their posts, it is obvious that the first thing they lack is manners.<BR>

Oh brother - what is the big deal! Amy isn't asking for "money!!" When people ask where she is registered, she can simply reply that she is registered at XX department store and XX travel agency. The guests would have a choice! I for one would much rather give a travel gift certificate than buy a punch bowl that may get broken on the first use - or never used at all. I do think Amy should register at a Department store as well as a travel agency- so great aunt Matilda, with old, old, old-fashioned ideas won't get upset - like the old, old, old fashioned people responding above.

Whoa, there are some really scary people here... If Amy's already got what she needs in life, do you suggest she gets NOTHING as wedding gifts then? Some people are content with what they have before they get married and don't need a poxy china doll or naff crystal decanter.<BR><BR>You may call it tacky asking for what you really want, but ask yourself what exactly you should do with thousands of bucks worth of garbage you didn't want in the first place. Saying thanks for that load of old crap would be tacky.<BR><BR>Amy, if it offends as many people as it looks like (who knows why), just ask for loads of clothes or something where people have to give you the receipts. Then you can cash in after the event.<BR><BR>As for calling her a skank, tacky, trashy, you other women are worse. Get a life.

tt

My comment, although nothing to do with travel:<BR>What's wrong with asking for cash?? I find that most young people these days have already had their own homes long before they get married - so why on earth should they ask for another flower vase, or another 6 fish-knives.<BR>Among my young friends and colleagues in the UK, Germany and Switzerland it's becoming more and more usual to politely ask for cash (lots of creative ways to present it) or a check or transfer.<BR>Are the people who are so shocked by this all in the US? Don't heap coals on Amy. This may be the first time you've heard of this, but I don't think it will be the last.<BR>Good luck to you Amy.