Gofundme For Weddings...UGH!!

lyndausvi

adverb said:

Is gift giving really optional? I've never gone to a wedding and not brought a gift. occasionally I'll see "gifts optional" on the wedding website, but most of the time it says no such thing.

Also, you're not charging an admission fee to your wedding. I imagine people would still get invited even if they didn't contribute. At least I hope.

Yep, gifts are completely optional.     Granted most people do give gifts, but sometimes they don't.  I know we had a few who didn't give a gift.   

If you are asking people to help pay the party that is for THEM, then yes you are essentially asking people to pay admission.   Assuming they are invited in the first place.  If they are not invited (like the chick with 1000 FB friends, somehow I do not think she inviting all those people),  it's just down right tacky.

Bottom line plan the wedding you can afford.  Period.

allispain

adverb said:

Is gift giving really optional? I've never gone to a wedding and not brought a gift. occasionally I'll see "gifts optional" on the wedding website, but most of the time it says no such thing.

Also, you're not charging an admission fee to your wedding. I imagine people would still get invited even if they didn't contribute. At least I hope.

Of course gifts are optional. Do many people give them? Yes. Should a reasonable human being expect them from every guest? No.

Probably about 10% of our guest list did not give us a gift of any kind - that included both my sister and one of DH's sisters. Neither was in a financial position to do so - the fact that they both took a day off work to be able to attend our wedding was gift enough for us (they both had the kind of schedule that we couldn't predict because they changed every week).

Cookie Pusher

adverb said:

Is gift giving really optional? I've never gone to a wedding and not brought a gift. occasionally I'll see "gifts optional" on the wedding website, but most of the time it says no such thing.

Also, you're not charging an admission fee to your wedding. I imagine people would still get invited even if they didn't contribute. At least I hope.

Yep, giving a gift is totally optional. We had several guests at our wedding who gave no gift and no card. And we gave no fucks about it.

LBSWedding2015

twoleighs said:

"We are getting married on February 21, 2015! We need all the help that we can get to pay for our wedding ceremony, reception, and honeymoon. Instead of a wedding registry, please support us with a monetary gift of any amount to help fund the wedding and honeymoon. If you are able, please give a gift of at least $20. We need all of the help we can get! Thank you for being a part of our special day!"

One of the updates: "I would like for all of my Facebook friends to give ! I have over a thousand friends and if each person contributed we would exceed our goal! Love ya!"

Reading this one I started thinking "okay this doesn't sound to bad - instead of a gift I'd contribute to the wedding fund"... and then I got to "please give at least $20..." Sorry but you don't get to tell your guests what to give lol
Further, if they're expecting every one of their Facebook friends to contribute then they better invite them all - which if they're having a 1,000 person wedding, I think they could tone the guest list down and have an affordable wedding!