I have been wrestling with what the best etiquette is for setting up our registry.
My fiance and I are both graduate students in our late 20s living on very tight budgets (our parents are graciously and gratefully helping fund most of the rehearsal, ceremony, and reception -- rings, invitations and announcements, engagement photos, gifts for wedding party & parents, and honeymoon are on us).
Between the two of us, we have pretty much all the appliances/ household items we need. We only have his one car, however, and it is pretty old, raggedy, and is constantly suffering from mechanical problems-- we only drive it in town, because it has enough issues that driving it long-distance seems a great risk (we rent if we need to go out of town).
I am in law school and will need to be able to commute about 40 miles round-trip this summer for an internship. So getting a new (used) car for a few thousand dollars is definitely something we need, and we have been doing our best to make a small savings fund for it, but it has been slow going since we have also been saving for certain things wedding-related (see above).
I am thinking we should still set up a traditional registry with some items so guests can opt for those if they prefer, but the most meaningful way they could support us as a new couple would be donations to help towards our savings for a new car. What is the best way to politely recommend this to guests/ make them aware of this option?
Re: Donations towards our savings for a car: Advice?
Sorry, but registering for cash is tacky and rude. There's no good way to do this. I suggest making a small registry (especially if someone is throwing you a shower) and - only if people ask - saying that you are saving for a new car. If you're not having a shower, you don't have to register at all.
H and I made a very small registry and we only received one boxed gift at our wedding. The rest was cash. This isn't true for every circle, but everyone knows that money is a great gift.
ETA: I also HATE the word "donations" for things like this. I donate to charities, not regular people wanting things. I give gifts.
Sounds like maybe just not having a registry would be the best move, and if guests decide to give a gift, that's great (and if not, that's fine too -- it will be a gift just to have them there). I know our parents and wedding party members are already aware of our situation, so hopefully they can help guests if the question comes up.