What's your preference: Cash or Registered Gifts?

bbyckes

Yes. I know you should not expect gifts, but what are you hoping for?

I think I'm in the minority.  I love opening gifts.  I would be most happy if we got nothing but what we registered for and no one gave us cash.  But, it seems that most people prefer cash gifts.  What's your preference?

emilyinchile

In Chile, which is where we live and are having our wedding, we want the gifts - we registered for them because we want and/or need them! In the US (we're doing a reception over the summer), I'm hoping for cash just because we can't pack many gifts to bring them back with us.

Brie2010

Honestly, I would be happy with either.  We will probably use the money we get to  complete our registries, so they're basically the same thing in the long run!

SaraAndrew2010

Some cash would be nice, but I'm excited about the gifts that we'll be registering for.  FI and I love to cook and I'm definitely looking forward to getting nice china and glassware.  To me, a physical gift has a lot more meaning than cash.  Cash will just go into my bank account and get spent on groceries.  With presents, I'll look back years from now and remember how aunt so-and-so got me the this serving platter.

AdeleDazeem

I really don't want gifts or cash.  I'd prefer if people just came to our party and left with a full belly and a slight buzz, but clearly I have no control over if they bring gifts or not.

My fiance's brother got married over the summer and the amount of physical stuff they got between the shower and the wedding made me want to cry.  We can't possibly store that much stuff in our two bedroom city apartment.  So... I'm thinking cash.  If we had more room, I'd go for gifts, though.  It is fun to open up all that stuff!

Nukke

I love presents and wrapping paper, like you.  But it's more than that.  We are starting with basically nothing because we're moving from overseas and can't take anything with us.  So we've taken the time to pick out all the things we like and need from our registry.  If someone gave us money, we'd have to go out and buy all these things which would take forever!  Any money we would get in lieu of a gift, would probably have to be spent on some home essential that we didn't get off of our registry. 

SarahPLiz

Whil I certainly don't expect either, I think I would enjoy registry gifts more. Here's my reasoning:
I am registering for things that are not on my normal shopping list. These are things that I would not buy for myself because I am too frugal. I will limp along forever with this Hamilton Beach hand mixer I bought 5 years ago, but if someone bought me the KitchenAid stand mixer, I'd be THRILLED. I don't really NEED matching towels, because ours still dry us off just fine, but if we got a matching set, I'd be so proud to have them in my guest bathroom. FI says that gifts should not be utilitarian, they should be frivolous( I got an iPod for Xmas instead of the steam mop I really wanted). He thinks that's the point of a gift, to give the recipient something they wouldn't buy for themselves.

If someone gave me cash, I'd probably put it in savings or use it to pay off debt (car, mortgage, etc), and would never spend that much on a mixer.

I know my logic might be convoluted, but that's the way I think.

Jennifer2008

i love looking around and seeing the vase from my husband's old roommate, the china from my sisters, the crystal from my grandpa, etc. The gifts have way more meaning, long run. Even things like pots and pans, we know exactly who gave us what, and really do think of them when we use things. I love that the things we use and the things we cherish remind us of the people we love (and make us feel loved)

gottahavashorti

Ditto Sarah.  I'd like nice, matching towels, to get rid of my Corelle dishes (I know some people love them, but I like having some weight to my dishes and Corelle is light), half decent pots & pans that will last a long time and a small knife block that I'd never convince myself to spend the money on.

While nearly everything on our registry is stuff we need, I'll probably buy versions that aren't as nice and use wedding money for savings and groceries if we're given just cash.  I generally only ask for very practical gifts.

SweetCharade

If someone is going to be generous enough to get FI and I a gift for our wedding, I'd obviously be really grateful for anything, but I love having gifts where I can think of the gift giver while I'm using it.  For example, my mom got me what was going to be my #1 registry gift - my KitchenAid mixer - for Christmas this year, and every time I use it now, I get to think of her.  We'd probably use any cash gifts to get stuff we really want off of our registry....but I love pretty bows!

jessNlane52804

I agree with the gifts. We don't have much in terms of household items, and starting a nest is tedious and expensive. I have a feeling that if we get cash, we will end up speding it on groceries like pp mentioned.

LauraT25

I agree with PPs - I'll be happy with whatever we get, if anything, but I know that if we get cash we'll mostly spend it on regular stuff.  Probably some will go to a little extra splurging on the HM, but most will just go into our bank accounts.  While we may do a little registry completion, mostly it will probably pay bills, buy groceries, maybe pay off my student loans, etc.  That's certainly not a bad thing, but I have trouble spending money on 'nice' stuff for myself, so most of my registry I wouldn't buy for myself but would love to have. 

JanoBean75

Either is fine, but I gotta say I love a perfectly wrapped gift. I'm VERY persnickety about gift wrapping (because I'm good at it), but I love seeing presents piled up. Even if they aren't mine! I love wrapping paper and ribbons!

nthomas983

I'm on the fence about this one. We've lived together for 2 years, so most of the day-to-day essentials we have...but I'm super excited for some of the nicer things on our registry; things we would never buy for ourselves. Like Le Creuset cookware (drool). And unwrapping presents and being surprised by the gift is so much fun!  OTOH, we've started a special savings account for a downpayment on a house, which we've been funding ourselves.  All cash gifts will be put in that account and help us get a house in the future, which is also great!

So, basically, we're grateful for anything we receive and don't expect any gifts at all.

jinxed8605

I would prefer to get a gift than cash, but obviously cash is fine, too!

sms274

as long as it's from my registry and not somethign random "they thought we'd like" I am perfectly happy with gifts!!

Lindze75

I really want some of the stuff on my registry.  Some stuff is "nice to have" but other items are "dying to have!" LOL  So I would rather have my china, flatware and some other items fulfilled.  From there cash is good.  But we will likely use the cash to finish the registry....so I guess I love to dream of cash but only on top of the registry items so that's not gonna happen! haha!

elaine37

Both my fiance and I have been living on our own for almost 10 years now, so we already have everything that we need.  For anyone who's asked, we have told them that we prefer cash so that we could work towards a down payment for a home together (we live in an apartment right now).  I mean, what's the point of getting nice china and things before you have a place to put them?

I'm Chinese-Canadian and he's 8th generation Canadian, so it's easy to get cash from my side. For his side we're having a small registry for the bridal shower and for all of his parent's friend who his mom says will insist on getting us a gift.

emcclure84

I love to open gifts, so I definitely want those, but cash is okay too! Don't mind either. It's the people that decide that we need something we didn't register for that piss me off(aka his MOTHER!)...I'm glad you think we must have just "forgot" to put a blender on our registry, but I assure you we didn't. We already have 2 blenders because we combined our own, and actually purchased a new blender before we are engaged that we are perfectly happy with. Ugh! Sorry, that was my little rant there, lol

erindale

I like the option of cash because there are a few things we want/need that are more than I expect one person to pay for, but that a few people's cash gifts could combined cover. If we get cash, I intend to put it aside solely for finishing the registries or to pool for those larger items. (Also, if they give cash, they don't have to pay shipping for the gifts, and I can just go to the store and get things off the registry myself, so more bang for the buck!)

acalloway75

We really would prefer our registered gifts! It is nice to receive nice things that you wouldn't buy for yourself (hello-fine china!). I appreciate cash too...but we will probably just use the cash to complete our registry!

brit21489

I say cash because I can buy the stuff I really wanted on my registry that I didn't get. Also, we are trying to plan a trip for next year and cash would really really help that. But I would like some gifts to open. They are fun.    I would appreciate pretty much anything!

laurelin14

My fiance and I have been living together for two years now, and we have basically everything we need in terms of "stuff"; the only physical objects we're asking for are big things that we wouldn't get for ourselves, like a Kitchenaid, nice china, champagne flutes, and a dutch oven.

The main part of our registry (which we built ourselves on our own website!) is a honeymoon registry, because after the wedding we're backpacking through Europe for two months! So instead of physical gifts, we have options for our guests to help us fund our trip: they can "buy" us a nice dinner in Paris, London, or Berlin...a pair of tickets on the Eurostar train from Paris to London...a couple nights in B&Bs on southern England's Ridgeway Trail...a one-day bike rental in Amsterdam...admission to the Schloss-Sanssouci palace in Potsdam. We've set things up so people can either "buy" these "items" via our PayPal account, or send us a check or cash. We're really excited about it, and the memories from our trip will be far more valuable to us than anything we can get in a store!

annielongarini

While the FI and I are happy to get anything at all, we'd much prefer cash. We've been living together for over a year, and he moved into my house (that I purchased 3 years ago) and we have everything we want\need and THEN some. If we recieved cash, it could help pay down the mortgage, send us on an eventual honeymoon or buy us the only thing we actualle need, a new stove!

fdlka

I would have to say that it would be nice to open gifts. However, my fiancee are cramped living in his townhouse and would prefer cash so we could put it towards a down payment for a house. That way, we can buy other things when we have more room for our things.

elorgwhee

I love opening gifts, and that usually gives you the opportunity to get something that maybe you wouldn't have been ok with splurging to spend money on for yourself.  But we really just need the cash to help pay for the wedding. hahahahaha

curimk

I am hoping for gifts because I registered for all of the kitchen and linen I want! If we don't get it I am SURE my fiance isn't going to want me dropping a few grand on kitchen appliances!! Praying for Presents!! Kate

mgreene404

I think it depends where you are in life!  We are starting from scratch- getting married straight out of college with very little to start our own home.  Getting what we registered for to make our first home is the best for us right now! 

Tara_A

I would much rather have the gifts off the registery. After taking the time to set up the registery and selecting the items that the house needs or that I want to replace. I would be happy with money though if thats what people wanted to give us. My fear is having people buy us things that we don't need or don't like because thats what the gift giver thinks is best. I hate returning gifts!!

susiejordanwedding

Gifts for sure! My Fiancé and I are both living with family and have no house supplies of our own except a bed and a cookware set (which we got on super clearance when Linen's and Things went out). So I packed three registries (all different styles of stores, Housewares, Linens, and Speciaty) with anything we would need for a place of our own)

ashleyamberRN

We're getting married in october and paying for it ourselves and lets just say we're on a tight budget that is getting bust at the seems, so I want mostly money. We just registered at bed bath and beyond yesterday and i didnt realize how fun it would  be so now i kinda want the gifts too so hopefully we just get some of both