A honeymoon fund is a great alternative to a wedding registry that provides you and your partner a way to pay for your dream honeymoon. The idea of a honeymoon fund only recently started gaining popularity as an alternative to a traditional registry. Sometimes people just prefer cash over material items that they may or may not end up using. A common question that is asked is when should you start a honeymoon fund?
Typically you will want to plan to have your honeymoon fund set up and ready to receive contributions at least a month before your wedding date. Ideally it would be set up roughly two months before the wedding date.
How Far in Advance Should You Set Up a Honeymoon Fund?
The etiquette of setting up a honeymoon fund on a wedding registry website like Zola or The Knot is not common knowledge. Being that this service and idea is relatively new, there are not hard set societal norms about the best time, or the proper time, to set up a honeymoon fund.
The reality of the situation is that most guests will not buy something off of your registry or contribute a gift to your honeymoon fund until the week or two leading up to the date of your wedding. For this reason it is smart to plan on having your honeymoon fund set up at least one month before the date of your wedding.
If you want to be proactive you can go ahead and set up your honeymoon fund as early as you’d like. Creating a honeymoon fund three months in advance may be excessive but if you anticipate potentially forgetting to have it set up during the chaotic days leading up to your big day, it may be smart to do so.
What is a Honeymoon Fund?
Honeymoon funds are a popular alternative to traditional wedding registries, allowing couples to request cash contributions for their dream honeymoon experiences or other specific needs. These funds can be personalized with photos, descriptions, and set contribution amounts or open-ended options for guests.
Transaction fees may apply and are typically around 2-3%. Received funds can be transferred to the couple’s bank account or, in some cases like with Zola, converted to store credit for additional benefits. Honeymoon funds offer flexibility and can be combined with other registry options, making it easier for couples to get what they truly want or need.
Where to Create a Honeymoon Fund
There are a number of different wedding planning and wedding registry websites that offer a honeymoon fund. Three of the biggest names are Zola, The Knot, and Honeyfund. Each of these providers has their own pros and cons. However if you want to minimize withdraw fees and credit card fees charged to your friends and family, Zola.com is your best bet.
Zola offers the lowest fees of any honeymoon fund provider which means you get to keep more of the gift that you receive. Basically, if you want to maximize the money you get to keep from your honeymoon fund, you should go with Zola. This is one of the reasons why we rated Zola as our pick for the best wedding registry websites in our Zola registry review.
How Should You Share Your Honeymoon Fund?
You may be wondering how you will share your honeymoon fund with guests. I mean, you don’t want to just send out a text saying “here is a link to send me some money”.
Luckily most honeymoon fund providers also allow you to create a wedding website and also send out invitations. If you send out a digital invitation you can include a link to your wedding website which will also allow guests to see and contribute to your honeymoon fund.
Again most honeymoon fund providers also offer wedding websites so for the easiest setup the best idea is to create your wedding website and honeymoon fund using the same wedding planning website. Again, our top pick for this is Zola.com as it offers the best overall experience.
How Long Does it Take to Set Up a Honeymoon Fund?
The steps to set up a honeymoon fund are extremely simple and does not take long at all. Plan on spending less than half an hour setting up your honeymoon fund, allowing you more time to make your wedding website perfect!
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, setting up a honeymoon fund is a modern and practical alternative to traditional wedding registries. It is recommended to have your fund ready to receive contributions at least one month before your wedding date, with two months being ideal.
Utilizing wedding planning websites like Zola, The Knot, or Honeyfund simplifies the process and allows you to share your fund through digital invitations and wedding websites. With minimal setup time, a honeymoon fund can help make your dream getaway a reality.
