In old vaudeville shows, performers were often known to end their acts by repeating the phrase “no applause, just throw money.” The joke was a light way of nudging the audience into providing actual compensation for the entertainment they’d just received. The reason for dancing around and being indirect is simple: Asking for money is uncomfortable. Consider how servers are paid less than minimum wage in most restaurants because they are expected to receive tips. Yet eating establishments almost never enforce tipping as a practice. Money makes a situation tense, especially when friends and family are involved. If you want to ask your wedding guests to give you money instead of gifts, you may not be sure how to go about the process. While it may be uncomfortable at first, there are some easy ways to ask for money as a gift

The Need for Cash

Couples who are getting married are typically spending a lot of money. This has always been true of hosting a big event. Circumstances surrounding income levels have changed drastically in the last decade. According to census statistics in the United States, roughly 38.1 million adults make less than $33 a day. This means that spending on a wedding can significantly sink couples into debt or force them to push off other important investments like buying a home or car. 

By asking guests for money instead of gifts, you can make up what you’ve lost in the wedding or open a savings account for the future. Guests will understand this, especially those who have gotten married themselves. All you need to do is find the right way to phrase the request. 

The Invitations

You need to make the decision on whether you’d prefer money to gifts before you send out invitations. All pertinent information about your event should be on the invites, including any specifics surrounding gifts. This is your chance to be direct and use the verbiage of the invitation to give your request a soft and elegant edge. Use a phrase like “the couple has opted to forego traditional presents and humbly requests monetary gifts instead.” This can cut right to the point without the need for elaboration.

The Internet

In the digital age, many couples have decided to forego traditional wedding communication methods for more current options. If you aren’t going to physically mail your invites, you should alert guests of your request via online channels. Couples with a wedding website can easily update the information on their page to reflect their gift preferences. As with the standard invitations, you want to make sure you include this information as early as possible to reduce the odds of guests getting gifts early. 

The Flexibility

Though you may prefer cash gifts, you also need to remain open to the idea that some people will still provide you with presents they’ve selected themselves. Parents, siblings, and close friends may opt to go this route. This is especially the case if they have been considering what to get for your nuptials for a long while. You should always be receptive to the gifts that come your way, even if you have asked for cash. There is no law saying a couple will receive anything for their wedding. Remember to show proper gratitude for anything you’re gifted. 

While the topic of money has long been an uncomfortable one to broach in most settings, there are times when you simply need to bite the bullet. If you’d benefit from receiving cash in lieu of traditional gifts, come up with a tasteful way to make this request of your guests before you mail out the invitations. Once you get this out of the way, you’ll feel ready to tackle the rest of your tasks.