Wedding wishing wells: how to ask guests to contribute

Every bride dreams of the perfect wedding day. For the modern bride, that dream usually includes riding off into the sunset with your honeymoon funded by those cash wedding gifts or a lump sum for another big newlywed purchase like a home or moving expenses.  Enter: the wedding wishing well.

However, it can be challenging for the modern couple to know just how to broach the delicate subject of asking your guests for gifts of cold cash instead of traditional wedding presents.

Before working out your wishing well, you’ll have to plan your wedding. Easy Weddings is free to register and keeps your suppliers, budgets and planning in one place.

The wedding wishing well

If you’re wondering how to politely ask for cash as a wedding gift, a wedding wishing well is the perfect solution. This charming and increasingly popular option allows guests to contribute to your future—whether you’re saving for a house, honeymoon, or something meaningful—without the awkwardness of discussing money.

Finding it hard to ask people for money rather than gifts? We’ve got some ways around it.

While some guests may already be familiar with the concept, others might not realise what it’s for. To make things clear (and polite), include a wishing well card in your wedding invitations. This small insert should explain that you’re opting for monetary gifts, and ideally in a gracious and lighthearted tone.

Think of it like a gift registry note. It’s not mandatory, but it helps your guests understand how best to celebrate your marriage.

Wedding wishing well etiquette tips

• Keep the wording gentle. Avoid blunt requests for cash. Instead, explain how their contribution will help your future together.

• Match the tone of your wedding. If your wedding is formal, keep the note elegant. If it’s casual or fun, don’t be afraid to use playful rhymes.

• Place the well somewhere visible. At the reception, make sure it’s clearly marked and easy to find—often near the guestbook or entrance.

Personalise your wishing well

The best part? Your wishing well can be totally customised:

• Match it to your wedding colours or theme

• Add your names and wedding date

• Decorate it with flowers, fairy lights, or meaningful quotes

A beautifully designed wedding wishing well not only adds to your decor. It creates a simple and elegant way for guests to show their love and support.

Tell your guests how you will use the cash

Honesty is the best policy, and this also applies to the wishing well. It’s a nice idea to let your guests know what they are contributing to – and it’s not covering the costs of the wedding bill! It can be the honeymoon or a house deposit, however you spend your money is your business, but in the thank you cards, a little nod to where it will go is a great way to show guests it’s being used wisely, and for the start of your new married life!

Other uses for the wishing well

A wedding wishing well does not have to be used just to accept cash gifts. Many couples find them useful for accepting all sorts of small gifts. Particularly at wedding showers, wishing wells can be used to accept recipe cards, kitchen utensils, linens, or other small items that are necessary to get a household started. Feel free to use your wishing well for this purpose or to use it in one manner at the shower and in another manner at the wedding reception.

So, whether you’re saving for a honeymoon in Italy, a house with more than one drawer, or just want to avoid receiving five toasters and a fondue set, the wedding wishing well has your back. It’s stylish, practical, and just the right amount of cheeky. After all, love may be priceless… But that couples’ massage in the Maldives? That has a price tag.

Sign up for Easy Weddings to make sure you’re on top of your budget – we have customised spreadsheets so nothing is left off!