The Groom's List

1. Definition.
   A honeymoon registry allows wedding guests to purchase honeymoon activities like a sunset cruise, private dinner on the beach or surfing lessons instead of a toaster, kitchen appliances or dishes.
2. Setting it up.
   This is similar to a traditional wedding registry. All you need to do is go to a honeymoon registry website, pick what you want and it instantly becomes a gift option.
3. Your options.
   Typical honeymoon registries offer: airfare, transportation, lodging, activities, special amenities and meals. Expensive items are usually broken down into multiple gifts, so guests can choose to pay for only a portion of the item (ex: a list of 10 gifts for $100 each toward your $1,000 airfare). Some also allow you to personalize your honeymoon registry with a message to your guests, and add descriptions to the different parts of your honeymoon (uploading pictures may be available).

Please Note: even if your guests pay for certain parts of the honeymoon, you’re still free to use the money any way you like. There are a ton of sites that provide this service.

1. Provide your information.
   This basic personal information includes: your names, the date of the wedding, contact information and so on.
2. Create your honeymoon registry.
   This is an itemized list of all your honeymoon expenses. Some honeymoon registry services charge a setup fee, usually $100-$150. Others charge nothing to the wedding couple, but do have wedding guests pay a service charge when they buy a part of the honeymoon. Most allow you to create your honeymoon registry right over the web, but others handle things by phone or e-mail.
3. Track guest purchases.
   All honeymoon registry services should allow you to track how many gifts you’ve received simply by logging into your account.
4. Collect your gifts.
   The money wedding guests contribute toward the honeymoon is then placed into a holding account. The honeymoon registry service either sends you a check, or electronically deposits the funds into an account on a predetermined date (usually a week before the wedding).

1. First things first.
   Guests type their last name(s) into the honeymoon registry site’s search box, click on the item(s) they want to buy and pay via the website or by phone.
2. Once the purchase is made.
   Guests will usually receive a certificate (some sites do charge a fee to mail the certificate). The honeymoon registry service should also be able to just notify your guests by e-mail.
3. The service charge.
   It’s important to remember that most honeymoon registry services require guests to pay a service charge. It’s usually a percentage of the gift’s total cost ranging from 3.5% to 15% (ex: if a guest pays $100 toward airfare a 10% service charge will be applied, bringing the gift’s total cost to $110).

1. Take a tour.
   Review several different honeymoon registries by first looking at their FAQ page, then look at some of their honeymoon registries as examples.
2. Look for professionalism.
   Does the site provide a thorough explanation of its services, including all fees and service charges? Does it explain who you can contact or what you can do if you run into problems? If the honeymoon registry is run by a travel agency, do the FAQ’s explain the company’s policy for canceled or delayed travel?
3. Contact their actual customers.
   You can find past couples by looking up old honeymoon registries and doing a web search for their e-mail addresses. You could also look for e-mail addresses associated with wedding homepages hosted by the honeymoon registry service. Send a friendly e-mail explaining your situation and ask for advice; most couples will be happy to share.
4. Talk to someone at the honeymoon registry.
   Contact them either by phone or e-mail. If they fall short on customer service when you’re signing up, don’t expect better service if a problem occurs.
5. Compare services.
   • The Big Day
   • Honeymoon Wishes
   • Smart Honeymoon
   • Honey Fund
   • My Dream Home Registry
   • My Registry
   • Just Give
   • Changing The Present
   • Traveler's Joy
   • Honeymoon Pixie