When receiving cash gifts, it's more important than ever to write appropriate “thank you” notes.

Between the current perilous economy and increasingly busy schedules, newlyweds are more likely to request and receive cash as a wedding present instead of creating a traditional wedding registry. In fact, a growing number of couples are choosing the tactful and convenient method of creating cash gift registries. Due to this trend, it’s more important than ever to write appropriate “thank you” notes for cash gifts.

Here are a few tips and creative suggestions for showing your appreciation:

1. Most importantly, never mention the amount of the cash wedding gift. Regardless of how much someone gives you for a wedding present, describe it as “most generous” or “very generous”. Stating a specific cash amount can come across as tactless or greedy.
2. Tell the gift giver what you intend to do with the money received. Sharing this information makes them feel a deeper connection to you and your spouse, and demonstrates how their generosity is personally helping you. And a picture goes a long way toward expressing gratitude: consider sending a postcard of the two of you on your honeymoon to the guests who helped pay for it, or a picture of the renovated kitchen to which your loved ones contributed.
3. In addition to individual hand-written notes, you can set up a blog or Facebook page to share what you’re doing with the cash bridal gifts you received. For example, if you received money to help build an addition onto your house, you might create a Facebook group and invite all the people whose cash registry gifts you’re using to build that addition and post photos to show the progress. This will allow friends and family members to stay in touch and see the fruit of their cash wedding gifts.

Whether you plan to use a wishing well or a cash gift registry, these are just a few ideas for showing your appreciation for cash gifts while staying connected to loved ones. Even if you didn’t receive physical items from a traditional bridal registry, it’s important to let people know that you are thankful and that their gifts are helping you, even if it’s just to relax after the wedding.

Find more ideas for your wedding gift registry, cash registry or online wishing well at UponOurStar.com. UponOurStar is a wedding registry for wishes, not stuff, whereby your family and friends can contribute wedding money towards your most meaningful wishes – whatever they may be – instead of giving you more cutlery. Create your own personalized wedding website and fill your online registry with meaningful gifts such as your dream home, honeymoon activities, charitable donations, education, and health. Browse other brides’ wedding registries with UponOurStar to brainstorm ideas for your very own Wish Registry or wishing well registry.

Do you and your fiancé want to explore your heritage? On your gift registry, ask guests to send you on a cultural adventure together.

Your wedding is a one of the most personal, meaningful events you will experience, making the union of two lives– so it only stands to reason that elements of your background, beliefs, and culture should be incorporated into the celebration. The ceremony and reception are the most obvious opportunities to do this, but you can also include nods to your heritage through your wedding registry.

Traditionally, the bridal registry was intended to provide the marrying couple with the household items they would need to outfit their new home together. But these days, with a majority of brides and grooms cohabitating well before exchanging their vows, wedding registries don’t necessarily have to be filled with blenders and toasters. Instead, many modern couples are using bridal registries as a head start toward a variety of non-traditional purchases, from wedding gowns to honeymoons to cultural items.

Below are just a few creative ideas creating such a wedding cash registry to celebrate your heritage:

Ancestry Gifts:
A growing trend among ethnic couples is to purchase a family crest, family coat of arms, family history, or other heraldic item to celebrate the blending of their names and to represit their pride in their new family. Ancestry gifts can include stationery, engraved frames, flatware, jewelry, wall plaques, canvas prints and much more.

Recipes and food:
“On my registry?” Why not? One of the biggest distinguishing factors of specific cultures is the food they enjoy. For instance, Greek weddings are known for their emphasis on delicious fare, and lots of it. Italians, Chinese, Mexicans, and other nationalities also have a passion for particular types of cuisine. Couples who enjoy cooking together may want to add a regional cookbook, gift certificate to an ethnic restaurant, or specialty cooking items to their gift registry.

Honeymoon Registry:
Do you, your fiancé or both have an interest in exploring your heritage by visiting the land from which you or your ancestors are from? Your honeymoon is the perfect opportunity to embark on a meaning full adventure together. On your wedding gift registry, family and friends can easily contribute toward your trip’s expenses.

Advancements in technology and modern-day conveniences have changed how couples are setting up gift registries. Instead of having yet another wishing well at your reception, consider incorporating an online shower registry into your wedding planning. Loved ones will appreciate the convenience of doing their ‘shopping” on your wedding website, and you’ll enjoy the freedom to purchase meaningful cultural items using the registry money you have received.

Find more ideas for your wedding gift registry, cash registry or online wishing well at UponOurStar.com.  UponOurStar is a wedding registry for wishes, not stuff, whereby your family and friends can contribute wedding money towards your most meaningful wishes - whatever they may be - instead of giving you more cutlery. Create your own personalized wedding website and fill your online registry with meaningful gifts such as your dream home, honeymoon activities, charitable donations, education, and health. Browse other brides’ wedding registries with UponOurStar to brainstorm ideas for your very own Wish Registry or wishing well registry.

A wish registry is like a traditional registry when it comes to informing guests. It’s important to spread the word, but to do so with grace.

The hard part is over:  you’ve created your wish registry. Now all you have to do is let your wedding guests know about it without seeming greedy. With the high-tech ways people communicate these days, this might seem like a daunting prospect.

Not to worry. As far as the rules of etiquette go, a wedding wish registry (comparable to a tasteful cash registry) should be treated just like any gift registry or request for presents or contributions. That is to say, do not include the wish registry announcement in the wedding invitation itself.

So, leave the outdated wishing well back in the eighties and put these technologies to use:

The wedding web site:
More and more couples are using sites like this one to help organize their weddings and keep guests informed, making this the perfect place to announce and house a wish registry.

Social Media:
Many brides are finding social networking web sites, like Facebook and Twitter, to be fun and useful ways to inform guests about details and scheduling for the wedding. Spread the word about your modern version of the wedding registry by posting a link to your wish registry along with a brief explanation.

In addition, you can use the post-invitation information packet. Once your wedding guests have confirmed that they’ll be attending, you can send an information packet with directions to the ceremony and reception, details about the rehearsal dinner and other festivities, accommodations for guests, dining options, and so forth. This is also the perfect opportunity to announce that you’ll be using a wish registry instead of a traditional bridal registry, as long as it’s not the first thing prospective guests see when they open the envelopes.

Finally, as always, don’t worry. We’ll help you every step of the way in getting the word out about your wedding wish registry, just as we’ve helped you set it up.

Find more ideas for your wedding gift registry, cash registry or online wishing well at UponOurStar.com.  UponOurStar is a wedding registry for wishes, not stuff, whereby your family and friends can contribute wedding money towards your most meaningful wishes - whatever they may be - instead of giving you more cutlery. Create your own personalized wedding website and fill your online registry with meaningful gifts such as your dream home, honeymoon activities, charitable donations, education, and health. Browse other brides’ wedding registries with UponOurStar to brainstorm ideas for your very own Wish Registry or wishing well registry.

In the spirit of giving back, thousands of philanthropic couples have started a growing trend of charity wedding registries.

As the bride-to-be, it’s all about you—and rightfully so. After all, you’re planning the biggest event of your life, so it’s only natural that friends, family, and maybe even passing acquaintances are lavishing you with attention and questions. While the limelight and steady stream of gifts may be fun for awhile, you may eventually find that you’re ready to divert the focus elsewhere.

On the heels of the deadly Haitian earthquakes and devastating oil spills, our society has become more focused than ever on finding creative ways to do good. In the spirit of giving back, thousands of philanthropic couples have kick-started a growing trend of charity wedding registries. The concept is wonderfully simple: instead of registering for dozens of place settings, linens, and household items, brides and grooms are requesting that loved ones demonstrate their well wishes with an online cash registry, and then donating the funds they receive to the charities of their choice. As a bonus, such gift registry donations can also be tax-deductible.

As the creator of the goodwill bridal registry, you’ll have full control over which charities will receive the cash gifts. Choose just one organization to make a targeted impact, or spread out the cash registry donations among several non-profits. Remember, your whole wedding registry doesn’t necessarily have to be about charitable giving – you can also include other non-charitable wishes to help make a dent in wedding expenses, pay for home renovations, and more.

5 Steps to Making a Positive Impact

1. Create your charitable cash registry on a registry wedding website like UponOurStar.com—it’s fast, free, and easy.
2. Choose as few or as many charities as you’d like in your wedding or shower registry. Feel free to add other wishes of your choice.
3. Guests log onto your online registry and are prompted to select one or more of your chosen charities or wishes.
4. After selecting the number of items they would like to “purchase”, guests’ donations are securely processed.
5. All funds are securely deposited from your wedding registry into your bank account, and you are then free to transfer them to your favorite charity or charities.

Your online registry account will keep track of all the gift registry details, including donor names, charities, and amounts, making it easy for you to express your appreciation for your guests’ generosity.

A goodwill wedding gift registry provides a fun, easy, and secure way to benefit the causes that are nearest and dearest to your heart. No need to go through the hassle of setting up a wishing well and collecting checks and money gifts that could get misplaced—with online charitable bridal registries like UponOurStar, the funds are conveniently and securely transferred directly to your bank account. Your guests will appreciate the convenience provided by online gift registries, and you’ll have more time to focus on finishing up your wedding planning, while knowing you’re doing your part to make the world a better place.

Find more ideas for your wedding gift registry, cash registry or online wishing well at UponOurStar.com.  UponOurStar is a wedding registry for wishes, not stuff, whereby your family and friends can contribute wedding money towards your most meaningful wishes - whatever they may be - instead of giving you more cutlery. Create your own personalized wedding website and fill your online registry with meaningful gifts such as your dream home, honeymoon activities, charitable donations, education, and health. Browse other brides’ wedding registries with UponOurStar to brainstorm ideas for your very own Wish Registry or honeymoon registry.

Dreaming about expanding the kitchen or installing ceramic tile? Add home improvements to your wedding registry.

If you scan a traditional wedding registry, chances are you’ll see plenty of bakeware sets, kitchen storage containers, fine china, and maybe even a crystal vase thrown in for good measure. But one year later, if you were to ask the bride and groom how many of those gift registry items were being put to good use, it would most likely be a very small percentage.

Many forward-thinking couples are foregoing the toasters and silver for a different kind of bridal registry or shower registry: one that’s focused on creating their dream home. Instead of starting out married life with a room crammed full of housewares and a mile-long wish list, they’re using the wedding gift registry to request home improvements, decorative items, and more.

Below are just some of the products and services that are often included in modern wedding registries:

Home improvements and renovations:
Been dreaming about expanding your kitchen, indulging in new carpeting, or installing ceramic tile? Or maybe you’ve got more practical projects on your mind, like replacing a leaky roof, painting the faded exterior trim, or upgrading that ancient furnace. Use your online registry to request specific home improvements, so friends and family can donate cash gifts towards your most meaningful goals.

Decorative accessories:
After months (or maybe even years) of practical spending to save for your wedding, you deserve a little splurging. Instead of setting up a generic cash registry, where people give money online with no designation of how their gift will be used,  you can line-list the items you’d love to add to your home so well-wishers know where their contribution is going. It’s your bridal or shower registry, so feel free to add anything that strikes your fancy: wall art, throw pillows, lamps, chandeliers, area rugs…the list goes on and on.

Lawn and garden:
Take your wedded bliss outdoors by creating an open-air oasis. Gift registries can be used for gardening tools, patio furniture,  landscaping, deck construction, pest deterrents—anything you need to turn your backyard into an extension of your living space.

There’s no rule that says bridal registries have to be formal or stuffy. After all, this is a celebration of your union, and your home is the heart of your new life together. By using your wedding registry to accept money gifts from loved ones, you’ll be able to create a beautiful, comfortable environment and surround yourself with constant reminders of everyone’s well wishes.

Find more ideas for your wedding gift registry, cash registry or online wishing well at UponOurStar.com. UponOurStar is a wedding registry for wishes, not stuff, whereby your family and friends can contribute wedding money towards your most meaningful wishes, instead of giving you more cutlery. Create your own personalized wedding website and fill your online registry with meaningful gifts such as your dream home, honeymoon activities, education, health and charities. Browse other brides’ wedding registries with UponOurStar to brainstorm ideas for your very own Wish Registry or honeymoon registry.

Consider adding a surfing package to your honeymoon registry and learn to ride the waves like a pro! You might just learn a new hobby that you can enjoy together.

Brainstorming ideas for your wedding registry? A honeymoon registry is an ideal way to truly make the most of your first beach vacation together as a married couple. Whether you’re venturing to a beautiful, secluded island or a resort known for its exciting nightlife, there will be lots to see and do. So instead of a traditional wedding registry filled with ‘stuff’, why not opt for a honeymoon registry filled with adventure!

A travel-themed bridal gift registry is a popular choice for couples that appreciate new places and insist on taking advantage of all their destination has to offer. Your wedding guests will enjoy getting the inside scoop on everything you’re planning for your honeymoon trip, and take great pleasure in helping to make your honeymoon dreams come true  by contributing to your bridal registry.

If you’re thinking about adding honeymoon activities to your wedding gift registry, here are 10 popular beachfront activities guaranteed to add excitement and adventure to your trip:

Honeymoon Registry Idea #1:  Snorkeling
Add a snorkeling adventure or day-trip to your honeymoon registry, and enjoy the tremendous beauty of marine life together.  You can even add an underwater camera to your gift registry to share your sub-marine honeymoon pictures with family and friends.

Honeymoon Registry Idea #2:  Scuba Diving
Your honeymoon is a great opportunity to try something new and exciting. Add a beginner’s scuba diving class to your bridal registry for a truly unique underwater experience.

Honeymoon Registry Idea #3:  Parasailing
Include a parasailing adventure on your online registry.  Together, you can marvel at beautiful views of the beach and surrounding scenery as you soar hundreds of feet above.

Honeymoon Registry Idea #4:  Massages
A beachside massage is the perfect addition to any bridal registry or shower registry. After the excitement and bustle of the wedding, you can decompress and enjoy being pampered as you soak up the rays in your dream destination.

Honeymoon Registry Idea #5:  Jet Skiing
Get wet and wild as you race down the coast on a jet ski built for two!  Add a little fun and adrenaline to your bridal gift registry – your family and friends will love taking part in the process.

Honeymoon Registry Idea #6:  Surfing
No trip to the beach is complete without surfing lessons. Consider adding a surfing package to your honeymoon registry and learn to ride the waves like a pro!  You might just learn a new hobby that you can enjoy together.

Honeymoon Registry Idea #7:  Sailing
If you love to relax in style, a private sailing tour  is a must for your honeymoon registry. Whether it’s a day-trip to a nearby island or a multi-day adventure, a sailboat expedition is an unforgettable addition to any wedding registry.

Honeymoon Registry Idea #8:  Horseback riding
A guided horseback riding tour on the beach is a once in a lifetime experience. So why not take advantage of it? Feel the wind against your back as you enjoy the pristine ocean view atop one of Earth’s beautiful creatures. A horseback ride by sunset is a unique way to add romance to your gift registry.

Honeymoon Registry Idea #9:  Booze Cruise
Enjoy the sheer beauty of the ocean and the warm sun on your skin… all while sipping a few delicious cocktails!  This is a popular item for experience-focused wedding registries, since it invites your wedding guests to have a little fun with their bridal gift selection.

Honeymoon Registry Idea #10:  Cruise Shore Excursions
If you’re going on a honeymoon cruise, be sure to include shore excursions on your bridal registry. From beachside cooking classes to waterfall trekking tours, you’re sure to have a blast!

Creating your wedding gift registry is one of the most exciting parts of the wedding planning process. So put on your thinking cap and dream up unique ways to make the most of your wedding registry or honeymoon registry!

Getting married? Get creative with your bridal gift registry! Visit our site at uponourstar.com and view sample wedding registries to get even more gift registry ideas. UponOurStar is a wedding registry for wishes, not stuff. It is a tasteful Cash Gift Registry, whereby your wedding guests can contribute money towards your most meaningful wishes and dreams, to help make them come true.  Visit UponOurStar.com to create your personalized Wedding Wish Registry today.