Find The Best Online Wishing Well for your Wedding

We have reviewed the best online cash registries and honeymoon funds to make your Wedding planning easy.

Online wishing wells are becoming more and more popular. But what are they exactly?

In essence, it is traditionally a box that the wedding host creates at the reception, for guests to insert cash or cheques, instead of giving a physical present. Some creative wedding wishing well ideas include money trees, birdcages, mirror boxes, baskets, and other things that could serve as cash registries.  It can also be referred to as a cash gift registry or honeymoon fund box.

In some cultures, the money is put in an envelope and given to the bride's parents instead of a wishing well. This is tradition in many countries, such as parts of China, where it is a red envelope called Hongbao, in Pakistan it is giving Salami, and other cultures give blessings by pinning money to the bride's dress. In  Mexico and India, it is simply referred to as a wedding registry, and is regarded as the most thoughtful gift for the couple to start their lives together. Cash gifts at weddings have been common place for generations in many parts of the world, while other countries are only just starting to adopt this.

What are the best online wishing wells for your Wedding?

• Hitchd
• Honeyfund
• Wish U Well
• Honeymoon Wishes
• Traveler's Joy

Why Use Online Wishing Wells?

While traditional wishing wells let the guests give a physical cash gift to the newlyweds, online wishing wells allow guests to make a virtual donation before, during and even after the wedding has taken place.

This concept is thriving among couples, and more guests are inclined toward it due to it being more convenient and reliable.  Often the physical wishing well location at a wedding is not supervised. Therefore, pens go missing, envelopes and note paper run out, and people don’t carry cash these days. The Online wishing well ensures everyone’s contributions are tracked, notes for the couple do not get lost, and the guests can contribute the full amount they wish too, instead of being caught short with no cash.

These online cash gift registries can also be used by guests who can’t physically make it to your Wedding, but still feel included and can contribute to your future.

A digital invitation service like Motion Stamp creates animated invitations and add links to your online RSVP, ceremony map location, and your chosen online cash gift registry. This creates a paperless environment, and the wedding organization process becomes a lot more fun and easy.

Are Wishing Wells Better Than Physical Gifts? 

Most guests prefer their money to be spent where it is going to be used, and wishing wells can help your guests feel as though they are contributing to something purposeful. You can inform them you are gathering funds for a special use like a honeymoon fund, house renovation, charity, etc. This way, you can avoid receiving a kettle you already have, and invest the wedding funds in a better place. It is not a big deal if they want to present something special that will stay with you forever. However, you can still politely request for a cash gift contribution in your Wedding invitation.

Is there any Wishing Well Etiquette?  

You can write a poem or craft a thoughtful message to include at the end of your invitation. A personalized phrase containing heartfelt words might better convey your motive, but generic lyrics work well too.

You can even setup an online wishing well in combination with a physical wishing well at your event. So people can give their gift on the day, but do it with either cash or their digital phone wallet. Printing and displaying the online cash registry URL, or QR code if they have one, will allow guests to easily contribute and include a personalized note.

How Do You Setup an Online Wedding Wishing Well?

First things first, select the service that you want to use for your wedding wishing well. Create an account, enter your credentials, and the website will create you a personal webpage. Almost all the sites can change design, colors, and language according to the user's region. You can personalize your wedding registry and include any details you would like to share.

Once done, you will find the option to publish a webpage, and your online cash gift registry will be live. You can send your guests the link to this webpage in a digital invitation via Motion Stamp.

Are There any Fees?  

Well, yes, every organization requires some funds to function. Some registries offer a 7-day free trial where you can create your registry, design it’s look, and then decide whether you like the service. However, to publish you still need to pay administration charges (which can vary between $50-$100).

Some registries also charge a one-time fee on the entire cost of the wedding, and this proves to be extra economical for the newlywed amongst all other expenses.

Other registries, like that of HoneyFund, offer free registries and have never charged any platform fee since their beginning. The only extra cost you have to pay is the bank or PayPal charges when you redeem cash.

Ultimately, it is becoming obvious that couples receive far more cash gifts in total with an online registry than a physical wishing well. This means that any fees or charges that occur with the online registry service are more than worth paying.

How Can Guests Contribute to the Fund?

Different registries offer different methods of payment for your guests. The most common ones include PayPal, VISA, Bank Transfer, Cash App, and others. Some wedding registries allow deposits from all over the world, but some sites are still in the developing stage and may be restricted to transactions with their country only.

Additionally, guests can also leave notes or a special message for the couple with their names written down along with the gift amount. Your guests might also be able to choose to send you gift cards via the online cash gift registriy.

What Are the Top Five Online Cash Gift Registry Services?

There are hundreds of services offering to create online wedding wishing wells, some free of cost and others charging a decent amount of money. We researched and examined each cash gift registry service following a strict approach.

After hours of evaluation, we landed the top five services that made it to our list. These include

• Hitchd
• HoneyFund
• Wish U Well
• Honeymoon Wishes
• Traveler's Joy

1.   Hitchd

https://www.hitchd.com
If you want a no-hassle, easy honeymoon, Hitchd has to be your first choice. Available in over 18 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, and others, Hitchd has been named the best wedding wishing well service – and for all the right reasons.

They offer an interactive, rich display and focus on a single service delivering exceptional quality. It lets you accept contributions from guests via a wide range of payment methods. These include Bank transfer, PayPal, VISA, Venmo, CashApp, Mastercard, Amex, and others.

Unlike other wedding registries, Hitchd uses a one-time fee that depends upon the size of the wedding. The smallest package starts from $99 and goes up to $199. Moreover, it doesn't even require a trial – it is free to start, and you can make payment when you feel it works just right for you.

It offers the best mobile experience among all other wedding registry services and lets international gifts contribute too. Hitchd also lets you convert the donations to the default currency set by you on your page. With Hitchd, you can collect money for every cause, be it a staycation, honeymoon, or home renovation, without hassle.

Pros

• Unique URL lands your cash gift registry
• Create an account for free
• Several payments option
• Eye-catching website
• Receive notifications when guests make contributions

Cons

• Expensive one-time fees

2.   HoneyFund

https://www.honeyfund.com
If you want a minimalistic gift registry to match your vibe, HoneyFund is your best bet. It is a wedding gift registry that lets you accept online cash donations for almost everything – be it home deposit, world tour, or filling your honeymoon fund box; it endorses all sorts of monetary contributions.

And the best part is that it is free – yes, you heard that right. HoneyFund doesn't charge you a single penny, no extraction fees, setup charges, or platform fees. They have a vision that says, "A free online honeymoon registry with no strings," and are burning the midnight oil to make this a reality.

You only pay the transaction fees for funds transferred to your account. It works more like a crowdfunding site; your guests can use various payment methods, including Venmo, Debit card, PayPal, Credit Card, and many more, based on location.

Additionally, HoneyFund's website is super fun, and you won't need to spend hours creating your account. Five minutes in, and your personalized webpage is all set to go live. It's super affordable and one of the best wedding registry services on the internet.

Pros

• No withdrawal charges
• Swift deposits in nominated accounts
• Straightforward account registration
• User-friendly portal interface
• Various funds depositing ways
• Track gift amounts and notes from guests

Cons

• WePay system doesn't work well
• Because it is free, customer service could be better
  
  

3.   Wish U Well

https://wishuwell.com.au
You must have been to weddings where you were short on cash, or you never had an envelope to enclose cash with a heartfelt note and your name.

Other times, you might have relied on an ATM situated near the wedding venue to draw some ready money but only ended up disappointed.

What if the guests at your wedding go through the same? Isn't it better to do away with the hassle of cash-giving and switch to the digital mode of gift-giving? Wish U Well offers a seamless way to get this done. It lets you have a personal QR  code that you can add to your printed invitation or keep at the venue.

Upon scanning the QR code, guests land on a payment portal where they can deposit funds for your cause with a payment method of their choice and leave a note for the newlyweds. If you have used a digital invitation like Motion Stamp, you can link the Wish U Well cash registry URL on the landing page, and all your guests need to do is click the link. It will direct them to the registry service.

The payment methods that Wish U Well uses include American Express, Master Card, JCB, Visa, and Diners. Additionally, you can track your guests' gifts by downloading the PDF summary from their page at any given time. The summary entails all details, i.e., names, notes, and amounts gifted by the guests.

Pros

• Unique QR code
• Multiple payment transfer modes
• Access to notes & details about the cash gift
• Interactive interface of the online portal
• Creation of account in less than five minutes

Cons

• Currently working in Australia only – with a view for an international service in the near future.
• Charges a 5.98% fee per gift. However, the overall increase in guest contributions usually absorbs the fees.

4.   Honeymoon Wishes

https://www.honeymoonwishes.com

Focusing solely on online Honeymoons funds, Honeymoon wishes is the first ever honeymoon registry site to have been launched on the internet. Directly connected with almost every supplier running its business today, it is an all-in-one service that also allows you to also create a Wedding website with RSVP tools.

Whichever destination you sought for your honeymoon, they are associated with it. Using it lets you manage the honeymoon expenses directly rather than withdrawing the money, depositing it again, then fretting about the transaction charges. Honeymoon Wishes saves you all the stress.

Its services are no less than a travel agency, and it accepts payments worldwide.

Pros

• Industry's oldest wedding registry site
• Partners with numerous travel agencies, resorts, and cruise lines
• Pay for your honeymoon location directly
• Express access to over 850 destinations globally
• Includes other Wedding planning tools

Cons

• Charges 7% service fee
• Additional 2.65% credit card charges
  
  

5.   Traveler's Joy

https://www.travelersjoy.com
Traveler's Joy is yet another wedding registry that works effectively and specifically for Honeymoons. The customer support team of Traveler's Joy is extremely active and helpful. It has excellent reviews on Trust Pilot and Wedding Wires and has had a loyal following since 2004

They offer value for your money with their quality service and flexibility, and allow you to choose from paying for travel, accommodation and holiday activities. They work at the customer's ease and are better than half the other sites. The best part is that they let you decide when you want to do what. You can even choose when you go on a honeymoon, whether right after the wedding or years later.

Traveler's Joy is a customer-oriented business, and it has proven it time and time again. You can also redeem the cash that you invested in something earlier but are not interested in anymore, and this option is exclusive to Traveler's Joy. The only thing you need to remember is that transaction may take up to 4-5 business days but is still better than its competitors.

Pros

• Efficient customer service
• Appealing website & interactive interface
• Offers planned activities and lets you create custom excursions
• Service fee deducted from the gift amount
• Well-crafted destination guides
• Keep track of gifts and notes received

Cons

• 95% service fee deducted upon the use of credit card
• Guest is charged 2.95% + $0.99 upon payment confirmation

Conclusion

Choosing an online wishing well, or honeymoon fund, for your big moment can be difficult. To ease your problem and let you enjoy a stress-free wedding, we have listed the top five wedding registry services of 2022 and common queries so you can have all the information in one place.

Make sure you check them all out and choose the best wedding registry for yourself and your soulmate to be. Happy Wedding!