Groom asks guests to return pricey gift for ‘honeymoon’ cash instead

A woman has sparked an online debate, after revealing a groom has asked her husband to return the pricey gift they’d bought the couple for cash instead.

The anonymous woman took to Mumsnet to ask for advice on how to handle the bizarre situation.

Posting on the online forum she wrote: “We went to a wedding at the weekend for one of DH’s [darling husband’s] colleagues. They had an amazon gift list so DH ordered something from there.

According to the woman, she and her husband were the only guests who brought a present to the wedding. “We asked DH’s colleague, the groom, where to put it and he was quite surprised and said, “We weren’t expecting gifts. Thank you, can you put it by the post box for cards?”

Despite feeling slightly awkward about their gift, the pair ignored it and had a good time at the event.

However, the groom then got in touch with her husband, and asked him to return the gift — and give the newlyweds money instead.

She explained: “DH got a message last night from groom saying ‘Thanks for coming on Saturday and for the gift. We had a bit of a last minute change and decided to ask for money towards the honeymoon instead of what we’d put on the gift list. Can we arrange to send it back and just get the money for it instead? I can pass it back next week when I’m back in work. Really appreciate the thought but definitely think we need a holiday after the stress of wedding planning’.”

The woman said she was “shocked at how cheeky it was” to ask for cash instead of the £70 (A$126, US$95).

“Should we just return it and leave it at that or does anyone have any choice words or phrases we can reply with?!” She asked.

The post generated plenty of responses, with one user saying, “You spent £70 on a work friend and he’s actually complaining!”

Another added: “How rude! I have no problem with people asking for money at all, but changing your mind and returning the gift is not on.”

Others suggested returning the gift, but giving less cash back, with one saying, “Return and give them a twenty in a card. Or just return and say no more”.

Before there were wishing wells, and young couples didn’t live together before marriage, gift registries were the go-to, to help the newlyweds set up their marital home without doubling-up on gifts. Nowadays, though gifting the newly married couple with money or gift vouchers is pretty common.

What do you think of the move to money as a wedding gift? Do you think this is rude?