I am most frequently asked by bumpies and nearlyweds how they can politely indicate their preference to receive cash as their shower or wedding gift.  And my answer has always been, “You don’t”.  Of course there are ways to sway your guests buying decisions (like registering at a certain type of store or using descriptive words like ‘lingerie party’ in your invitation description) and trust me I understand the beauty of cold hard cash, however it is impolite to enforce a gift-giving mandate upon your guests.

But what if there was a way to make cash just as much as an option as your Pier One registry?

Would that make it less taboo?

The creators of Deposit a Gift  – a cash gift registry – surely seem to think so.

Deposit a Gift is an online registry service that allows you to create a gift list for monetary contributions towards pretty much whatever your heart desires and it gives you the freedom to receive and spend your gift money where and when you want.

The concept seemed simple enough so I decided to try it out.

Registering as a new user on the site was quick and easy and once confirmed, I was all set to begin editing the details for my personal event website.  This step (like most wedding websites) requires some thought and creativity and is the lengthiest part of the entire process.  I haven’t yet completed my own sample registry but they do a really great job of providing several closed registries  that were used for a variety of reasons, including the wedding below.

You also have cool options to share event details with family and friends, post pictures and upload video.

So after a little exploration and a lot of letting go of what traditional etiquette says, I have to admit that I like Deposit a Gift as a wedding registry alternative and it just may change the future of gift giving.  Not only is it environmentally friendly but it gives you the flexibility of using the money for whatever life demands and, aside from a small service fee, it’s free!

You don’t need a reason to register your account and you can log onto to Deposit a Gift for more information.

Happy planning!