In my opinion, there is truth in the oft heard phrase..."You get what you pay for".....
I often read the wedding website forums and bridal chat rooms and see that many bridal couples think that charging a service fee for a honeymoon registry is a crime. Obviously I understand that every bridal couple wants a good deal and are looking to save money wherever they can! But do read on to learn how thinking saving with a "free" honeymoon registry could actually harm you in the end!
Although I could probably write pages on WHY HoneyLuna charges a fee and why either paying the fee or having your guests pay the fee is a WISE decision, I will narrow it down to a few key points.
First, let's look at all of the things that brides and grooms DO pay for -- and are WILLING to pay (often exorbitant prices) for -- for their wedding -- excluding the necessities like location and hard goods such as food, let's focus on "services"
- Caterer
- Florist
- Minister
- Photographer
- Musicians or DJs
- ValetsWedding Coordinator
- Psychic (just kidding.... maybe...)
- And the list goes on....
HoneyLuna is a service. It is a service that provides not only the bridal couples with an exceptional honeymoon registry experience, it also provides LOTS AND LOTS of other tools that bridal couples love -- like a FREE wedding website (yes, it IS truly FREE), online wedding photo albums, wedding blogs and a comprehensive, easy to use, looks beautiful honeymoon registry.
I think it warrants a SPECIAL mention that our registries are AD FREE!
Did I mention that we have a toll FREE phone # for you to call with questions. And yes, your guests can call too if they have a question or want to place their order over the phone? We have dedicated customer service staff to provide both you and your guests excellent customer service!
Now let's talk about your guests' experience. Many of your guests may not have heard of a honeymoon registry. As such, it's especially important that their experience is a happy one. So let's consider, what does your honeymoon registry look like? Is it aesthetically pleasing? Does it have professional images for each item with a descriptive narrative of the items? If it's fun and exciting to read, your friends and family will have more fun shopping for your gift.
Now back to your guests... does the registry allow them to actually complete their transaction with a credit card? With some of the free registries couples have to have a paypal BUSINESS account for their guests to use credit cards!
And if they can't pay by credit card, they are only "pledging" to give you cash or a check at your wedding. That brings me back to the "classy, easy, positive user experience" I mentioned above. Which I think warrants a second mention -- the "free" honeymoon registries have ADS all over your honeymoon registry page!!(And ironically, some of the ads are for the competition!)
In my mind, classy and elegant is out the window. What they have done is traded a service fee revenue to support the business with selling advertising space so that in order to have a free registry your friends and family are inundated with ads on your registry page. That may be good for some, but personally, I prefer -- and don't mind paying for -- fees when a good service is provide!
Now, let's look at actual gifts received -- with HoneyLuna, the average gifts received is $2,500/ registry (actual amounts vary of course and depend on many factors -- but this is "average")
By their own accounts, free registries receive MUCH LESS than $2500. One company posts that their "free" registries receive on average just over $1100... hmmmmmmm....
I can't help but wonder if it's because friends and families don't like the look and experience of the free registry -- and don't like pledging cash or checks. I wonder if it's because for a small fee, guests actually LIKE ad free registries, the convenience of paying by credit card, and knowing they can call a real person to talk to, ask questions, and place an order. So for saving a 7% service fee, you LOSE $1400?..... Free registries just don't add up!
For the record, I've never had a call from a gift giver that was mad/upset about the service fee. In fact, most calls are happy callers and LOVE HONEYLUNA!
In the end, my feeling is that many couples choose the "FREE no fees option" thinking they will come out ahead -- but in reality, for a small fee, couples using HoneyLuna will have more wedding tools, more gifts, and happier guests!
CHOOSE HONEYLUNA! The Premier online bridal registry for honeymoons since 1995!
Lastly, many people comment with companies like HoneyLuna, that, in the end, the couple is still just receiving cash. Yes, that is true. But it's a much more elegant and sophisticated way of receiving the cash to pay for the items and activities of they honeymoon. If a couple chooses to dupe their friends and family by not using the gifts for which they were intended, well that's their karma.
But, if this is really a sticking point for some, then take a look at some of our partners' sites where the gift monies actually go the resort or cruise line for the couple to spend on the actual gift while they are there...
Starwood Hawaii
Paul Gauguin Cruises
Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso and Le Moana
Starwood Caribbean
and many more!
