While some may balk at receiving an envelope stuffed with cash for their birthday or any other holiday, when it comes to weddings it’s a welcome tradition. It’s not uncommon for brides and grooms to leave with stash of envelopes from family and friends.
However, as for what most newlyweds do with the money they've received is anyone’s guess. Does it go towards those honeymoon expenses in Hawaii? Do they purchase all of those overpriced items that no one dared touch on the bridal registry?
Nah. According to Brides magazine, most couples are pretty practical using the money they earned toward making a home together. Quite literally.
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“Down payment!" a 29-year-old bride named Nicole said. "We were fortunate enough that my family paid for most of the actual wedding, aside from a few thousand dollars of our own. Every gift we got went straight into our bank account and was used for the down payment of our first home six months later."
For Nicole, using that money to buy a house made their place together even more special. "It's cool to think there’s a little bit of everyone’s well wishes that went into our home," she said.
Several couples also chimed in to share what they did with their cash swag and what do you know, they also used it towards a new home.
“We bought our first house," Ganine, 30, said. "And it was the best decision we ever made!”
A 39-year-old bride named Joy said she and her husband were "boring" and also saved their money for a house. "We don’t regret it at all!”
A down payment on a new home isn’t the only common expense. Couples often place the money in a joint savings account or use it to pay weddings expenses and bills.
“My husband and I decided to split the wedding gift money we received in three ways. Saving cash to pay for the wedding led to both of us accruing credit card debt," Katie, 30, said. "We each took a third to pay down our debt, and then the other third went into our joint account. Eventually we used the joint account money to furnish our new home."
Weddings are expensive. So the next time you feel a bit awkward about handing the bride and groom a few notes, remember, it’ll more than likely be put to good use.