Since people are getting married later, chances are they’ve already got all the kitchen utensils they need. And because older couples are more likely to bear the financial burdens of a celebration, what they really need is help with the finances. So people are chipping in for wedding planners, photographers and even honeymoons, which now average $4,000. Antonia van der Meer, editor in chief of Modern Bride, says, “Couples have thought, ‘Well, if guests could give me a wineglass, couldn’t they give me a car rental?’ " If that’s not exotic enough, guests can kick in for gondola rides in Venice or hot-air balloon trips in Kenya on Web sites such as honeyluna.com or thehoneymoon.com. Greenwish.com lets lovebirds register for the most romantic of all gifts: cold, hard cash. Marcy Blum, a wedding planner, says she’s had calls from several women asking to buy her services for a day for their engaged girlfriends. Wendy Saunders, a wedding photographer in Colorado, started a registry for her business after seeing what stores like Crate & Barrel and Target were doing. “Heck, why can’t we be part of that as well?” she asks. Dalissa Reeder says her husband, Jeff, a New York wedding photographer, isn’t as anxious to join in. “We’re not sure if it’s something viewed as cheesy.” How could it not be? One 27-year-old woman from Detroit, who recently received an invitation to a wedding in which the couple asked for help with the honeymoon, says: “It’s totally gauche. They’re basically saying, ‘Pay for us to go have sex in a really nice spot’.”
