Honeymoon Extras: A new wedding list service

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Honeymoon Extras: A new wedding list service: Image 1 The toaster is toast! Newlyweds favour experiences over appliances with couples admitting to returning up to six wedding gifts to get cash for the honeymoon!

Almost half of newlyweds will reject at least one wedding present, research has today revealed, with the average couple returning six gifts from the big day and 15% returning up to 20!

According to the nationwide study*, conducted by Holiday Extras, the traditional toaster is no longer the gift of choice for newlyweds. In fact, toasters and household appliances were the second-least popular wedding gift (second only to charity donations), with most couples preferring cash (34%) or money towards their honeymoon (32%).

The most common reason for returning a gift was that the couple already had the item. However, 13% did it as the gift was not to their taste and 9% stated that the gift was ‘off list’. One in five also said that they’d rather have the money towards an experience they could share together.

Of the couples who asked for money as a wedding gift, 21% wanted to put it towards their honeymoon, but the second most popular reason (12% of respondents) was to put the money towards their holiday extras.

Honeymoon Extras: A new wedding list service: Image 2 Luckily, the majority of guests are happy to provide cash for the happy couple with 37% saying it's easier than picking out a present and 23% saying it's less hassle for them to arrange. However, 14% felt it was rude to ask for donations and 13% said it was too impersonal, preferring to pick out a gift themselves.

Seamus McCauley, editor-in-chief at Holiday Extras, said: "As with every gift, it's the thought that counts. But, as our survey shows, times are changing - with couples now favouring experiences over more traditional appliances. Making the right choice can be a tricky task. And, given the average wedding gift now costs £75.04, the pressure is on to get it right. No-one wants to waste time or money. And, as a company that specialises in cutting out hassle, the thought of returning up to 20 gifts certainly seemed like an awful lot of wasted energy to us!
"Having conducted this research, and learning that 70% of people said they'd use a website that allowed them to add holiday extras to their wedding list, we've decided to launch a brand new service called Honeymoon Extras.

Honeymoon Extras: A new wedding list service: Image 3 Allowing couples to upgrade their honeymoon and enhance their experience, our getaway gift list will include everything from 5* hotels and luxurious airport lounges to chauffer driven Meet and Greet Parking. Here's hoping it cuts out some of the hassle around picking the perfect present. And, most importantly, the stress of returning any unwanted items for the newlyweds too. After all, what could be more thoughtful than helping someone you care about to make the most of their momentous milestone? Holiday Extras is the UK market leader in holiday extras and provide services such as airport lounges, airport transfers, hotels and parking at airports around the UK and abroad.
For more information and to book, visit holidayextras.co.uk
*survey conducted with 500 in June 2019 by Holiday Extras with Brits that have been married in the last five years.

Holiday Extras offers a wide choice of holiday extras including UK airport parking, airport hotels, worldwide airport lounges, destination car hire, airport transfers and holiday insurance. Established in 1983, Holiday Extras makes bookings for 8 million travellers each year. The company has been listed eleven times in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For.The Holiday Extras booking app is available to download now via a link at: HolidayExtras.com