'I've been asked for money help pay for my friend's wedding – it's tasteless'

A woman has shared her shock after receiving a wedding invitation from her "good friends" that asked for cash donations to help pay for their big day.

The bride and groom-to-be sent out invites with a note asking guests not to bring gifts, but instead make a cash donation before September 1st, 2024, to contribute towards the celebration.

The woman took to Mumsnet to share her disbelief, stating she found the request "offensive". She also revealed that the couple are planning an "expensive wedding" at a fancy country house.

Other users on the forum agreed with her, with one commenting: "Crikey that's pretty tasteless!"

Another added: "I know people give money as gifts these days but the invites that basically request it make me cringe, receiving this would make me pass out. What on earth were they thinking, if they can't afford the wedding they need to cut back on things. This is awful and embarrassing."

Someone else commented: "No, it's not the done thing. It's the tasteless, grabby thing. They should have a wedding they can afford. The kindest reading is that they underestimated the wedding's cost and are now short on funds."

While another Mumsnet user explained: "If I was going to be generous I'd say they don't want any physical gifts. Not unreasonable at all, many people don't have large homes and the last thing they need are duplicate toasters and kettles or tat.

"That said asking for money to pay for the wedding isn't good, they should have been discreet about where any money received is going."

Another perspective offered was from a woman who suggested that if one did not wish to chip in, she could choose not to, as giving a gift is not compulsory. She stated: "That's upfront. However, you don't need to 'choose' to give a gift so if you don't like it, don't."