As February 29 fast approaches, a new honeymoon gift service is set to encourage couples down the aisle towards wedded bliss. Holiday company Dawson and Sanderson, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is launching a new service called giftmyhoneymoon.co.uk to help couples with the cost of their wedding and honeymoon.
The new savings fund from enables family and friends to contribute towards a couple’s honeymoon, or their wedding abroad. The bride and groom-to-be can personalise their page on giftmyhoneymoon.co.uk with the wedding photographs and upload a special message, and can even share it via Facebook and Twitter.
It’s estimated that couples are now spending an average of £4113 on their honeymoon* and with many already co-habiting before they get hitched, traditional wedding presents such as toasters and crockery sets are also on the decline. As a result, asking for cash gifts is becoming more fashionable and less of a social taboo.
North East couple Leah Nesbitt and Leonard Rundle, who live in South Shields are the first to try out the service.
Leah, who works as a dance instructor teaching Zumba and street dance for Sunderland Dance said: “These days most couples already live together so have things like towels, kettles and toasters for the house. What they really need is contributions towards the costs of the honeymoon as well as experiences whilst they’re there as it all mounts up. When the time’s right we’ll definitely look to set up a Giftmyhoneymoon account.”
Chris Pattison, managing director of Dawson and Sanderson said: “With the honeymoon being one of the most expensive getaways a couple will ever make, it seems reasonable to ask for a little help to meet the costs, instead of receiving items they don’t really need.
“Our new online service makes it a hassle-free process for guests to make a contribution towards this special occasion and also helps couples to easily track their growing pot of money. We’ll also give them £20 to get the account started as a special wedding gift.”
Since it was established in 1962, Dawson and Sanderson, which has 22 branches across the North and employs 300 staff, has sent six million passengers on holidays across the globe. In that time, the company has arranged more than 49,000 honeymoons and weddings.
A team of 60 specialist wedding and honeymoon co-ordinators is also on hand to help the couple find, and book, their perfect romantic escape or exotic dream wedding using the accumulated money so couples can be based anywhere in the UK.
