Wedding Wishing Well: The Complete Guide for Australian Couples
Planning an Australian wedding and not sure you want a cupboard full of crockery you'll never use? You're in good company. More couples than ever are skipping the traditional registry and asking for money instead — and a wedding wishing well is the warm, well-mannered way to do it.
This guide covers everything: what a wishing well actually is, how much guests typically give, how to word your invitation without anyone wincing, and how to set one up online in a few minutes. If you'd rather jump straight in, you can create a free wedding wishing well and come back to the etiquette later.
A quick note on us: PocketWell is an Australian online wishing well platform, so the numbers and patterns below come from real gifting activity, not guesswork.
Last updated: June 2026.
Key takeaways
- A wedding wishing well is a way for guests to give money instead of a physical gift — these days, usually online.
- In Australia, a typical individual wedding gift sits around $100–$200, with couples often giving more.
- Across the wishing wells run through PocketWell, weddings are the largest category by gift volume, and the average gift has sat in the $130–$175 range across recent months.
- An online wishing well is free for hosts on PocketWell — guests cover a small platform fee, and you keep 100% of the gift amount.
- The single biggest etiquette tip: keep the wording gracious and never make a gift feel compulsory.
On this page
- What is a wedding wishing well?
- How a wedding wishing well works online
- How much to put in a wedding wishing well
- How much should a wedding gift be in Australia?
- Using a wedding gift calculator
- Wedding gift ideas for Australian couples
- Wedding wishing well wording examples
- Setting up a wedding wishing well in Australia
- Frequently asked questions
What is a wedding wishing well?
A wedding wishing well is a way for your guests to give money as a wedding gift instead of buying a physical present. The name comes from the old tradition of placing a decorated "well" at the reception where guests would drop cards and cash — today, most of it happens online before the day even arrives.
The appeal is simple. Many couples marrying in Australia already live together and have a fully stocked home, so a second toaster isn't much help. A wishing well lets guests contribute towards something that genuinely matters — a honeymoon, a home deposit, or just the cost of the wedding itself.
It's worth clearing up two terms you'll see a lot. A cash registry is a list of money-based "items" guests can fund. A honeymoon fund is exactly what it sounds like — a pool earmarked for your trip. A wishing well is the broad umbrella that covers both, and you can frame yours however you like.
How a wedding wishing well works online
An online wedding wishing well replaces the physical box on the gift table with a personalised web page. You create the page, share the link, and guests give securely from their phone — no envelopes, no cash to count at the end of the night.
Here's the typical flow on PocketWell:
- You create a personalised wedding wishing well page with your names, photo and a short message.
- You share it by link or QR code — on your invitations, your wedding website, or a sign at the reception.
- Guests pay securely with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a debit or credit card, and leave a message.
- You watch the gifts and messages roll in on your dashboard, and can export a report.
Payouts are sent weekly on Tuesdays via Stripe, the global payments platform that handles the card processing. Most arrive one to three business days later; the very first payout takes five to seven business days while Stripe verifies your details. There's no such thing as an instant payout, so plan around that timing rather than expecting funds the morning after.
How much to put in a wedding wishing well
If you're a guest wondering how much to put in the wishing well, the honest answer is: as much as feels right for your relationship and your budget — there's no fixed rule. That said, most Australian guests land within a fairly predictable band, and a guide table helps.
These ranges reflect real gifting patterns seen across PocketWell, alongside published Australian wedding surveys such as the Easy Weddings annual report.
| Your relationship to the couple | Typical gift (per person) |
|---|---|
| Workmate or distant friend | $80 – $120 |
| Close friend | $120 – $200 |
| Family member | $150 – $300 |
| Member of the bridal party | $150 – $250 |
| Couple giving together | $200 – $400 |
A common rule of thumb is to give enough to roughly "cover your seat" at the reception, but please don't treat that as gospel — your presence matters more than the dollar figure. If money's tight, a smaller gift with a heartfelt message is always welcome.
How much should a wedding gift be in Australia?
In Australia, a typical individual wedding gift sits in the $100–$200 range, with closer family and couples attending together usually giving more. National wedding spend data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and industry surveys consistently put guest gifts in this band.
Cost of living and distance play a part too. Guests flying interstate to a Gold Coast or Perth wedding, paying for flights and accommodation, often give a little less in the wishing well — and that's completely reasonable. Local guests with no travel costs sometimes give more.
For couples, the etiquette is to factor in what you can comfortably afford, not what you think will impress. A gift that quietly stretches your budget helps no one. The goal is a gesture that's generous for you, whatever that number looks like.
Using a wedding gift calculator
A wedding gift calculator takes the guesswork out of the amount by weighing your relationship to the couple, whether you're attending, and your own budget. Instead of agonising over the "right" figure, you answer a few questions and get a sensible suggested range.
If you're a guest, our gift amount calculator gives you a ballpark in seconds. If you're the couple trying to budget the other way — estimating what your guest list might bring in, or what your reception is costing per head — the wedding guest list cost estimator is the tool to reach for.
Calculators are a starting point, not a verdict. Treat the number as a guide, then adjust for the things only you know — how close you are to the couple, and what your month actually looks like.
Wedding gift ideas for Australian couples
The best wedding gift ideas in Australia increasingly skip physical objects in favour of experiences and goals the couple actually wants. A wishing well makes that easy, because guests can contribute towards a shared target rather than picking an item off a shelf.
Popular ways couples frame their wishing well:
- Honeymoon fund — guests chip in towards flights, accommodation or a special dinner. You can set up a dedicated honeymoon fund page and let guests "gift" parts of the trip.
- Home deposit or first-home fund — practical and genuinely appreciated by couples saving for a place.
- Future memories — a fund for a first anniversary trip, a renovation, or a someday goal.
- A simple cash gift — no theme at all, just a warm contribution towards married life.
The thread running through all of these is contribution gifting — many people each giving an amount that suits them, pooled towards something meaningful. It tends to raise more, with less awkwardness, than a traditional registry.
Wedding wishing well wording examples
Getting the wording right is where most couples feel nervous — nobody wants to look like they're asking for cash. The trick is to lead with warmth and gratitude, and make the gift feel optional, never expected.
Here are a few wishing-well wording examples you can adapt:
- "Your presence on our day is the only gift we need. But if you'd like to help us start married life, a contribution to our wishing well would mean the world."
- "We're lucky to already share a home filled with everything we need. If you wish to give, our online wishing well will help fund the honeymoon of our dreams."
- "In lieu of a gift, a small token towards our wishing well would help us build our future together — though your company is what we're really celebrating."
If you'd like more options tailored to your tone, the wishing well wording generator produces ready-to-use lines in a few clicks. Keep it short, sincere, and reassure guests that turning up is what counts.
Setting up a wedding wishing well in Australia
Setting up a wedding wishing well in Australia takes a few minutes and costs hosts nothing. You create your page, personalise it, and share the link — guests do the rest from their phones, anywhere in the country.
PocketWell is built for Australian couples, with local payment methods and AUD throughout. Whether you're marrying in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or the Gold Coast, the page works the same way and your guests give in dollars they understand.
Ready to skip the registry? Set up your page, add a personal message and a photo, then drop the link on your invitations — same-day activation and sharing is what makes the difference, so don't leave it to the last week.
For the money mechanics — fees, payout timing and safety — the PocketWell FAQ lays it all out plainly so you and your guests know exactly what to expect.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is a wedding wishing well?
A: A wedding wishing well is a way for guests to give money as a wedding gift instead of a physical present. It started as a decorated box or "well" at the reception for cards and cash, and has largely moved online. Today, most couples create a personalised wishing well page, share the link, and let guests contribute securely before or after the day. It suits couples who already have a home set up and would rather put gifts towards a honeymoon, a home deposit, or the wedding itself. You can frame yours as a general cash gift, a themed fund, or a honeymoon pool.
Q: How much should a wedding gift be in Australia?
A: A typical individual wedding gift in Australia sits around $100–$200, with close family, the bridal party and couples attending together usually giving more. There's no fixed rule — the right amount depends on your relationship to the couple and your own budget. A common guide is to give enough to roughly cover your seat at the reception, but your presence matters far more than the figure. If you'd like a quick personalised suggestion, try the gift amount calculator, then adjust for travel costs and how close you are to the couple.
Q: Is it rude to have a wishing well at a wedding?
A: Not at all — wishing wells are widely accepted in Australia, and most guests genuinely prefer giving money to guessing at a present. What matters is the wording. Lead with gratitude, make it clear that attendance is the real gift, and never make a contribution feel compulsory. Phrases like "your presence is the only gift we need, but if you'd like to give..." strike the right note. Avoid stating amounts or sounding demanding. Handled with warmth, a wishing well reads as thoughtful and modern, not greedy.
Q: How does an online wedding wishing well work?
A: You create a personalised page with your names and a short message, then share it by link or QR code. Guests pay securely with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a debit or credit card, and leave a message. You track every gift on your dashboard and can export a report. On PocketWell, payouts are sent weekly on Tuesdays via Stripe — most arrive one to three business days later, with the first payout taking five to seven business days for verification. It's free for hosts to set up a wedding wishing well.
Q: How much does a wishing well cost to set up?
A: For hosts, a PocketWell wishing well is free — no setup fees, no subscriptions, no hidden host costs. You keep 100% of the gift amount. Guests cover a small platform fee of 3.5% plus standard payment processing, shown clearly before they pay. That means the couple never pays to collect their gifts. Full details on fees and payouts are on the FAQ page, so you can reassure guests that the cost is small and transparent.
Q: Can I use a wishing well for a honeymoon fund?
A: Yes, and it's one of the most popular uses. You can set up a dedicated honeymoon fund where guests contribute towards flights, accommodation or experiences on your trip. Some couples list "parts" of the honeymoon — a dinner, a night's stay, an activity — so guests can pick something to gift. Others keep it simple with one shared pool. Either way, it's the same easy process as a standard wishing well. Start with a honeymoon fund page and personalise it to your trip.
Q: When will we receive the money from our wishing well?
A: Payouts are sent weekly on Tuesdays via Stripe. After a payout is initiated, most funds arrive in your bank account within one to three business days. The first payout takes a little longer — five to seven business days — because Stripe needs to verify your identity and account details the first time. There are no instant payouts, so if you're relying on the funds for a specific date, build in that buffer. You can always see what's been collected and what's pending on your dashboard.
Start your free wedding wishing well
A wedding wishing well gives your guests an easy, gracious way to help you start married life — and gives you a honeymoon, a home deposit or a lighter wedding bill instead of a pile of unwanted homewares.
Ready to start collecting gifts the easy way? Create your free wishing well — it's free for hosts, takes minutes, and your guests can give from their phone with a single link.