Pay For Our Honeymoon! NJ Couples Turn to Online Crowdfunding

The traditional bridal registry just won't cut it for some couples these days.

Soon-to-be-married couples throughout New Jersey are joining the national trend of turning to online crowdfunding to pay for their honeymoons.

It can be an easier, and maybe classier way, to ask for cash.

When picking out their wants and needs ahead of their wedding in June, honeymoon expenses were a top priority for Jackson couple Shaina Chagrin and Jordan Noval. The couple already lives together, so they didn't have much of a need for the typical wedding gifts for the kitchen, bath and bedroom.

"We mostly asked for just money for the honeymoon," Chagrin said.

And they did so through a site called Honeyfund, which Chagrin had learned about from a coworker. Chagrin created an account, listed the expenses they're anticipating for their post-wedding trip on June 25, and shared the site with family and friends.

They'll be headed to Costa Rica a couple weeks after the wedding.

Monetary gifts on the site are broken up by category, such as airline miles, dining and sightseeing. All gifts, Chagrin said, are funneled into a PayPal account they can access at any time.

"It's still going. We got about $1,000 from people," Chagrin said. "It seems a little bit more like a gift when they give it on here."

Couples have raised more than $336 million through Honeyfund, the site states. But it's not the only option. Honeymoon Wishes, Buy Our Honeymoon and GoFundMe have also led to big bucks for future brides and grooms. Pricing and fees vary by site.