When Hawaii Kai residents Kiriko and Duke Oishi got married in September 2007, they realized they had blown their entire savings on the wedding. "When we were going over the costs, we realized we'd be broke after the wedding," says Kiriko Oishi.
But they still wanted to take their dream honeymoon, a two and a half week tour of South Africa, Morocco, and Spain. So instead of registering for traditional gifts, they decided to ask friends to donate to their honeymoon.
Duke explains, "We didn't feel we wanted a nice crystal bowl or dishes. Because we like to travel so much we wanted to go on an awesome honeymoon.” Besides, he says, they cohabitated for years before the nuptial, so they had everything they needed for a house.
They’re part of a new trend in wedding registries in which people ask for experiences, not material items. Industry experts have dubbed people like the Oishis “transumers,” short for "transient consumers." Contributing editor Jena Tanaka at WeddingChannel.com explains, “Transumers are consumers driven by experience. So it's the couples who want the surf lessons, the romantic beach dinner, or a fabulous trip.”
Pleasant Holidays travel agency, which has a branch in Hawaii, offers a wedding registry which Vice President Duke Ah Moo says is simple to use. “They go online and sign up for their dream vacation and send the website out to their guests. The guests go online and put money towards their vacation.”
Ah Moo says about 5,000 people have used it so far. "It's hugely popular. People are getting married later in life, and over the last couple of years couples have decided they have the pots and pans; something more useful like a honeymoon vacation would be more valuable.”
The Oishis used Honeyfund.com to ask for air, room, car, and activities. Duke Oishi reels off a list that includes a safari, paragliding off a mountain, rappelling, a bus tour of Marrakesh, and a two night stay in Andalusia. The only catch is, it’s an idea that not everybody finds appealing. Wife Kiriko explains, “Our younger friends thought it was cool but older guests were like, ‘What is that?’”
But it’s a practical idea, and one which Duke Oishi hopes will catch on. “If we do it, it allows other people to do it too and not feel bad.”
It’s probably a trend that’s not going to go away any time soon. Tanaka cites statistics from WeddingChannel.com. “In 2005 about 69% of our couples were interested in registering for a honeymoon. That's up from 57% in 2003.”
However, her advice to couples on the cutting edge is to register at several places. “Some people are still going to be traditionalists, so if you register at a department store as well as at, say, a travel agency, you will have all your bases covered.”
Good luck, and happy honeymooning!
CELEBRITY SUITCASE
Nicole Scherzinger, singer
1) Blackberry
2) Ipod
3) Crucifix from her grandparents
The former lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls has recently broken out on her own, and her new CD “Her Name Is Nicole” debuts in November 2007. Scherzinger, originally from Waianae, Oahu, says she spends a lot of time traveling. “I was on the road for three years, which is why I wasn’t able to come home (to Hawaii),” she says.
Click here to for a quick video of Nicole answering this question.
