Wishing Well Wording Examples for Australian Weddings

Wishing well wording examples for Australian weddings

If you would rather receive money than another toaster, you are far from alone. Across Australia, more couples are setting up an online wishing well instead of a traditional gift registry — and the part that trips most people up is not the money, it is the wording. How do you tell your guests you would love a contribution without sounding grabby?

This guide gives you plenty of wishing well wording examples for Australian weddings you can copy straight onto your invitations, save-the-dates or wedding website. You will find warm, poem-style verses, short one-liners, and lines tailored to specific situations, plus the etiquette that makes them land well.

Last updated: July 2026.

Key takeaways

• A wishing well is the Australian way of inviting guests to give a monetary gift instead of a physical present — the wording is what makes it feel gracious.
• Keep your wedding wishing well wording short, warm and optional in tone; guests should never feel obliged.
• The average Australian wedding guest gives roughly A$100–A$200 per person as a gift, so many couples find a wishing well matches what guests were already planning to spend.
• Put the wording on your invitation insert or wedding website — not on the main invitation card itself.
• A free tool like the wishing well wording generator can tailor a verse to your style in seconds.

What's on this page

• What a wishing well means at an Australian wedding
• How much do guests usually give
• Classic wishing well poems for Australian weddings
• Short and modern wishing well wording
• Wording for specific situations
• How to word a wishing well invite without offending anyone
• Frequently asked questions

What a wishing well means at an Australian wedding {#what-a-wishing-well-means}

A wishing well is simply an invitation for guests to give money rather than a boxed present. The name comes from the physical box or decorated "well" once placed at the reception for cards and envelopes; today most of it happens online, through a shared link or a QR code on the invitation.

It is worth knowing a couple of insider terms. A wishing well covers any monetary gift toward your future together. A honeymoon fund is a more specific version — money earmarked for the trip — and many couples frame their wishing well that way because it gives guests a warm picture of where their gift is going. Both sit under the broader idea of contribution gifting: guests chip in whatever suits them, instead of buying from a fixed list.

The etiquette point that matters most: a wishing well is an offer, not a request. Your wording should make it easy for guests who want to give money, while leaving anyone who prefers a physical gift feeling perfectly welcome to do so.

How much do guests usually give {#how-much-guests-give}

Guests almost always want a rough guide, even though they will never say so out loud. Australian wedding guests typically give between A$100 and A$200 each, with closer family and the wedding party often giving more. The table below is an illustrative starting point, not a rule.

Methodology note: these ranges reflect commonly cited figures from Australian wedding-industry sources such as Easy Weddings annual surveys and general cost-of-living context from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Treat them as a guide — what a guest can comfortably give always comes first. If you want a more tailored estimate, the gift amount calculator for Australia does the maths for you.

You never put amounts on your invitation. The table is here to reassure you; guests work it out themselves.

Classic wishing well poems for Australian weddings {#classic-wishing-well-poems}

Poem-style verses are the most popular choice for a reason — they soften the ask and feel traditional. Here are wishing well poems Australia couples use again and again. Adapt any of them freely.

We've been together for quite a while, And our home already makes us smile. So if you'd like to give a gift, it's true, A little something towards our future would do.

We have a home with pots and pans, And more than enough of most odds and ends. A wishing well we thought we'd share, To help us build a life to spare.

Your presence is the present we treasure most, But if you'd like to give and raise a toast, A gift towards our honeymoon away Would make our celebration complete that day.

Now that we're together as one, Our little home has just begun. A wishing well is what we'll bring, To help us save for everything.

These read beautifully on an invitation insert or your wedding website. If you would like dozens more to choose from, our collection of 50 wedding wishing well wording examples has a verse for almost every style.

Short and modern wishing well wording {#short-and-modern-wording}

Not everyone wants a rhyming poem. Plenty of couples prefer a clean, modern line — especially on a minimalist invitation or a digital save-the-date. These work well:

• "Your presence is all we ask for. But should you wish to give, a contribution to our wishing well would be gratefully received."
• "We're lucky to already share a home, so in lieu of gifts we've set up a wishing well to help fund our next adventure together."
• "Gifts are never expected. If you'd like to help us start married life, our wishing well is the easiest way."
• "We'd love to celebrate with you — and if you're kind enough to give, our honeymoon wishing well is ready and waiting."
• "No presents, please — just your company. But a small gift towards our future would mean the world."

Setting up your wishing well takes minutes with PocketWell — it's free for couples, and guests can give from any device with no app to download.

The tone to aim for is warm and low-pressure. Words like "if you'd like", "should you wish" and "never expected" do the heavy lifting.

Wording for specific situations {#wording-for-specific-situations}

Sometimes a general verse does not quite fit. Here are lines for the situations couples ask about most.

If you already live together and have everything: "After happily sharing a home for years, we have all the bits and pieces we need. A gift to our wishing well would help us dream a little bigger."

If you're saving for a honeymoon: "We're off on the adventure of a lifetime after the wedding. A contribution to our honeymoon fund would help us make the most of every moment."

If you're saving for a home deposit: "We're putting every gift towards a place to call our own. A little something for our wishing well would bring us one step closer to home."

If you genuinely don't mind either way: "A gift, a card, or simply your company — all are equally welcome. If you'd prefer to give money, our wishing well makes it easy."

For a relaxed, casual wedding: "No fuss, no fine china — just a wishing well if you'd like to shout us a gift. Cheers, and see you on the day!"

Whichever you choose, keep the wording consistent across your invitation, website and any QR code you print, so guests are never confused about how to give.

How to word a wishing well invite without offending anyone {#how-to-word-a-wishing-well-invite}

The question of how to word a wishing well invite comes down to three simple habits.

First, lead with gratitude, not the ask. Open by thanking guests for coming or celebrating with you. The money request should feel like an afterthought, not the headline.

Second, keep it off the main invitation card. Traditionally, gift wording lives on a separate insert, on your wedding website, or on the RSVP details — never on the formal invitation itself. This keeps the invitation elegant and the ask discreet.

Third, make giving genuinely easy. The kindest thing you can do is remove friction. In our experience running PocketWell pages across several markets, couples who add one short, warm wishing well line and a clear link see guests contribute far more readily than those who leave guests guessing. A single link or QR code beats bank details scrawled on a card every time.

On fees and payouts, be transparent with yourself so there are no surprises: PocketWell is free for couples to set up. Guests pay a small platform fee of 3.9% plus standard payment processing on their gift, and your funds are paid out to your bank account through Stripe Connect. There are no subscriptions and nothing for you to pay as the host. For the full rundown, our FAQ page covers the details.

Frequently asked questions {#frequently-asked-questions}

Q: Is it rude to have a wishing well at an Australian wedding?

A: No — wishing wells are widely accepted and increasingly expected at Australian weddings. The etiquette lives entirely in the wording. As long as you frame it as an optional offer rather than a demand, thank guests for their company first, and keep the request off the main invitation card, a wishing well reads as gracious and practical. Most guests actually appreciate the clarity, because it saves them guessing what you need. The only thing that comes across poorly is specifying an amount or making guests feel a physical gift would be unwelcome.

Q: Where should the wishing well wording go on the invitation?

A: On a separate insert card, your wedding website, or your RSVP details — not on the formal invitation itself. Keeping the main card free of any gift mention is a long-standing etiquette convention that keeps the invitation feeling elegant. A small insert with a short verse and a link or QR code is the tidiest approach. If you are using an online wishing well, that link is all guests need; you can also print a QR code that takes them straight to your page.

Q: How do I ask for money instead of gifts politely?

A: Lead with gratitude, keep the tone light, and always make the money optional. A line like "Your presence is the only gift we need, but should you wish to give, our wishing well makes it easy" works because it thanks guests first and never pressures them. Avoid mentioning amounts, and avoid anything that sounds like a physical gift would disappoint you. The wishing well wording examples for Australian weddings above are all written this way — warm, brief and pressure-free — so you can adapt one to your own voice.

Q: What's the difference between a wishing well and a honeymoon fund?

A: A wishing well is any monetary gift toward your future together, while a honeymoon fund earmarks that money specifically for the trip. Many couples prefer honeymoon-fund wording because it gives guests a clear, joyful picture of where their gift is going, which often makes giving feel more personal. Both work the same way in practice — guests contribute online, and you receive the funds. You can even combine them, describing a general wishing well while mentioning that part of it goes towards the honeymoon.

Q: How much should guests give to a wishing well?

A: Most Australian wedding guests give somewhere between A$100 and A$200 each, with close family and the wedding party often giving more. You should never state an amount yourself — guests decide based on their relationship to you and their budget. If you would like a personalised estimate to reassure your own guests when they ask, the gift amount calculator for Australia gives a sensible range. Remember that a wishing well simply matches what most guests were already planning to spend on a gift.

Q: How do I thank guests for a wishing well gift afterwards?

A: A short, specific thank-you note goes a long way — mention the gift, say what it helped with, and keep it personal. Because online wishing wells record who gave what, you will have a tidy list to work from rather than trying to remember on the day. For wording you can adapt, our guide to wedding thank-you wording for money gifts has plenty of examples covering everything from close family to workmates.

Final tips and next steps

The best wishing well wording is short, warm and unmistakably optional. Thank your guests first, keep the ask off the main invitation card, and give people the easiest possible way to contribute. Pick one of the verses or lines above, adjust it until it sounds like you, and you are set.

Ready to make giving effortless for your guests? Set up your free wishing well with PocketWell — it is free for couples, guests can give in a couple of taps from any device with no app required, and your funds are paid out securely through Stripe. Add your favourite verse from this guide, share the link, and let the well fill itself.