How can I thank my parents for paying for our honeymoon

[djlon]

They have said, they don’t want any thanks or anything in return, they just want me (and us) to be happy and have fun. They are mortgage free and comfortable and have worked hard to be where they are today, I know they wouldn’t be offering if they couldn’t afford it. They have just shrugged and said don’t be daft, it’s what we’ll do when we have kids and the cycle continues etc. The holiday we are looking at booking is just under £4k, which is very luxury for us and never something we would normally splash out on. How can I best say thank you?

I understand 4k might not seem a lot to some people, possibly including them, but it is exceptional amounts to us and I don’t know how best I can thank them for this. I feel very lucky and want to show them we are really grateful. What would be a good present or token of appreciation?

Depends on what they like.
If they drink, some local (the holiday place) nice bottle. Or local speciality food (mind the customs rules though).
Something they would actually use or consume rather than something just sitying on shelf.

When my daughter and son in law got married we helped out financially with the wedding and her dress and did a lot of wedding stuff preparation with them.
We didn't expect anything in return and really enjoyed being a part of things but they bought us a little hamper of treats and also a card saying how much our love and help, support and excitement had meant to them.
The treats were lovely and all got eaten but the card we still have and will keep. I re read it often and it means a lot to me.
It's a permanent reminder of a very happy event so maybe an nice card when you get back from honeymoon saying how much you enjoyed it and what an unforgettable experience they have given you in paying for it would be appreciated along with a nice gift from your honeymoon destination.

As well as thanking them when they book it send them some flowers and a thank you card when you get back.

Get it insured as soon as you book it that covers the cost in full. Even if some parts of the holiday are less than perfect don't say anything negative about it.

Get them a nice photo of you all on the wedding day in a special frame ?

Yes, this would be perfect. My parents would absolutely love this. I'd include a thank you card with a really thoughtful message. You don't have to spend lots of money, just let them know how much you love and appreciate them.

My wife and I have done similar for both our daughters and their husbands.

We are lucky enough to be able to afford it, gives us pleasure to be able to do it, and we don't expect anything other than a Thank You and for them to have e great time.

They, and our grandsons, 'repay' us in many other ways.

Just be grateful, have a great time and don't fret about it.

I might consider getting a triple photo frame - one of you two on your honeymoon, one of them (maybe a wedding photo), then one of all four of you on your wedding day? Something like that.

When you get back visit, show them some photos and share what you enjoyed. Take a bottle. Nothing else needed.

If I did something like this for my adult children I would want a lovely thank you hug and a postcard or two. And to see pictures when they got home. I really, really wouldn't want them to put a moment's thought or money into buying me anything. Honestly!

As a thank you, for my parents we booked them an evening spa and meal thing at a nice local hotel. We also made photobooks of the wedding for both sets of parents.

I’m a mum in a similar situation, just helped my two DD’s to buy their own places.
I don’t want them to buy me anything (I can buy stuff myself).
As your parents have said I just want them to be happy, keep in touch and be interested and involved in my life.

@incrediblehux "As a thank you, for my parents we booked them an evening spa and meal thing at a nice local hotel." I would have hated that if I'd been your mum-sorry!

My parents did the same. We paid for a small album with our wedding photographer, which included 10 pics of their choice.

Honeymoon baby?

(A joke!)

Me too! You know your parents and what they would like and appreciate. A heartfelt card would be enough for me

When we went on our honeymoon my mum paid for the last weekend in a really nice hotel. It was totally beyond our budget so very special. In return, when we had the opportunity and money, we paid for her ticket in business class and also got her a room hotel that she’d chosen but significantly extra than you would have done if travelling for a month! A room with a view and every add on possible!

@foreverbasil To be clear, I'd love the dinner and a swim. What I would hate is me giving somebody a present being turned into a transaction.

I'm likely to be near your parents age.
I would obviously expect you to say thank you, but I wouldn't want you to do anything else.
I would be very cross if you then started spending money on me / us. I mean, the whole point of helping our adult dc out is that now we have money that you don't. I didn't have 2 pennies to rub together at the time we got married. My (adult) dc are really feeling the squeeze now with mortgage rates and utilities and fuel all rising much much faster than wages. If I can do anything to make their life a little bit nicer now, I try to do that, and, in time, I presume they will help out any future grandchildren, and so it goes on.
If they then spend big money getting me a "thank you" gift, I'd be quite cross, and presume they had more spending money than I thought.

Yes, after a wedding, I think it would be nice to print out a photo and give it them in a frame - although I think this would be nice even without them being able to afford to pay for an expensive holiday.

Write them a letter afterwards- a proper handwritten letter, to say thank you and how much you appreciate this gesture from them and describe some of the places you saw, things you did etc. Letters are so underrated!

Maybe I'm mean but I think that's a pretty crap gift. I've never understood the default gift for parents/grandparents to be a photo or photo of the kids. They'd have those anyway surely?

I think what they really want here is for you to enjoy yourselves and have a wonderful start to your lives together - so the greatest thanks would probably be to invite them round for a wonderful meal when you're back....show off all your pics and souvenirs, give them a gift from the destination, and just share the memories and experience. They sound absolutely awesome by the way :)

We did a meal and a night in a local (nice!) pub to thank my parents. It was more about spending quality time together as a 4 than the food, but we didn’t have space to invite them to ours, and knew that if we went to theirs they would insist on cooking.

I agree though, some nice pictures in a frame would be lovely.

I was going to suggest a lovely photo of the two of you on your honeymoon.

And a special gift from wherever you are going?

I came here to say this, they clearly don't want anything costly or physical. But taking the time, care, and attention to handwrite a heartfelt letter is really meaningful and something they can cherish, it's much more work than opening £40 on a fancy bottle of wine.

As a parent and grandparent photos of my family are treasured gifts