DEAR ABBY: I am planning my wedding. It is making me more anxious than I expected. My fiance and I live together and already have many of the items a newly married couple would usually get as gifts. So, as of now, we are not registered anywhere. What is the best way to ask for monetary gifts instead? -- ANXIOUS BRIDE IN VIRGINIA
DEAR ANXIOUS BRIDE: While traditionally it is not acceptable to blatantly ask for money -- and CERTAINLY not on a wedding invitation -- some couples open a bank account to be used for a down payment on a house or a special honeymoon "in lieu of gifts." The information can be conveyed verbally or on your wedding website.