How many times have you heard brides and grooms-to-be say they'd much prefer gifts of money, but they don't put it on the bridal shower or wedding invitation because it's socially unacceptable in this country. Believe it or not, a new way to give wedding couples a gift of money is sweeping Israel and the world. So you tell me. Is this crass and totally inappropriate or a sign of changing attitudes?

I'm talking about a new kind of credit card machine that brides and grooms can set up at the entrance to their wedding reception hall. Guests can insert their credit card into the machine and give the happy couple a gift of cash. The machine costs $155 to rent in Israel, and it resembles an ATM, but when guests use the machine to give a monetary gift, the recorded funds are transferred into the very happy couple's bank account the next day. The guest receives a "deposit" slip from the machine, which can be put into an envelope along with a congratulatory note and inserted into a slot in the device for the couple to retrieve. Nice, huh? I should mention that Israelis traditionally give gifts of money rather than boxed gifts.

So what do you think? Personally, I think it's a great idea. It saves the guests the time and effort of buying a gift. The bride and groom get what they want and don't need to spend hours registering somewhere, and everyone (except those who don't want a dollar amount attached to their gift) is happy!

And how, you may ask, do you thank guests who have given you exactly what you want for your wedding? Why, with the perfect wedding favor, of course! Here are two outstanding ideas:

After your guests have had their generous gifts withdrawn from their bank accounts and placed into yours, they'll have to enter the transaction into their checkbook.The "Write from the Heart" Calla Lily Pen (left) offers guests an elegant way to do so. Another unique wedding favor choice will help them when they're ready to reconcile their checkbooks. I give you the "Love...Let Me Count the Ways" Heart-Shaped Calculator (right,) which is both charming and useful.

Yes, despite Miss Manners' stringent objection, it just seems to me that in today's economy, the stigma of wanting cash wedding gifts should be lifted and the idea of giving money embraced. Hey, we'd all like some spending cash these days, right?

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