It was a poem titled Wishing Well. I wondered if the wish would be for happiness or maybe good health. Perhaps for the bride and groom to have many children to carry the family name into future generations.

In fact the rhyming verse revealed the prospective bride and groom had oodles of pots and pans, dishes and towels for two; even inglorious oven mitts.

That's when the penny dropped - it was a grab for cash.

They wanted money, filthy lucre, no mucking about, no wink wink, nudge nudge. Straight to the point! Give us some dough - and not the Baker's Delight variety.

''The house needs repairs, some upgrades, too, but you cannot register for carpet and glue,'' the poem continued.

My house needs repairs and upgrades - carpet, paint, new kitchen and bathrooms. How about helping out a poor old pensioner, you healthy, young, double-wage-earning, cigarette-puffing lovebirds?

As if that wasn't enough, text messages went out to family and other guests saying money was ''the only option''.

I returned the expensive Wedgwood crystal to the store the next day, feeling relieved that my finances had improved.

Since doing a mini survey among friends I have learnt that wishing wells are alive and flourishing. Some use the cash to pay for overseas honeymoons - even giving the account number at the travel agency for contributions to be paid into.

I have been married twice and on both occasions went away overnight within a 100-mile radius of home. Call me bitter and twisted, but I'm not prepared to pay for someone else's honeymoon - for them to have fun at my expense.

One explanation for the cash grab was that it's a ''European custom''. But both the bride and groom are ocker Aussies. It was suggested I buy a gift certificate from Bunnings for some paint or hardware. Not on your nelly.

As I reflect on my own wedding more than half a century ago, I remember living in a fibro garage for some time. When a house was eventually built on our block we had bare boards, curtainless windows and bare globes hanging from the ceiling for years. From the few who attended, I treasured the gifts we were given.

So enjoy your wedding day and, in years to come, when you are doing a property settlement, remember the guests (apart from me) who laid your driveway.