Wishing Well

I agree with you in a sense. They should understand what the well is for and what your needs are.
But it isn`t really up to you to decide if or what they give you for a gift. It`s up to them. Maybe they aren`t in a great financial position either and will feel obligated to give a larger amount than they could afford instead of feeling embarassed by puting a small amount of cash in a card.
My suggestion is to register at a store where appliances are available too. Put your fridge on your list too. Maybe a bumch of people will team together and purchase it for you. Or most stores give you between 10-20% off of those items that weren`t purchased from your list for a year or 2. Keep what you like from the gifts, return the rest to use towards your fridge. With the discount and possibly a sale, you might just get it without risking offending anyone. And don`t forget to have a bridal/couples shower. You might get more gifts.

I think you sound like a horrible person. "If your family and friends can`t understand your needs then maybe they should be scraped from your invitation list?" I thought the reason people were invited to weddings was to share in your joy, not to provide you with a new fridge or whatever. If your only reason for inviting people is to get money out of them then you don`t deserve a wedding at all, and hopefully your "friends and family" will understand that and decline the invitation. Putting something in writing doesn`t make it right. Be thankful for what people do give you and remember that you`re getting married because you love you fiancee, not because you want a new fridge. If you are getting married because you may get a new fridge out of it, then maybe you need to rethink your priorities.

Statements like those make me shudder. If guests don`t understand your needs then they should be scrapped from the guest list? Your needs (especially your money needs) are not your guests` concern or responsibility. Your guests are being invited by you to share in your celebration. They are under no obligation to fulfill your specicic needs. They have no obligation to give in to your gift demands, nor should they even be exposed to your gift demands in the first place. They should give you a gift of their own choosing out of the goodness of their hearts, and you should be grateful for whatever you receive. Should your guests so happen to need your help in deciding on a gift, they are smart enough to ask you or perhaps your mother or your wedding party for suggestions.

I`ve always thought that the purpose of a wedding is to invite family and friends to share in the joy of a major life decision. A gift is something freely given to another. A wishing well only says "give me the money". If the bridal couple registers at several places with a variety of items selected, i.e., a wide range of costs, that says to me if you would like to give us a gift here a few suggestions.