According to a report by Zippia, 2.24 million weddings will be held in the United States in 2023, a 62.5% spike since 2020.
True to tradition, many couples will be participating in the wedding registry system that started in the U.S. nearly a century ago. With these curated lists, you can ensure you’re giving a gift the happy couple truly wants.
While the wedding registry is as popular as ever, it has evolved with the times. Today it’s less about walking though a store tagging products like crystal, silverware and small appliances and more about travel, experiences, home buying and financial stability.
Here’s what guests can expect to see as the most requested gifts for loved ones preparing to walk down the aisle.
[READ: How to Save for a Wedding.]
Cash Is King and Queen
When you receive your invitation, don’t be surprised to find a link to a wedding planning website, such as The Knot, MyRegistry or Zola. Couples use these platforms to create profiles and registries for gifts you can order right on the website.
According to a 2023 study from The Knot, 89% of couples used a wedding website to share details of their nuptials with invited guests and 84% used one to set up wedding registries.
Sara Margulis, co-founder and CEO of Honeyfund, a wedding gift registry that concentrates on helping couples receive money for their honeymoon as well as other savings goals, says cash has always been a welcome gift but is now more valued than ever.
“The wedding industry is reflecting shifts in our society,” Margulis says. “People are living together before marriage, so they don’t need as much to start a home. They need money.”
A 2023 Institute for Family Studies report found that 70% of couples cohabitate before saying “I do,” so they’ve already established a home together. So, selecting items like toasters and bedding has lost some of its magic because they already have those things.
Cash appeals since the couple can use it for anything. The wedding planning and registry company Zola conducted a survey of 4,249 couples with wedding dates in 2023 and 80.57% said they either asked for money for or planned to do so.
As for the amount of the cash gift to give, $140 is typical, Margulis says, whether you’re attending solo or with a guest.
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Honeymoon Contributions Take the Cake
So, where are couples spending all the money they collect? Travel, for the most part.
Kerry Lynn Miller, a publicist from Los Angeles, recently became engaged. She and her fiance are using their wedding registry primarily to request contributions for their honeymoon, wherever it may be.
“We’re still deciding but it could be a boat ride somewhere or a trip to Italy or Switzerland,” Miller says. “This way, our friends can be part of our everlasting memories. We already live together and don’t need things like blenders.”
Miller and her fiance fit the profile of couples wanting to use the registry for a honeymoon. The Zola survey found that the vast majority of respondents (84.38%) had the same intentions.
Being cooped up due to COVID-19 travel restrictions only exacerbated the desire to spend on travel and events.
“The old way doesn’t feel authentic and organic,” Miller says. “After the pandemic, we want experiences instead. We want to create memories.”
Although asking for cash felt uncomfortable at first, Miller says she’s over the discomfort.
“Money that we will spend on something like a wine tour is meaningful for us but it also makes the gift more special for them because they’re now part of the trip,” she says.
Buying and Building a Home Is Important
Couples are also focusing their attention on amassing cash they can use to buy or fix up their homes.
The Zola survey revealed that 33.17% of the couples who asked for cash planned to use it to buy or move into a new home, while 18.49% planned to invest it in home renovations and upgrades.
“During the pandemic, money for a down payment and home improvement projects was the most common registry item,” Margulis says.
And money remains a popular ask on registries today.
“Couples are listing all the things they want to do with money, like install laminate floors. With the wedding registry, they’re painting a picture and telling a story about their lives together,” Margulis says.
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Giving Over Gifting Has Become Popular
Giving back to the community is another wedding gift trend that’s taking off, according to Brittny Drye founder and editor in chief of Love Inc. Magazine.
Requesting money go to a charity the couple wants to support can be more appealing than asking guests to not bring or send a present, and it shows what causes are important to the people getting married.
“When couples say ‘no gifts, please,’ chances are they will end up with things they don’t want anyway,” Drye says, explaining that most people don’t feel comfortable going to a wedding empty-handed. “In that case, it’s much better to do the charity thing,” she adds.
Sites like Vow for Girls, The Good Beginning and The Good Registry aim to help couples support and promote organizations they believe in, and are becoming popular for those who don’t need or want any more consumer goods.
General wedding registry sites like Zola and Joy allow users to set up a donation fund in addition to listing more common items for people to buy.
“There are so many guests who are older and want to give the traditional gifts from places like Bloomingdale’s,” Drye says. Platforms that help couples do a little of both work well.
In the End, Financial Health and Experiences Rule
As the weddings roll around, be prepared for changes in the things couples may be asking for. And don’t be shocked by how precise the asks in the wedding registries can be. Being detailed is now the norm, Margulis says.
You may find that couples won’t be shy about explaining that they want to use the funds to delete the credit card debt they’re racking up for the ceremony or that they intend to pay the reception caterers with the donation. Or, maybe they want to purchase concert tickets and plan for a series of romantic dinner dates. If so, they’ll likely make it known on the registry.
What you’re unlikely to see is guests bringing presents to the actual ceremony, whether the items are from the registry or not.
“Millennials basically killed that tradition,” Margulis says. “They’ll give you a funny look if you bring a boxed gift. Its a dwindling custom.”
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