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How wedding registries are changing, from cash funds and honeymoon experiences to house deposits, plus the etiquette of asking and how to share a registry.
Wedding registries are moving away from lists of household goods towards funds for things couples actually need: a honeymoon, experiences, a charity, or savings for a home. Etiquette has largely caught up. The Emily Post Institute says registering isn't greedy and that a honeymoon fund is fine as one of your registries, as long as it's specific. The basics haven't changed: offer a range of prices, keep the list off the invitation, and remember that guests may always choose their own gift.
The classic registry assumed a couple was setting up a household for the first time: dinnerware, linens, kitchen appliances. For couples who already live together and own a toaster, a list like that doesn't match their lives. That's the main reason registries now look different, even if the old kind hasn't gone away.
Types of wedding registry and what to know: Traditional, Household items from one or more shops, Still preferred by some guests, especially older relatives; Cash or honeymoon fund, Money toward a trip or named experiences, Emily Post suggests describing specific experiences; House or savings fund, Money toward a deposit or big purchase, Common among couples buying a home; Charity, Donations to causes the couple supports, Avoid causes that could divide guests; Experiences, Classes, dinners, concerts, Check the provider's fees and expiry dates; Mixed, A bit of everything, Gives every guest an option.
Independent data on registries is thin. One useful figure comes from housing: in a LendingTree survey of 1,050 US newlyweds conducted in March 2025, 48% of newlywed homeowners said they asked for money toward their down payment instead of wedding gifts. That's a specific group (couples who bought a home), not all couples, but it shows how normal asking for money has become.
The Emily Post Institute's registry guidance sets out a sensible modern position:
Some registry and payment services take a percentage of every cash gift or charge the guest a fee. Read the terms before you choose one, and check how and when the money reaches you. A fund that quietly takes a slice of every gift isn't what your guests intended.
The simplest place is your wedding website, linked from your save the dates or invitation suite without mentioning gifts on the invitation itself. How to create a wedding website walks through what to include, and Forever Farrah's wedding website is one place to put it alongside RSVPs.
Cash funds make it easy to lose track of who gave what, especially when some gifts arrive online, some in cards at the reception and some by post weeks later. Keep one running list with the giver's name, the gift, the date and whether you've sent a thank-you. Assign someone you trust to collect cards and envelopes on the day and keep them somewhere secure, since a gift table left unattended is an easy target.
However gifts arrive, the thank-you obligation is the same. The Emily Post Institute says notes should be written within three months of receiving a gift. For cash, mention what you're putting it toward, so the guest can picture it.
Not according to modern etiquette sources, as long as you're gracious about it. Share the fund through your website or word of mouth, describe what the money is for, and never put it on the invitation.
The Emily Post Institute suggests no more than three, with a range of prices and ideally one traditional option.
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