Wedding Gifts and Registry

Gifts for the Bride and Groom:

Guests have traditionally brought gifts for the bride and groom on their wedding day. Wedding etiquette also calls for guests to bring gifts to festivities around the actual wedding like engagement parties and wedding showers. Opinions are varied on how much you should spend on each. We will say that the bigger part of your gift budget should go to the wedding day with lesser amounts being spent on engagement and shower gifts.

Cash is acceptable, especially for couples that have already established a household. Many couples choose to sign up for a gift registry, which makes gift selection east for guests!

Holding a small wedding gift

There are countless places to set up a registry and it’s perfectly acceptable to set up more than one. You can pretty much be assured that you will get what you want. The wedding guests will also be happy that they know exactly what to give you and that it will be appreciated.

Be sure to choose items in many price ranges for your guests to select from. When should you register? Six months ahead would be good. That gives the guests plenty of time and it would be especially convenient if they wanted to buy a shower gift also.

There are many stores with gift registries. Here is a sample:

  • Crate and Barrel 

  • Pottery Barn 

  • Williams Sonoma 

  • JC Penney
  • Tiffany & Co. 

  • Bed Bath and Beyond 

  • Walmart.com 


  • MyRegistry.com 

  • Macy’s 

  • Target 

  • Bloomingdales 


Or check out some of these less traditional registries:

  • Honeymoon Registries
  • Amazon
  • Museum Memberships
  • Meal Kit services like BlueApron
  • Wayfair.com
  • Trip funds like HoneyFund
  • Mortgage Wedding Registries 

  • Home Improvement Registries (like Home Depot and Lowe’s) 

  • Charity Registry or sites like justgive.org

Charm Tip: Add your registry info to your Personal Wedding Website!


Gifts for Others:

“Others” are all the people in the wedding party including the bride and groom. There are also both sets of parents, the bride’s attendants, the groomsmen, the flower girl and the ring bearer. 

All of these people have been great support for you throughout the whole process of getting ready for your big day. Of course you want to show your appreciation to all of them with a gift .

Focus on any hobbies they have and how they love to spend their time. Something meaningful to your friendship/relationship with them would be nice. 

Some Suggestions For Each Other Jewelry is always a good bet. A bottle of really good champagne for the honeymoon is special. Or go with something practical like luggage.

For the Parents Think about this, a gift certificate for a night out at a nice restaurant. Theatre tickets or a book of movie tickets are fun. Make sure it’s something you know they would really enjoy.

For the Bride’s Attendants A gift card for a manicure or pedicure is always appreciated. Cosmetic bags are useful. Or give something sentimental like a charm that is a keepsake of your wedding and friendship. 

For the Groomsmen Incorporate a favorite sports team, or hobby. Money clips, key chains and tie clips are always crowd pleasers.

For the Flower Girl and Ring Bearer Give age appropriate gifts. Or consider lifelong keepsakes like framed photos, charms, and personalized gift items.