These 2024 Wedding Registry Trends Will Help You Build the Ultimate Gift List

Creating the perfect wedding registry with your partner doesn’t look quite like it did for your parents and grandparents, when they carefully picked out a houseful of high-end china, sparkling crystal, and entertaining pieces from the local department store.

Today’s couples are choosing cash they can use for memorable experiences and put toward future milestones, keeping their registries organized with a single link, and mixing timeless patterns with modern brands—which are all major wedding registry trends for 2024. They’re also selecting custom and personalized items unique to their own taste and, says Jung Lee, founder of Slowdance, they’re doing it together. “I especially love that I am seeing more involvement of both partners. It is no longer a one-person show, but a united collective moment for a couple to plan for their future home together,” she says. “Registry is such a super-duper special moment to reflect on how your fused personalities as a couple come together in a shared home.”

Ahead, learn more about the 2024 wedding registry trends that should be on your radar, from the items to put on your list to the types of lists you probably didn’t even know you could make.

Registering for One-of-a-Kind Items

Your mother (and every one of your aunts) may still be using the identical baking dishes they each registered for in the 1970s, but today’s couples are opting to add one-of-a-kind pieces to their wish list. “Couples are moving away from one-size-fits-all items and are seeking more unique, meaningful, and personalized choices; on Etsy we’ve seen a staggering 872 percent increase in searches for handmade gifts,” says Etsy trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson. Custom portraits, engraved recipe boxes, framed bars from a favorite song, and other made-to-order gifts are sentimental keepsakes that become family heirlooms.

Lee has seen this trend extend even to one of the most traditional registry items: fine china. “One of my forever favorite trends is custom china,” she says. “I adore that it can be kept and passed down to future generations. It also creates a lasting memory that I tell my clients they should not just save for special occasions, but [enjoy in] everyday life!”

Requesting Cash

While most newlyweds welcome a financial gift, more of them are requesting funds for their wedding, honeymoon, and future milestones. “Cash remains king. We  know that couples always want cash, but this year we’re seeing even more couples than last year—86% up from 81%—tell us that they’ll be adding customized cash funds for their Zola registry,” says Emily Forrest, wedding and registry expert at Zola. “Considering the vast majority of couples are continuing to fund some portion, or all of their own wedding events, and the status of the overall economy, cash is simply a practical gift.” 

Some of these duos are also looking past their wedding and toward home renovations or the next major milestone: expanding their family. “Family planning was in the top 10 categories for cash funds, which was inclusive of things like fertility treatments and adoption,” says Forrest.

Investing in Experiences

For couples who’ve already stocked their homes before getting married, a focus on experiences increasingly drives their registry decisions. “Over the last few years, we’ve been seeing couples put increased value on experiences over items that could break or wear away over time,” says Forrest. “Whether it’s cooking workshops, weekend trips, or even tickets to high-demand concerts like Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour or Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, couples are using their registries to create joyful memories that will last a lifetime.” 

Brides and grooms are also adding accessories for those experiences to their Etsy registries, says Johnson, along with hands-on activities they can work on together (think painting sets, whisky-making kits, or pottery how-tos). “Couples are increasingly opting for experiences that go beyond physical possessions, seeking to make memories and cherish moments,” says Johnson. “We're witnessing couples register for DIY kits, or items that complement their experiences or act as keepsakes, including personalized passport holders or scrapbooks they can fill together after their big day. These gifts not only foster a sense of togetherness but also enhance the overall wedding journey.”

Selecting Items With Brand Recognition

At Slowdance, Lee finds clients turning back toward “classic and timeless patterns”—like  Herend Chinese Bouquet, Mottahedeh Tobacco Leaf, and Royal Copenhagen—while mixing them with modern complements, like J.L. Coquet. “Hand-painted and custom curated collections, [like] Anna Weatherly and Marie Daage, are enjoying a moment now, [as is] appreciation for artistry in collections, [like] the hand-cut crystal by Saint-Louis and the hand-shaped pottery of Jars Ceramics,” she says.

Forrest notes that 87 percent of Zola’s couples get their product recommendations from social media—”so it’s not a surprise that buzzy, viral brands like Caraway Home, Our Place, La Creuset, and Dyson are some of the top brands on Zola registries,” she says. “If you opt to add a popular item onto your registry, I recommend making sure that the product is made of quality materials that will last for years to come, and of course, that you actually see yourself using it!” 

Choosing Items That Bring Everyday Joy

Traditional registries helped couples prepare to host formal occasions—but that’s not as common anymore. “The registry landscape is becoming more diverse and flexible, allowing couples to express their individuality, ensuring that their registry truly reflects their relationship and what they value in their home and life together,” says Johnson. “Looking ahead to 2024, wedding registries are all about fun and functionality. Couples are seeking items that not only speak to their personal style but also have a practical use: Think handmade ceramic tableware that adds both charm and everyday functionality to their lives.”

One way Jung sees her couples achieving this is with cheerful, vivid color. “Registrants are gravitating towards bright colors in their selections,” she says, using the Hermes Soleil and Walk in the Garden collection as examples. “Your home should be joyful, and color does a fantastic job of adding life to your tablescape. Post-pandemic life changed the way we view our home. I have seen my clients wanting to elevate their everyday dining dishes, moving from heavy traditional box store ceramics, and instead selecting options in easy care porcelain.”

Consolidating Multiple Registries

The idea of managing multiple registries feels as old-fashioned as adding a cordless phone to your must-haves. Instead, couples are prioritizing ways to simplify the process. “Couples want their registries to be all-inclusive and allow them the option to put their wishlists from different retailers in a single place instead of having multiple store-specific registries,” says Forrest. Johnson agrees: “Simplicity is in, with registries made in one place, and couples sharing a single link, for ultimate convenience,” she says. “This modernizes and streamlines the entire registry process for both couples and their guests, making the wedding journey even more enjoyable.”

Registering for Their Pets

Brides and grooms are also registering with their four-legged family members in mind, too, says Forrest, with this category jumping two spots in the site’s top ten. “The registry isn’t limited to the humans in your household,” she says. “Items such as pet beds, feeders, carriers, and gift cards to Petco and BarkBox are also popular Zola registry items. We know that weddings and families come in all shapes and sizes, and that includes our furbabies, too!”