From shagun to savings: how wedding registries are changing gifting

As wedding celebrations wrap up, many newlywed Indian couples are left with piles of decorative items, duplicate gifts and multiple sets of the same appliances. Yet they often have to dip into their savings to buy household essentials, fund their honeymoons or set up a new home. It is a problem of plenty: a mountain of gifts, but a shortage of what they actually need.

In the West, wedding registries have been common for decades, with nearly nine out of 10 couples in the US using them, according to The Knot Annual Registry Study. The concept is only now finding an intentional, albeit low-volume, foothold in India. A growing section of working professionals is looking to replace unwanted gifts with more structured contributions towards their needs.

Wedding planners, registry platform founders and financial planners, however, point to a delicate balance between cultural norms, platform mechanics, tax rules and financial planning.

Cultural shift

Until early 2025, digital wedding registries in India had largely faded after early-stage platforms shut down during the pandemic. Newer platforms are now seeing more interest from self-funded working couples in metros such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune, as well as non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the US and UAE.

"Up until early 2025, there were no active registries online. Now, we see couples coming in every single day to build registries. The average wishlist value is around ₹1 lakh, with a maximum touching ₹3 lakh, and fulfilled values reaching ₹2.5 lakh in gifts or cash combined," said Siddharth Bharteeya, founder of Hazlnut, an Indian wedding gift registry platform.

Adoption remains low and concentrated in the premium wedding market. "In the last 10 months of our operation, we have had over 500 registries created," said Shreyas Dilip and Nivedhitaa, co-founders of Gifaa, which draws about 6,000 monthly visitors.

"Adoption is currently low because there is a strong cultural taboo around sending a list to people and 'asking' for a gift. But interest in the concept is definitely increasing." He noted that couples tend to share registries with friends and younger cousins, avoiding older family members who may prefer traditional cash envelopes.

Some platforms allow several guests to pool contributions towards a high-value item and list everyone who contributed, so the couple knows who the gift is from.

"In India, wedding gifting is deeply emotional, and there is natural cultural resistance to asking directly. However, young working couples who are funding their own weddings are increasingly using registries to guide guests toward what they actually need, whether that is a home setup, a honeymoon fund, or supporting charities," said Pratik Sheth, founder of wedding planning firm Spotlight Soirées.

“One in four wedding gifts in India is either never opened or mindlessly regifted; we have seen this firsthand,” Dilip added. Registries, he said, encourage more thoughtful gifting and better utilization of money. They can be particularly useful for couples setting up a new home or relocating to another city.

How they work

Couples first create a digital registry, listing household items, appliances and furniture across price points or setting up cash funds for specific goals such as a honeymoon or home set-up.

They share the link alongside digital or physical wedding invitations. Guests can select an item and reserve it, or choose an amount to contribute towards a cash fund. Once reserved, an item is locked to prevent duplicate purchases.

For goals such as travel, guests can contribute a chosen amount, with the platform settling the pooled money into the couple's linked bank account. Other gifts can be shipped directly to the couple, brought to the wedding venue and marked as delivered, or funded through UPI.

Money matters

Financial planners say a registry can be more than a casual wishlist. It can be one of the first joint financial decisions a couple makes after marriage.

"Most couples build a list of things they would like, and then separately wonder what to do with the cash that turns up. I would reverse it: decide what the first year of the marriage actually needs, and let the list follow that," said Nehal Mota, co-founder of Finnovate Financial Services.

She identifies three priorities for the first year: setting up a home, funding the honeymoon and creating a joint contingency fund to manage the uncertainties of combining two financial lives.

Preeti Zende, founder of Apna Dhan Financial Services, recommends allowing multiple guests to contribute towards expensive items such as furniture and major appliances. Registries should include gifts across price points so that every guest feels comfortable contributing. A high minimum contribution can make guests feel that their presence is tied to a hefty price tag.

"Wedding registries are still new in India, where the traditional shagun ka lifafa remains important. Some relatives will not be comfortable choosing gifts online, and couples should respect that sentiment without forcing the issue,” Zende added.

Executing a registry effectively requires understanding platform fee structures, payout timelines, and tax compliance as platform economics and costs vary across major players, according to their respective websites.

Choosing a platform also requires checking its fees, payout timelines and withdrawal rules. On Hazlnut, creating and sharing a list is free, but cash funds and integrated contributions attract a flat 3% fee, deducted before settlement. Funds are automatically transferred to the linked bank account two business days after the transaction. Gifaa charges no hosting fees and uses UPI for digital cash contributions without additional charges. Other platforms support gifts from multiple stores and manual UPI transfers between guests and couples.

"Check the platform's charges, processing fee, and withdrawal rules before choosing one. Some hold funds for a set period before releasing them, which matters a great deal if your honeymoon is three weeks away," Mota said.

Currently, Indian wedding registry platforms do not facilitate financial gifts such as mutual funds or stocks. Platform founders say these are restricted to cash contributions through UPI, as enabling mutual fund gifting would involve additional KYC requirements.

There is also a tax consideration. Under Section 56(2)(x) of the Income Tax Act, monetary gifts and property received by an individual on the occasion of their own marriage are exempt from tax, with no upper monetary limit. However, Zende and Mota caution against mistakes involving the timing and use of such gifts.

“The tax exemption applies strictly to the receipt of the gift during the marriage. The exemption attaches strictly to the occasion of the marriage itself, not loosely to financial transfers occurring months later,” Zende explained.

Mota, meanwhile, cautioned couples against investing gift money before addressing basic financial needs. If they have outstanding loans, no emergency fund or no health cover, the money may be better used to address these gaps than put into the stock market.

Planners also recommend maintaining a clear record of cash gifts so that they do not get mixed up with payments to wedding vendors. The aim is to avoid ending the wedding celebrations with gifts absorbed by wedding expenses and no starting capital for the couple.

Cultural resistance may take time to ease, but a wedding registry can help newlyweds redirect generosity towards setting up a home, building emergency reserves, travelling or investing. With clear communication, thoughtful planning and an understanding of tax rules, wedding gifts can become a financial head start rather than a pile of unwanted presents.