Wedding Registry Wording Ideas and Examples for Your Wish List

Creating a registry is an exciting part of your wedding planning journey (and a helpful way to let guests know what you need for your new life together). Wondering how best to inform loved ones of your wedding gift wishes? Try these carefully crafted wedding registry wording ideas. Finding the right words to explain your gifting wishes as you make a wedding gift registry is imperative. After all, it's a privilege (not a right) to get gifts when you tie the knot, so it's really important to strike the right tone and follow modern registry etiquette.

From a registry greeting to cash fund wedding registry wording, these registry message ideas communicate just the right tone and sentiment to your guests about the wedding gifts you'd really like to receive (if any). The text ideas below are ideal messages to display on the registry section or FAQ page of your wedding website, but feel free to repurpose any phrases you like for your wedding stationery.

Remember, you don't have to choose just one type of registry. Many couples have a traditional gift registry, a honeymoon fund and other cash funds, so feel free to pick and choose one or more of these wording examples to suit your needs. But whatever wedding registry language you settle on, come across as authentic, gracious and helpful.

Wedding Registry Wording: Gift Registry | Cash Fund Registry | Charity Registry | No-Gifts Wedding Wording

FEATURED VIDEO FROM THE KNOT

Wedding Registry Wording Ideas

Historically, couples would rely on their wedding party and family members to tell guests about their wedding gift registry. Fast forward to today and the best ways to notify guests about registry information are on a wedding website, by word of mouth and on a wedding shower invitation. See a few effective ways to relay your message below.

Registry Wording for Wedding Website

It's considered bad etiquette to include a direct mention of your registry on your wedding invitations, which totally makes sense—you're inviting that person to join your celebration, not inviting them to buy you a gift. Furthermore, there's already a lot of event information to be communicated on an invite and a special formality around wedding invitation wording you don't want to mess with.

That's why you should make your wedding website the communication hub for all of your wedding details. Use it as the primary place for listing registry information. It's commonplace (and proper etiquette) for couples to include the URL for their website on their wedding invitation to direct guests to the web page to RSVP and to find more details, including your wedding registry.

In fact, most wedding website templates offer a registry tab. This is the perfect place for engaged couples to list their registry information—if guests navigate to that section, they're actively seeking out your registry to buy a wedding gift. On a The Knot wedding website, your registry will be automatically linked. To make sure you are sharing your registry with guests in your website settings, click on the Wedding Website section of your The Knot homepage bar once you've logged into your account. You'll then see all of the standard pages you can add to your site, including a registry page. Click the three dots to the right of the registry section to check if the page is visible to guests.

Wedding Registry Message Examples

A wedding website is less formal than an invitation, so feel free to make the registry wording sound like you. Make it as personal and as specific as possible—think of this text as a wedding registry bio of sorts, a quick synopsis of what you'd like guests to know about your wish list. Here are a few wording examples you can add to your main page, FAQ page or wherever to get the ball rolling:

Gentle gift guidance:

Having you attend our wedding is the greatest gift of all, so don't feel pressured to bring a package. However, if you're looking for wedding gift ideas, we've registered here for things that we need to outfit our home: [insert details].

Moving in together:

We're moving in together for the first time after the wedding, so we've put together a gift registry of things we need to complete our home and celebrate our new life together. You can find our wish list under the "Registry" section of our wedding website.

Grateful and gracious:

Your presence at our wedding is the greatest gift we could ask for! If you would like to honor us with a gift, we have registered with [insert details].

Casual and breezy:

We're thrilled that you're coming to celebrate with us—and your presence is present enough! But, if you'd like to help us spruce up our place, you can find our registry at [insert details].

Welcome Messages for Registry

If you're wondering what greeting you should put on a wedding registry, just think of it like writing a kind letter to your loved ones. (They are the ones who will be viewing your wish list, after all.) Keep the greeting short, sweet and celebratory. This portion of wedding registry text would appear in the "registry note" section of your The Knot wedding website as a greeting to guests once they navigate over to your registry tab. And if you're using a wedding QR code on your stationery—which you can add to any paper piece on The Knot Invitations, by the way—this wording for your wedding registry would be the next piece of text guests see. (Don't worry, your The Knot wish list will already populate here, so all you have to add is the wedding registry message at the top of the page.)

Heartfelt:

Our registry is below, if you'd like some guidance. But please know that your presence at our wedding can be your present—it's the greatest gift of all.

Funny:

Well, if you insist. But really, we're just excited to see you!

Relaxed:

Please find our registry embedded below. We can't wait to celebrate with you.

Cash Fund Wedding Registry Wording

A great alternative to receiving physical gifts (or something you can do in addition) is to set up a cash fund wedding registry. You can create one or multiple cash funds to gather money for different goals you're after as a couple (home improvements, a down payment on a house, big-ticket items like major appliances, etc.), just be sure to be specific about what you plan to use the money for, so that guests can appreciate what they're giving you. Don't be afraid to get detailed with honeymoon fund wording or house fund registry wording. There are lots of online platforms that let guests know what their cash gift is going towards and that accept payments. But of course, we're partial to The Knot cash funds because they make the guest experience so seamless. You could also forgo online cash funds and set up a wishing well at the reception, where guests can put their cash gift inside a wedding card and drop it into a decorative box that you can DIY or buy online.

Whatever you're looking for in your registry greeting examples, you'll need some cash registry wording (or an adorable wedding money poem) to make them clear. We suggest that you put this tasteful message under the "Wedding Details" section or "Registry" section, if you've set up a cash fund on your wedding website.

Money Registry Message Examples

When it comes to wedding registry wording for money, tact is the name of the game. You want to nudge guests in the right direction while simultaneously clarifying that whatever you receive (if anything) you'll accept with gratitude. See the bridal registry wording example below for some inspo.

Formal:

We are so excited to have you join our special day and your presence at our wedding is the best gift we could ask for. However, if we are to be honored with a present from you, a monetary gift towards [insert how funds will be used] would be very much appreciated.

We have set up a cash-fund wedding registry at [insert URL and registry number, if applicable].
OR
A wedding card box will be at our reception.

Casual:

Thank you for being a part of our wedding day. If you feel inclined to give us a wedding gift, a contribution towards our [insert item] would help get our newlywed life off to a great start.

We have set up a cash-fund wedding registry at [insert URL and registry number, if applicable].
OR
A wedding card box will be at our reception.

Cash Fund Poem Examples

If you're trying to determine the right wording for "no wedding gifts, but money is preferred," a catchy poem is a whimsical way to get the message across. Add it to the registry bio that's positioned atop your wish list or on your FAQ page.

Future plans:

On [insert wedding date] we will celebrate,
That we have found our lifelong mates.
We are so excited to become spouse and spouse,
And, in the near future, buy a house.
We have a small registry as you can see,
But money would help grow our family tree.
We would love a place to plant our roots,
Donations from you would help buy us a roof.
But if you prefer presents with bows,
Click the link to see the gifts we chose.

We have set up a cash fund at [insert URL and registry number, if applicable].
OR
A wedding card box will be at our reception.

Please, no more stuff:

As we've lived together for a year or two,
We really don't need anything new.
But if you were thinking of getting us a small wedding gift,
Some money for our [insert item] wouldn't go amiss.

We have set up a cash fund at [insert URL and registry number, if applicable].
OR
A wedding card box will be at our reception.

Short and sweet:

We'll soon be saying "I do,"
And for a gift, if you haven't got a clue,
Then we'd really love some cash,
So we can really make a splash,
With a brand new [or insert item] for two!

We have set up a cash fund at [insert URL and registry number, if applicable].
OR
A wedding card box will be at our reception.

New home:

As we're getting married we thought it would be fun,
To move into a brand new home—we need to get it done.
As wedding gifts are bulky and we're a little short on space,
Some money would be the ideal gift to help us buy our place!

We have set up a cash fund at [insert URL and registry number, if applicable].
OR
A wedding card box will be at our reception.

Wishing Well Poem Examples

A wedding wishing well is essentially another name for a wedding card box at your reception. The thought is guests can bring cards filled with a little cash and toss them in the box, as one would a penny into a wishing well. Here's how to notify guests that they can gift in this way:

Simple:

We're tying the knot and we just can't wait,
We knew it would happen on our very first date.
As we've got our home dressed up with accessories,
We don't really think that a gift registry is necessary.
But if you did want to give something to help us on our way,
Some money in a card would truly make our day!

A wishing well card box will be at our wedding reception.

Sentimental:

More than just kisses so far we've shared,
Our home has been made with love and care.
Most things we need we've already got,
And in our home, we can fit a lot!
A wishing well we thought would be great,
if you wish to participate.
A gift of money is placed in the well,
Then make a wish, but shhh don't tell.
Once we've replaced the old with the new,
We can look back and say it was thanks to you.
And in return for your kindness, we're sure,
That one day soon you will get what you wished for.

A wishing well card box will be at our wedding reception.

Charity Donation Wedding Registry Wording

If you've included a charity on your wedding registry (you can easily add donations to your registry on The Knot), there are ways you can convey your wishes through tactful registry wording for your wedding website and so on. Guests will feel good about giving a wedding registry charity donation—it's such a sweet, meaningful idea. Here are a few wording samples to asking for charitable donations for your wedding:

Sweet:

Thank you for being a big part of our special day. If you feel inclined to give us a wedding gift, it would mean the world to us if you made a donation to [insert charity name], a charity very dear to us.

In memoriam:

In loving memory of [insert name], we'd be deeply touched by a donation to [insert charity name] in lieu of a wedding gift.

Action-focused:

We are determined to make a difference by supporting the work of [insert charity name]. If you'd like to give us a wedding gift, the best gift of all would be a donation to this organization.

Additional reporting by Cathryn Haight.