Majority of Engaged Couples Register for Wedding Gifts Online, Personalizing Their Registries for Their Unique Lifestyles, According to The Knot 2019 Registry Study

Couples Registered on The Knot Registry Are Choosing Household Items
From Retailers and Cash for Their Dream Honeymoon, New Home, Adoption
and Experiences

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, The
Knot—the #1 wedding planning and registry
resource in the US—released findings from The Knot 2019 Wedding Registry
Study, the largest and most comprehensive wedding registry study of
engaged and recently married couples in America. The study unveiled how
couples are curating registries that are as unique and personalized as
the wedding itself, while leveraging multiple gift options for their
soon-to-be married lives. The majority of couples (60%) set up their
primary registries online (up from 33% in 2013) and almost all (97%, up
from 81% in 2013) manage their registries digitally.

“The registry journey is an exciting part of wedding planning where
couples tend to discuss their personal styles, values and what their
future looks like as they decide on the products, experiences and funds
they’ll want to start their new life together,” said Kristen Maxwell
Cooper, editor in chief of The Knot. “With The
Knot Registry, there are no limits on what you can register for,
whether it be a kayak for the adventurous couple from their favorite
retailer, a cash fund for a family car or IVF, or a charity that’s close
to the couple’s heart. And when couples sync The Knot Registry with
their personal
wedding website, guests can easily find and shop for everything all
in one place.”

Couples are choosing their favorite retail products (97%), cash funds
for their future (20%) and charities (11%) on The Knot Registry.
Kitchenware continues to be the most popular registry category, with
bakeware (87%), cookware (84%), kitchen appliances (82%) and kitchen
accessories (81%) being the most popular must-haves. According to The
Knot 2019 Registry Study, cash registries are on the rise (from 27% in
2017 to 37% in 2019), with the average cash registry receiving $1,863 in
guest contributions. Cash registries help couples fund everything from a
down payment on a new home to honeymoon excursions—or even a lifetime
supply of sriracha! The majority of couples on The Knot Registry create
cash funds to help pay for honeymoon-related expenses (55%). Other
popular cash fund categories on The Knot Registry include funds for
dining; food and drink experiences (15%); household-related expenses
(15%); and personal hobbies and interests (9%) for the newlyweds.

The Most Popular Registry Items on The Knot
Registry

Wedding registries, on average, feature 111 different items and have a
total value of $4,695. To-be-weds are setting up, on average, two to
three registries, with retail registries remaining the most popular
choice among couples.

The Knot Registry is the most trusted and comprehensive all-in-one
registry choice for couples in the US. With options from homewares and
electronics to cash funds and charity, couples are able to personalize
their wedding registry to fit their needs and help them start the next
chapter of their lives together.

Couples are using their wedding registries to give back, with 11%
adopting a charity using The
Knot Gifts Back, a proprietary charity registry program that allows
couples to attach nonprofits to their retail wedding registries. With
each registry gift purchase made through The Knot Registry, The Knot
donates a portion of that gift in the couple’s name to the charity of
their choice.

Top 5 Most Popular Products Registered for on The Knot Registry:

Top Registry Must-Haves for 2019 From The Knot Trusted Editors:

Most Popular Cash Funds Registered for on The Knot Registry:

1. Honeymoon-related expenses

2. Dining and food experiences

3. Funds for a down payment on a home

4. Physical and mental wellness

5. Continued learning and recreational classes

Top 5 Most Popular Charity Registry Selections on The Knot Gifts Back:

1. Humane
Society of the United States

2. St.
Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital

3. American
Cancer Society

4. Make-A-Wish
Foundation of America

5. VOW

Couples using The Knot Registry are making a big impact. For example, in
2018, couples using The Knot Registry raised enough money for St. Jude’s
Children’s Research Hospital to provide 2,032 new toys for hospital play
areas and recreational areas at St. Jude housing facilities. Couples who
selected Feeding America as their charity of choice on The Knot Gifts
Back charity registry program provided 9,680 meals to families in need
through the funds raised by their wedding gift purchases. The Knot Gifts
Back is free for couples to opt into and doesn’t cost anything for
guests. The Knot is honored to offer a charity registry program that
simultaneously benefits to-be-wed couples and those in need.

For the full list of most popular registry items, experiences and
charities, plus recommendations from The Knot Editors, see The Knot
Registry Awards at https://www.theknot.com/registry-awards.

Top Wedding Registry Trends From The Knot 2019
Registry Study

RETAIL REGISTRIES CONTINUE TO REMAIN MOST POPULAR. Bakeware,
blenders and bed sheets on wedding registries aren’t going anywhere. The
majority of US couples (80%) have at least one retail registry. On
average, couples begin curating their registry about seven months before
their wedding day. Most to-be-weds (60%) curate registries with the goal
of upgrading their current household items, such as cookware, bakeware,
sheets and towels. When deciding which retailers to create registries
with, couples consider the products available (93%); variety of price
points offered (88%); if the retailer offers online management tools
(88%); how affordable the products are (84%); and if there’s a good
return/exchange policy (83%).

HONEYMOON REGISTRIES TAKE FLIGHT; NEARLY 1 IN 10 COUPLES CONSIDER
THEIR HONEYMOON REGISTRY THEIR PRIMARY REGISTRY. Millennial couples
are all about experiences, and study data shows that newlyweds stress
the importance of having a honeymoon. Since 2010, honeymoon registries
have nearly tripled in popularity, with one in three (29%) to-be-wed
couples creating one. On average, couples receive $1,562 from guests to
put toward their honeymoon-related expenses, from first-class flight
upgrades to wine tours in Tuscany. While retailer registries continue to
be the most popular selection as a primary registry, honeymoon
registries are gaining traction, with nearly 1 in 10 couples (9%)
considering their honeymoon registry their primary registry.

MILLENNIAL COUPLES PRIORITIZE DIGITAL REGISTRY CREATION AND
MANAGEMENT. From finding
inspiration to booking
vendors, millennials are turning to technology for all aspects of
wedding planning—and creating their registry is no exception. Nearly two
in three couples (60%) set up their primary registries online (up from
33% in 2013) and almost all (97%, up from 81% in 2013) manage their
registries digitally. Nearly 9 in 10 couples (88%) report prioritizing
retailers that offer registry management tools across digital platforms.
Mobile registry management tripled in popularity in recent years, with 4
in 10 couples (39%) reporting they managed their registry almost
exclusively from their mobile devices in 2018 (up from 13% in 2014),
using apps like the The
Knot App.

WHILE SETTING UP WEDDING REGISTRIES, COUPLES THINK OF THEIR GUESTS. When
determining where to register, nearly all to-be-weds (98%) report being
concerned with how easy gifting and shopping off their registry will be
for guests. In order to streamline all the information about their
wedding celebration—including where to find and purchase wedding
gifts—the majority of couples (83%) report using their personal wedding
website to share all the necessary information. The personal wedding
website is the most popular way for guests to find information about an
upcoming wedding, including finding and purchasing a gift for the
newlyweds.

₁Source The Knot 2018 Guest Study

About The Knot

The Knot is the nation’s leading multiplatform wedding resource offering
a seamless, all-in-one planning experience—from finding inspiration and
local vendors to creating and managing all guest experiences, wedding
registries and more. The trusted brand reaches a majority of engaged
couples in the US through the #1 wedding planning website TheKnot.com
and #1 iOS and Android mobile app The Knot Wedding Planner, The Knot
national and local wedding magazines, and The Knot book series. Since
its inception, The Knot has inspired approximately 25 million couples to
plan a wedding that’s uniquely them. Visit The Knot online at TheKnot.com
and follow on social media: Facebook.com/TheKnot
and @TheKnot onTwitter,
Pinterest
and Instagram.

Contacts

MEDIA
Melissa Bach
Senior Director, Public Relations &
Brand Marketing
pr@theknotww.com