The Blog.
Specific, opinionated writing about wedding registries, the fees, the etiquette, and the ten-year-old advice that won’t die.
When to send your wedding registry to guests
Timing rules: when to send save-the-dates with the registry link, what to put on invitations, and why the registry should be live 6 months before.
2026-05-03
Do you give a wedding gift if you can't attend?
Yes, in most cases. The exception, the etiquette, and what's appropriate depending on your relationship to the couple.
2026-05-03
The Knot vs Zola vs Joy: actual fees compared
A side-by-side of platform fees, cash-fund cuts, and where the money actually goes on the three biggest registry sites.
2026-05-03
Thank-you notes for cash gifts: timing and what to say
When to send them, how to acknowledge cash specifically without being awkward, and a few real templates that don't sound like they came from a wedding-etiquette book.
2026-05-03
Registry timing: when to set yours up before the wedding
A 6-month timeline from save-the-dates through the day-of, with what to do at each stage.
2026-05-03
Why every cash fund has a fee, except one
Card processing isn't free, so registries either pass it to the couple, the guest, or eat it. Here's how each major site decides.
2026-05-03
Should you have multiple wedding registries?
When multiple registries help (different stores, different price points), when they hurt (split inventory, confused guests), and what the alternative looks like.
2026-05-03
Is it tacky to ask for cash as a wedding gift?
The plain answer: not anymore. But how you ask still matters. The difference between a clean cash fund and a cringe one is mostly framing.
2026-05-03
How much to spend on a wedding gift in 2026
Specific dollar ranges by relationship, region, and whether you're attending. The numbers have moved since 2019; here's where they actually sit now.
2026-05-03
How much should be on your wedding registry?
A practical formula based on guest count, regional norms, and what registries actually look like when they're well-stocked.
2026-05-03
How do honeymoon funds actually work?
How money moves from a guest's card to your bank account, what fees get taken at each step, and how long the whole flow takes.
2026-05-03
How to register for a house down payment fund
What to call it, how to frame it for guests, the etiquette of high-ticket cash funds, and what numbers actually feel right.
2026-05-03
Honeyfund's fees, broken down: what couples actually pay
Honeyfund advertises as free, then takes 2.4–8% depending on payment method. Here's what shows up on your dashboard vs theirs.
2026-05-03
Group gifts and registry etiquette
How to handle the logistics, who pays card fees, and why one big gift from a group can be worth more than five small ones.
2026-05-03
Do wedding registries charge fees?
Most do. Free for physical gifts, 2.4–2.9% on cash gifts on most major platforms. Here's the full breakdown and the one exception.
2026-05-03
Charity registries: when they work and when they don't
A donation-only registry signals one thing very clearly. Whether that's the right signal depends on your guests, your tax situation, and what you actually want.
2026-05-03
How to split your registry between cash and items
A framework for what to register as items, what to put as cash funds, and how the split affects what guests actually choose.
2026-05-03
Cash registry sites compared: Honeyfund, Zola Cash, Hitched, Donum
A clear table of platform fees, payout speed, fund types, and the gotchas on each.
2026-05-03
Can you get cash off a wedding registry?
Yes, most major registries offer cash funds, with platform fees ranging from 0% to 8% depending on the site and payment method.
2026-05-03
The best zero-fee wedding registries in 2026
A short, opinionated list of registries that don't take a cut of your cash gifts, and the ones that quietly do.
2026-05-03
Are wedding registries actually free?
Most are free for physical gifts and quietly take a percentage of cash gifts. Here's how the model actually works on every major site.
2026-05-03
Are cash wedding gifts taxable?
In the US, no, cash wedding gifts are not taxable income to the recipient. Here's what the IRS actually says, when gift tax applies (it applies to the giver, not the recipient), and the 2026 thresholds.
2026-05-03
Amazon's wedding registry isn't really free
Why Amazon's 'free' registry is funded by you anyway, through inflated prices, completion-discount lock-in, and an affiliate model the couple subsidizes.
2026-05-03
How to ask for a honeymoon fund without being weird about it
Etiquette and copy for asking guests to contribute to a honeymoon, without sounding mercenary or coy.
2026-04-26
How to build a registry when you already live together
Practical advice for couples who already have a home, what to register for when you don't need another set of plates.
2026-04-19
Zola's 2.5% cash fund fee, explained
Who actually pays Zola's cash fund fee, what it costs you over a typical wedding, and how the fee is structured.
2026-04-12