A 2026 US couple is, statistically, very unlikely to register for china.
The registry conversation has flipped. In 2010, the average American couple expected to set up a department-store registry for the kitchen gadgets they'd use for the next forty years. In 2026, the average American couple is 31, has been living together for four years, already owns a KitchenAid, and would frankly prefer a flight to Portugal.
This is the world cash funds and honeymoon registries were built for. And after a slow start in the 2010s, they've become the default. In 2025, The Knot reported that 62% of US couples included a cash fund in their registry mix — up from 41% in 2022. For couples under 32, the number is 78%. The etiquette conversation has shifted. The question is no longer "is it okay to ask for cash?" — it is, has been for years — the question is now "how do we do it well?"
This guide is the answer. It's the playbook for the 2026 US couple who wants to skip the gravy boat and actually fund the honeymoon, the down payment, the IVF, the custom art, the dog, the emergency fund, or whatever it is they actually need.
Why cash funds won (the data, in three charts)
Three trends, all visible by 2024, all locked in by 2026:
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Couples are older and already-established. The median age of a US bride is now 29.2 (Bridal Insight 2026); the median groom is 31.4. The first-marriage share is at a record low. Most couples getting married have already merged a household — they don't need a waffle iron. They need cash.
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The registry experience moved online, then mobile. A 2025 Zola study found that the average guest now spends 67% of their registry gift budget on digital or cash gifts vs. 31% in 2019. Gen Z guests, in particular, default to sending money over picking a present. They want to be helpful, not presumptuous.
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Wedding costs outpaced what physical gifts can cover. The average US wedding in 2026 is $36,800 (The Knot). The average registry gift haul is $4,200 — barely 11% of the cost. A cash fund closes that gap in a way the toaster oven never could.
So: cash funds aren't a fallback for couples who couldn't be bothered with a registry. They're the modern, sane, considerate answer to a real financial question.
The 5 most popular cash fund categories in 2026
You can technically put a cash fund toward anything. These are the categories US couples are choosing most in 2026, with the rough distribution:
- Honeymoon (~38%) — the classic. Flight upgrades, hotel nights, dinners, excursions, a single big splurge (hot air balloon over Cappadocia, safari in Kenya, omakase in Tokyo).
- Down payment / house fund (~24%) — increasingly common for couples buying their first home around the wedding. Easy to explain to older relatives who still default to the "housewarming gift" mental model.
- Future experiences (~14%) — a Netflix-and-actually-cook fund, a "first five years of adventures" fund, a "let's try every Michelin star in our city" fund. Whimsical, photogenic, and great for the website.
- Practical life upgrades (~12%) — IVF, debt payoff, professional photography, custom furniture, art for the new apartment, a higher-end mattress.
- Charity / community (~8%) — donate the wedding fund to a cause. The "in lieu of favors, donate to X" pattern, scaled up. Powerful for couples who already have everything they need.
(These are also not mutually exclusive. Most 2026 couples set up 2–3 smaller funds rather than one giant one — easier for guests to give, easier for you to track.)
How to set up a cash fund that doesn't feel like a GoFundMe
The objection you hear from older relatives: "It feels like asking for money." The objection you hear from your own generation: "I don't want my wedding to feel transactional." Both are valid. Here's how to solve both.
1. Don't put it on the invitation
The invitation suite is for who, what, when, where. The wedding website is for everything else. The cash fund lives on the website — under a tab labeled "Registry" or "Gifts" or "Help Us Start" — not on the printed card. This single move handles 90% of the etiquette concerns.
2. Give it a name and a story
The most effective 2026 cash funds have a name, a photo, and a one-sentence story:
- "The Sarah & Mike Italian Honeymoon Fund — 12 days in Rome, Florence, the Amalfi Coast."
- "Our First Home Fund — closing costs, help us get the keys."
- "Sunday Dinners for a Year — 52 restaurant reservations we'll actually keep."
When the fund has a story, guests feel like they're contributing to something — not just transferring money. It's the difference between "we want cash" and "we want this."
3. Tier the gifts
Smart couples break the fund into micro-tiers:
- $25 — "A gelato in Rome"
- $75 — "A wine tasting in Tuscany"
- $150 — "One night in our hotel in Positano"
- $500 — "Two first-class train tickets"
- $1,000+ — "Cover the whole trip, you're an angel"
This is psychologically powerful. Guests who would have given $50 feel like they're giving a specific, tangible thing. Guests who can give more get the dopamine hit of picking the most generous tier. Zola's data shows that tiered cash funds convert 38% higher than open-ended ones.
4. Make giving a 90-second experience
The best cash fund UX is:
- Tap the tier you want
- Enter a name and message (optional)
- Pay via card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Venmo
- Done.
Anything more than that and you lose people. Make sure the cash fund provider supports the payment methods your guests actually use. For US couples in 2026, that's Apple Pay, Venmo, Zelle, and credit card — in that order. (Cash funds that only accept bank transfers leave a lot of money on the table.)
5. Send a thank-you that mentions the fund
When a guest contributes to your honeymoon fund, the thank-you note should say so. "Thank you for the dinner in Positano — we can't wait to send you the photo." It closes the loop. The gift feels real. The relationship strengthens.
What to look for in a cash fund provider in 2026
Not all platforms are equal. Here's the 2026 US shortlist:
- Zola — the incumbent. 4% cash-fund fee, beautiful UX, deep registry integration, allows physical + cash + experiences. The default choice for ~50% of US couples.
- Honeyfund — the original honeymoon-registry play. Lower fees (2.49%) for honeymoon-specific funds, less polished UI. Strong with older guests.
- The Knot Cash Funds — bundled with their planning tools. Higher fee (4.5%) but convenient if you're already using The Knot.
- WithJoy — lower fee (2.5%), strong design, smaller brand recognition. Good for design-conscious couples.
- PayPal / Venmo — zero integration, just a link. Higher friction but zero fees. Best as a secondary option, not a primary one.
The right answer depends on what else you're using. If your wedding website is the centerpiece, make sure the cash fund lives there — not on a separate platform. (See the Wedflip section below.)
The exact wording for a cash fund request (that doesn't feel gross)
Three versions, depending on your tone. Copy-paste-ready.
The warm version:
Your presence is the only present we could ask for. If you'd like to give something more, we've set up a small honeymoon fund to help us get to Italy. Any contribution — from a coffee in Rome to a train ticket — means the world. [Tap here to read more about it →]
The direct version:
Registry: We're registered on Zola (small kitchen list) and have a honeymoon fund for our Italian trip. Either is perfect, no pressure. The link is on our website.
The playful version:
In lieu of a gravy boat, help us eat pasta in Italy. [Honeymoon fund →]
All three work. The wrong tone is apologetic ("we know this is awkward but...") or aggressive ("cash only please"). Aim for the friendly middle.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Don't make the cash fund the only option. Some guests want to give a physical gift. Some want to bring a card and an envelope. Some want to give to charity in your name. Always offer at least one alternative.
- Don't auto-set up Venmo to your personal account. It looks like a tip jar, not a wedding gift. Use a dedicated registry platform with the cash fund.
- Don't announce gift totals on the website. "We've raised $4,800 toward our honeymoon!" is a mood-killer. Keep it private between you and the platform.
- Don't make the cash fund a surprise. Add it to the website from day one. Guests who see only the website (and not your etiquette sense) need to know the option exists.
- Don't forget to mention the fund on the shower invitations. Showers and cash funds go together — but only if guests know the fund exists.
How Wedflip handles this elegantly
Wedflip is built for the cash fund to live on the wedding website — not on a separate platform, not in a printed card, not as an awkward Venmo link.
When you set up a Wedflip wedding site, you get:
- A Registry tab with tiered cash fund support, image and story per tier, full Apple Pay / Venmo / Zelle / Stripe integration.
- A custom short URL (sarahandmike.wedflip.app or your own custom domain) so the cash fund link is clean and shareable in WhatsApp groups, family texts, and Instagram DMs.
- Multilingual support — for couples with international guests, the registry page translates automatically. Critical if Aunt Mei is in Shanghai and Cousin Dave is in Dallas.
- Trackable contributions in your dashboard, with thank-you prompts for each gift.
- No 4% Zola fee. Wedflip's cash fund processing is Stripe-direct; you keep more of what you raise.
A typical 2026 US couple raising a $5,000–$12,000 cash fund keeps $200–$500 more on Wedflip than on the legacy registries. That's two first-class flights. Or a kitchenAid. Whatever you want.
See what a real cash fund page looks like →
FAQ: Cash funds and honeymoon registries in 2026
Q: Is it rude to ask for cash instead of gifts? A: It hasn't been rude since roughly 2018. Cash funds are now the default for the under-35 demographic and an accepted option for the over-35 crowd. The etiquette question is "how do you ask?" not "should you ask?"
Q: How much should we put in tiers? A: The 2026 sweet spot is 4–6 tiers. Lowest around $25 (a small, easy yes), highest around $1,000 or your most generous realistic gift. The middle tier — usually the "average gift" — should sit around $75–$150.
Q: Should we have a honeymoon fund AND a small physical registry? A: Yes, if you can. Older relatives like the physical option (something to wrap, something to put on the table). Younger relatives will default to cash. Give both, let the guest choose. Zola data shows couples who offer both raise 27% more than couples who offer one or the other.
Q: What about cash funds for things other than honeymoon? A: Anything works. House fund, IVF fund, dog fund, "save for our first kid" fund. Just make sure the story is clear and the tier names are specific.
Q: When should we set up the cash fund? A: As soon as you set up the wedding website. Don't wait until the invitation goes out. Guests will start asking "is there a registry?" the moment they hear you're engaged.
Q: Can we use the cash fund money for something other than what we said? A: Technically yes — once the money is in your account, it's yours. Ethically, the better practice is to use it for what you said. If the Italy trip falls through, send a one-liner update to your website guests: "Plans changed, the fund is going toward X now — thanks for being flexible." Most guests will think it's charming, not a betrayal.
The bottom line
Cash funds and honeymoon registries aren't the 2026 compromise. They're the 2026 default. The couples who do them well — with a story, with tiers, with mobile-first UX, with the right tone — raise more money, get more thoughtful gifts, and offend fewer relatives than the couples who register for crystal they'll never use.
The couples who do them poorly — vague name, awkward Venmo link, no alternative option — end up in family group chat arguments for six months.
The fix is one tab on the website, a 30-minute setup, and a name for the fund that makes your uncle smile when he reads it. That's it.
Ready to set yours up? Create your free Wedflip wedding website, add your registry tab, and watch the contributions land before you send the first save-the-date.
