More couples are ditching fancy dishes and opting for cash to buy homes instead. According to a report from the National Association of Realtors, about half of more than 1,000 engaged couples surveyed by LendingTree last year said they were asking wedding guests to contribute toward their future home purchase. As home prices continue to climb and the stigma around asking for cash gifts fades, couples are using technology platforms to collect "new-home funds," transforming wedding registries into savings tools for homeownership or other financial goals.
The financial math behind these registries can be compelling. Wedding industry estimates from The Knot suggest guests spend, on average, about $150 on gifts, and with the average wedding guest count at 117 as of last year, that could potentially translate to $17,000 in contributions. In one widely reported example, a New York couple raised about $30,000 through a house fund added to their wedding registry in 2022. One recent case involved a young couple who chose to forgo a large wedding entirely, using the money they had saved and were going to be given from their parents to purchase their apartment—a total of about $50,000, enough to cover the down payment they needed.
"Younger couples are absolutely using wedding funds as a means to purchase property," says Abigail Godfrey, a real estate pro at Coldwell Banker Warburg in New York, quoted in the report. "The days of gifting monogrammed towels and silver trays are behind us. It's not uncommon to see a 'house fund' on a wedding registry." Godfrey notes that even in high-cost markets like New York, these cash gifts can provide a meaningful boost toward a down payment, adding that it's common to see purchases where the down payment is a gift—whether from a parent in one lump sum or from a collective source such as a registry fund. The report also highlights that couples are calling these contributions one of the most appreciated wedding gifts from guests.
The shift reflects changing priorities among younger generations as housing affordability remains stretched. Wedding registries like Zola and The Knot show cash funds have become a standard part of modern registries, with many couples directing contributions toward honeymoons and housing goals, including down payments and home renovations. Popular platforms couples are using include Honeyfund, which doesn't charge setup or guest-contribution fees but may apply payment processing or transfer fees; The Knot Registry, which recently added a Venmo payment option to avoid processing fees; and Zola, which allows customizable "First Home Fund" goals with visual progress tracking. The report notes that couples planning to use wedding gift funds toward a home purchase should keep records of all contributions and deposits, as mortgage lenders may require documentation showing the source of funds used for a down payment or closing costs, particularly when large sums are deposited shortly before a home purchase.
"The younger generation is trading the large-scale wedding experience and extravagant gifts for cash to be used to buy their first home," Godfrey says. The trend represents a practical adaptation to today's housing market: couples are treating their wedding day not just as a celebration, but as a financial launchpad toward homeownership.