Couples registering for wedding gifts may want to listen closely to the results from a national survey conducted for Erie Insurance before choosing gifts. The survey asked about items couples didn’t register for but now wish they had, as well as gifts they are still glad they registered for versus ones they regret. It also asked respondents about their most unusual wedding gifts, their attitudes on various gifting etiquette topics, including registering for money and their advice to other couples registering today.

Below is a list of the top five items couples wished they registered for:

1. Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

2. Air Fryer

3. Lawn Equipment

4. Vacuum Sealer

5. Grill

When asked to name their favorite gift that they registered for and received, one person said an elephant ride; another said a trip to Paris, and another said his and hers matching bathrobes.  Regarding items people most regretted registering for, write-in answers included a back scratcher, dog seat covers, and “too many casserole dishes.”

Some of the more unusual gifts couples received were regifts. One person said they received a restaurant gift card for an odd amount as if part of it had been used. Another received a registry book that had already been written in.

Respondents also weighed in on etiquette topics, including registering for money. While two-thirds of people think registering for money is fine, the other third thinks it’s tacky/in poor taste. Almost half of those surveyed said they registered for money. Of those, nearly half said it was for general use, while said it was for a honeymoon. Ten percent said it was for a down payment on a house, and the same percentage said the money was for a home improvement project.

People were of two minds when it came to offering advice to couples registering today. Several said they’d advise couples to register for expensive items they’d never buy for themselves (one said to register for “something special that will make you cry when you see it”) while others encouraged registering only for practical items they would use often, with one saying “get the needs out of the way before the wants.”

Methodology: This survey was conducted online by Falls Communications on behalf of Erie Insurance from June 26 through July 1, 2019 among 500 U.S. residents ages 28-40. It was designed to capture and compare the opinions of U.S. residents who had registered for wedding gifts within the past six years (between 2013-2018). Falls Communications established the sampling quotas, designed the questionnaire, tabulated the survey responses, and managed the overall project. Falls used Dynata (Plano, TX) to administer the survey via the internet, including mobile devices, to Dynata’s captive U.S. panels who met the age and regional demographic criteria.

Featured image by Melissa and Beth // Stationery by Atelier Azure