Whether a couple lives together before their wedding day or not, a wedding gift registry is essential for anyone planning a wedding. 

Henry Polk, of The Wedding Registry, finds nothing taboo about a couple asking for gifts they want and need.

"Without a gift registry option, guests can have a difficult time deciding what to buy as a wedding gift," Mr Polk says.

"A wedding gift registry takes away the guesswork".

So how do you put together a great gift list?

When starting a bridal registry, it’s a good idea to offer your guests lots of options in terms of price-point and product.

The average spend on a gift is about $150, with cookware, crockery and kitchen appliances the most popular gifts requested by couples on the Wedding Registry Australia website.

"They are keepsakes that not only couples need and want, but guests are most interested in buying," says Mr Polk.

Gifting experiences has also become popular. Online wedding sites such as Wedding Registry Australia and Not Another Toaster invite wedding guests to contribute towards experiences during the couple’s honeymoon, with gifts ranging from a romantic dinner in New York to a humble ticket for the subway.

Socially-conscious couples can also choose to use their wedding as an opportunity to donate to their favourite charity. Many gift registries will let guests make donations to charity in the name of the couple.

With the cost of weddings skyrocketing, the traditional "wishing well” has become a popular way for guests to help couples pay for their wedding in lieu of gifts. This way, the money can be used for the honeymoon, paying off a mortgage or buying things the couple needs to make their house a home.

If you’re not a fan of the envelope-in-a-box scenario, websites such as wedivite make wishing wells simple, safe and stress-free with PayPal.