If you’re attending the big-fat Indian wedding, your go-to gifting option to the bride and groom is typically a shagun ka lifafa (envelope with cash). During demonetisation, they were replaced with digital payment options. Now, couples are taking inspiration from newly-wed stars and switching to uber-cool ideas of gifting like wedding registries, e-vouchers and travel experiences.
When actor Priyanka Chopra tied the knot with American singer Nick Jonas, they opted for a wedding registry of gifts ranging from home basics, travel essentials to pet accessories, making the concept popular. And after actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh requested guests to donate to a charity they supported, it’s also an accepted form of gifting.
Digital gifting gets a thumbs up from wedding industry professionals. Tina Tharwani, a wedding planner, says, “We have four couples who are opting for such refreshing ways of gifting. Most gifts given by extended families are wasteful or not appropriate for the recipients. Through registries for instance, one can choose from a variety of gift options across different price points. Wedding registry platforms are very user friendly and easy to navigate as well, making it a seamless guest experience.”
Many prefer e-vouchers and gifts more than cash, feels Pratap TP, co-founder and director of Qwikcilver Solutions, an online gifting platform. He says, “We’ve been tracking the gifting behaviour among consumers of the leading 150 brands across 20,000 points of sale with its robust gift card technology platform. With over 500,000 users, a study was conducted over six weeks in October-November 2018 on the big Indian wedding gifting behaviour. Results showed 78% of couples getting married indicated they would like to have the freedom of choice to select their own wedding gift. Interestingly, 54% chose gift cards in the last six months .”
{{/usCountry}}Many prefer e-vouchers and gifts more than cash, feels Pratap TP, co-founder and director of Qwikcilver Solutions, an online gifting platform. He says, “We’ve been tracking the gifting behaviour among consumers of the leading 150 brands across 20,000 points of sale with its robust gift card technology platform. With over 500,000 users, a study was conducted over six weeks in October-November 2018 on the big Indian wedding gifting behaviour. Results showed 78% of couples getting married indicated they would like to have the freedom of choice to select their own wedding gift. Interestingly, 54% chose gift cards in the last six months .”
{{/usCountry}}Staycations and weekend getaways are also topping charts. Rachita B, 27, a make-up artist, who recently got married, says, “My fiance and I planned our wedding but couldn’t find time to plan our honeymoon. So, our friends decided to gift us a two-day getaway.” But Kaveri Vij, another wedding planner, says, “We are more emotional about what we wish to give the couple out of love, not request. Registries and e-gifts may be a great concept for new age couples but will never go well with the older generation.”
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