Aspiring first-time home buyers are looking for fundraising help anywhere they can, including from their wedding guests.

Seven out of eight couples plan to add a cash fund of some kind in their registries, and nearly 40% of those recipients are using that money toward buying a home or moving to a new one, according to a survey published this year by Zola, a wedding website. And many are setting up dedicated first-home funds.

The funds often complement or replace the more traditional dishware and towels on wedding registries. Asking for money might have once appeared impolite, at least in some cultures. But wedding culture is evolving alongside the soaring cost of buying a home.

"I think our generation is the first generation to feel comfortable, just straight up being like, 'Yeah, I need money for a house, like I can't afford it,'" said Anna Grace Nimmo, 26 years old. She and her husband, Matt Dressler, 29, included one such first-home fund on their registry.

Nimmo and Dressler, who live in Westchester County, north of New York City, raised $2,000 through their first-home fund when they got married in May. Nimmo said guests responded to the callout. "It's more of a gift than just like, 'Here's $100,'" she said.

The couple toured about six homes last year when they were preapproved for a mortgage, but couldn't find what they were looking for and have continued to rent. They had a budget of around $450,000 and expect their budget to increase more when they look again. The funds they collected from their home fund aren't likely to move the needle much in their savings and for now are parked in a high-yield savings account.

The median existing-home price rose nearly 40% from 2020 to 2025, according to the National Association of Realtors. Mortgage rates just rose back above 7%. The typical U.S. home buyer's down payment was $69,250 as of June 2026, according to real-estate brokerage Redfin, compared with $28,500 in January 2019.

Even buyers using loans with low down- payment requirements have brought in others for help. Among buyers last year who used the Federal Housing Administration-backed mortgage program geared toward first-time buyers, some 42% got down-payment assistance, the highest share in records going back to 2010. That included nearly a quarter who got help from eligible family members.

Mortgage lenders might scrutinize down-payment gifts to make sure the giver doesn't expect to receive the money back. If someone receives small amounts from multiple people, as with a first-home fund, the need for documentation will depend on the amount used toward the home. Borrowers should be prepared to show a signed gift letter from the donor, proof of fund transfers and supporting bank statements. They also should plan to receive any gift funds for a down payment at least 60 days before applying.

Those asking directly for cash at their weddings might want to consider asking for other items as well to accommodate people who wish to give a traditional gift, said Myka Meier, an etiquette expert and founder of Beaumont Etiquette. The wording of the request can make it sound less transactional if it is focused on the couple's future together, Meier said. Her suggested language: For those who have asked, we have included a link to help us get to our future home.

Some aspiring buyers are digging into retirement funds or seeking out government programs to help them get over the down-payment hump.

Quinny Harris, 27, and Phoebe Bailey, 23, are considering moving from Maryland to Delaware both because it is more affordable and because they found a grant program there that is geared toward first-time buyers.

Some 18% of FHA-program buyers got government down-payment assistance last year, up from 9.9% a decade earlier. Many states, municipalities and nonprofits offer programs to help new buyers.

Harris and Bailey also planned a first-home fund for their wedding on Sept. 10, among other gifts on their registry. To help with visibility, the couple displayed QR codes of their home fund at a dinner with around 45 guests following their wedding ceremony. They also posted to Facebook to reach guests from out of state who couldn't attend.

With a combined salary of around $110,000, the couple says it is hard to save while renting together, because living costs are high. Besides the home fund, they don't expect friends and family to help with a down payment.

Ultimately, they didn't hit their savings goal, Harris said, but the fund did, "give us the push we need."