Tech is trendy when it comes to wedding registries

Mike Snider | USA TODAY

Don't be surprised to see flat-screens instead of flatware on wedding registries.

This wedding season, technology gifts are in style when it comes to gift-giving. Looking for a sign of the tech-influenced times? Regardless of how long they'd been married, most couples (76%) say they would have preferred to register for an Ultra HD TV – a display that handles video that's four times the resolution of regular HDTVs – than a formal china place setting.

More couples consider technology items appropriate for gift registries, according to a survey of brides and grooms commissioned by retailer Best Buy. Those married within the last five years were more likely to consider that OK (74% approved), but even 58% of couples who've been married 20 years or more approved.

"Technology is of course ever present today and couples are really starting to include these tools in their weddings – including their gift registries," said Wendy Fritz, head of gifting registry for Best Buy, which began its own registry in February. "It's no longer about a fancy china place setting, it's about a flat screen TV for a new home or a digital camera for the honeymoon."

Could they do it all over again, most couples married more than 20 years (75% of them) wish that they could have tech items on their registry. The most popular gift desires? A TV, camera or video camera, a tablet, smart thermostat and wireless sound system.

Most of those surveyed (74%) said they would prefer a useful gift such as a tech product over a sentimental gift. For Best Buy's survey, Wakefield Research got input about wedding gifts from more than 1,000 brides and 1,000 grooms from May 29 to June 12, 2015. Half the respondents were married five years ago or less, the other half 20 years ago or more.

In the four-plus months Best Buy's registry has been available, the three most requested gifts have been the Ninja professional blender, Apple TV set-top box and Oster cordless wine opener. Other popular gifts that couples have registered for include Blu-ray Disc players, streaming TV devices, wireless speakers, smart thermostats and small appliances such as hand blenders, slow cookers, griddles and irons.

Best Buy is not alone in adding tech to registries. Other retailers such as Amazon and Target let you add TVs and video game systems, too.

Of course, those tech products can get pricey. Prices on Ultra HD TVs have plummeted, but most still cost more than $700. (Shoppers can contribute a portion of the overall price of a gift, too.)

Brides and grooms have higher expectations about what family and friends will spend on them. Those recently married said the average price their gifts was $119, while those married longer said the average gift received was $75.

That puts you in the spending neighborhood of a place setting, a Bluetooth speaker -- or a slice of a flat-screen TV.

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider