The short answer
Keep one register, with one line for every envelope or gift: who it is from, which side, at which function, the amount or the gift, and a note. Write it the same night, with two people opening the envelopes together. Years later, when their family has a wedding, the register is how you know what they did for yours.
In this guide · 7 parts
Why keep a shagun register at all?
Because shagun is not only a gift. It is part of a give-and-take between families that runs for years, and the register is the only memory of it that does not fade.
Many families keep these registers for decades. When a relative’s child gets married, the first thing someone asks is what that family gave at yours. The register answers without anyone having to guess, or ask an elder to remember.
It also makes thanking people possible. A thank-you that names the gift lands differently from a general one, and you can only write it if you know who gave what.
What should a shagun register record?
Five things for every envelope or gift: who it is from, which side of the family, at which function, the amount or the gift, and a short note. That is enough to answer every question you will have later.
Shagun registerPage 3
| Column | Write | Why |
|---|---|---|
| From | Names as the family knows them: “Verma ji & family” | You will search by this |
| Side | Bride’s, groom’s, or both | Each family keeps its own give-and-take |
| Function | Sagan, mehendi, sangeet, wedding, reception | Some relatives give at more than one |
| Shagun | The amount, or what the gift was | The heart of the record |
| Note | UPI reference, thank-you sent, their next occasion | What you will want to remember |
How do you keep the register on the wedding day?
Give one trusted person the job, keep every envelope in one box, and open them the same night with a second person beside you. Write each one down before the next is opened.
- Choose one person on each side to receive envelopes and gifts.
- Keep them all in one box or bag, never in pockets.
- If an envelope has no name, write it on the envelope as it is handed over.
- Open them the same night, with two people present.
- Write each line before opening the next envelope.
- Photograph the filled pages, so a spilled cup of chai cannot erase them.
What about gifts that are not cash?
Record them the same way, describing the gift instead of an amount. For shagun sent online, write the UPI reference in the note, so the line matches your bank statement.
- Jewellery and gold. Describe it plainly, and note where it is kept.
- Household gifts. A line each, even for the dinner set nobody needed.
- UPI and bank transfers. The sender’s name as it shows, and the reference number.
- Gifts at other functions. Sagan, tilak and mehendi gifts belong in the same register, marked with the function.
What do you do with the register afterwards?
Use it twice: once now, to thank people, and again years later, when their family has an occasion and you want to return the love in kind.
Add a column for what you give back, and the occasion. Over time the register becomes a small history of the families who showed up for each other.
In Phere, the shagun register keeps every entry with its side and function, lets you search a name in a second when their invitation arrives, and tracks money owed both ways.
About this guide
- Written by
- Mohit Kumar, Phere. Write to the Phere team
- How it was made
- Written from how families keep shagun registers on paper and in Phere’s shagun register: the columns are the ones the app records. The example page uses made-up names and amounts. The guide does not suggest how much to give.
- Dates
- Published , updated . Checked again by May 2027.
Something out of date or unclear? Tell us, and the guide is corrected.
