The Gift Registry
What is a gift registry?
A gift registry is your once in a lifetime opportunity to create a wish list of items, typically for the home, that you would like to receive as gifts for your wedding. When a couple gets married, the tradition is for guests to bring gifts that will enable you to set up your home life. These include linens, flatware, dinnerware, kitchen appliances, electronics and much more!
Why have a gift registry?
It is your wedding and your friends and family are going to buy you gifts! Having a gift registry provides an effective system where everyone wins. Your guests will already know what you want, they’ll know where they can go to get it, they’ll be able to choose items within their budget, and you won’t have to worry about duplicates or returning unwanted gifts. Everyone wins!
Do I need one?
No, you don’t need one but if you are going to except gifts, it is a smart idea! Some couples, perhaps those that have been married before, or who have already set up house may not want gifts. For those, an alternative is to choose a charity and have guests make a donation in your honor.
How do I register?
Online or in store. Popular stores to register at are Crate and Barrel, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Target, William Sonoma, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It’s a good idea to register at about three stores, providing you and your guests with a variety of options to choose from. Also, giving your guests different store options allows them to select the store that is the most convenient.
When to register?
Generally speaking, you want to register early! Some couples create registries just after getting engaged because often times people will send gifts as soon as the engagement party or even the announcement itself!
A thought to keep in mind is that most retail stores will change their merchandise seasonally. If you are having a short engagement, this will not be a problem. However, if you are registering a year in advance of your wedding, keep in mind that the items you select probably won’t be there by the time your wedding roles around.
If that is the case, the best suggestion is to ask the registry department to help you to select items that are more permanent items in the store’s collection. You want to do this initially so that guests who attend your engagement party will have the option of buying you gifts from your registry. As you get closer to the season of your wedding, then you should register for towels and bedding (and other items that change regularly).
Registry Perks!
Registering is fun! You and your fiance get to walk around a store with a scanner in hand and select items to add to your list. Then, most stores will allow you to edit your list online as guests purchase items off your registry. Gift registries are also very helpful as they allow you to see who purchased what gift and when. By having this information, thank you notes will be so much easier!
Also, most stores offer as part of their program a 10% completion discount after your wedding is over, allowing you to pick up items off your list that weren’t purchased by your guests. What could be more fun than scanner guns, wish lists, and discounts!
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I think registering is so much fun–it’s like shopping with other people’s money! And I registered with a website that lets you add whatever you want from any store to one registry (it’s called myregistry.com) so it’s been a lot of fun just shopping around online and when I find something I like I just click on a button and it’s on my registry!
Eleanor,
I couldn’t agree with you more! Thanks for the great tip about myregistry.com. When is your big day?