There are going to be lots of things on your wedding To Do list, but one that you should definitely prioritize before the invites go out is your registry! Friends, family, and distant relations are all going to want to shower you with both love and presents as your big day approaches and the best way to fill your home with useful and meaningful items is to register and let your loved ones know just what you and your future mate are in need of.
The Registry Rundown
Starting your Registry can be a bit daunting but luckily, stores are ready to help. Some retailers offer in-store registry events where they have sales folks on hand to answer your questions and guide your list-making. If you prefer to go online, Amazon has a great tool for suggesting items by style, brand or items that come with bonus gifts. Amazon is also a top choice because your guests will love the free shipping with Prime!
Remember to have a few big ticket items that people can go in on together. Your co-workers or a few aunts and uncles might want to do a group gift. A lot of places also offer a completion discount coupon that you can apply to anything that wasn’t purchased. This is especially great for items that rarely seem to go on sale.
It’s also important to have a few little things. These are great for shower gifts or as items someone can add to their gift to push them over the threshold for free shipping.
If you are registering in multiple places, be sure to only register for each thing once to avoid getting duplicates. Luckily stores are great about return policies when it comes to registry items but it’s always good to save yourself a trip if you can!
People also love to “theme” presents, so it’s good to have a few things in each category so that someone that wants to spend more money can get you both the fancy set of sheets and the new memory foam mattress pad. They may also branch out from something like an air popcorn machine and get you a few off-registry items (popcorn kernels, seasoning salt, and a huge popcorn bowl!).
Places to Register
We love all of these retailers for wedding registries:
Honeyfund, Zola, Alternative Registries, etc.
We’re big fans of the current trends of group gifting and honeymoon funds! Zola is a great catch-all registry that allows you to register at pretty much any online retailer as well as set larger ticketed items as group gifts to contribute to and set up dedicated “funds” for your honeymoon, home improvement, etc that your guests can help furnish.
More and more we’re also seeing “Alternative Registries” being set up asking for donations to the couples’ favorite cause in lieu of a traditional gift registry. The Good Beginning allows a couple to donate their registry to charity and Seven Hopes United is a registry focused on fair trade products only. If you’re set on just requesting honeymoon fund “donations,” Honeyfund is a nice option, as well.
Our Top 10 Things To Register For
KitchenAid Stand Mixer – Amazon $259.99
Drip Glaze Dinnerware – Williams Sonoma $323.95 for 16-piece set
Le Creuset Signature Cast-Iron Dutch Oven – Williams Sonoma $140.00 – $420.00
Rowenta X-Cel Steamer – Bed Bath & Beyond $69.99
Cuisinart Food Processor – Amazon $157.93
Electric Kettle – Amazon $24.99
Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Slow Cooker – Bed Bath & Beyond $49.99
Vitamix 5200 Blender – Amazon $383.90
Beach Chairs – Amazon $29.99/each
Champagne Glasses – Crate & Barrel $12.95/each
When to Send Gifts
Trends have changed over the years and though you should plan to have a gift table if you are registering, you may get gifts well before or well after the wedding day. (Emily Post recently changed her tune from expecting gifts to be given within the first year of marriage to within the first three months after the wedding.) You should also plan to have a card box at the wedding for guests that will be bringing those night of. Be sure you have someone in charge of watching the card box and being sure your monetary gifts get home safely.
It’s important to register early and make sure that your registry pages are updated and on your wedding website so your guests can easily find them. It is appropriate to send gifts as soon as you receive the invitation and it’s a fun way for the bride and groom to start getting excited for the big day.
Have you created a registry or gotten wedding gifts recently? What are some of your favorite items? Let us know in the comments!