Once you’ve become engaged, the list of things that you need to do before the wedding can seem endless. There’s the perfect venue to pick out, the date to choose, and dozens of dresses to try on – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Many couples can find themselves so wrapped up in the details that they spend very little time on the wedding registry. While many brides and grooms-to-be treat this step as an afterthought, creating your wedding registry is important, and may require more attention than you think.
Not sure where to start? Don’t worry – we’ve put together our favorite tips for crafting the perfect wedding registry.
Don’t wait too long to register
This one is a no-brainer, especially these days when fewer and fewer people are picking out gifts at department stores. If your guests order their gifts online, they will need to make sure that the items will arrive on time.
Getting your registry done early also presents your friends and family with the opportunity to give you gifts that you can use right away. Monetary gifts can be given to help pay for the wedding or honeymoon in lieu of a physical gift. One of your bridesmaids might even want to give a gift card to help you pay for your perfect dress. These things are only possible if your registry is done well in advance.
Also, you don’t need to stress about including every single thing on your list right away. If you think of something that you’ve forgotten, you can always go back and add it later.
Take inventory of what you already have
Housewares, such as pots and pans, dishes, cutlery, and small appliances are all common items found on a wedding registry. That is because the friends and family of the happy couple want to provide them with the things they will need for their new household.
However, people are getting married later in life than they used to be, and many brides and grooms-to-be may already be in possession of many household items. If you don’t want to find yourself with three different sets of cookware after your wedding, it’s important to go through your belongings and take stock of what you already have.
If you already own, for instance, a slow cooker, there’s no need to add one to your registry. Asking for monetary gifts to help pay for a down payment on a new place would be a much better use of your guests’ money than an item that is just going to end up in a thrift store.
Use a universal registry
In the past, couples would open a registry at one single department store that carried everything that they needed. As online shopping became more and more popular, however, couples have found themselves having to open multiple registries at different big box stores, just to cover everything on their list. Talk about a hassle!
Thankfully, there are places online where couples can create one universal registry for all of their items – no matter what store they come from. Websites like My Registry and The Knot Registry make compiling all of your lists simple and easy to access by your friends and family. You can easily register for gifts from all your favorite retailers, and sync the store registries you’ve already made.
Offer a range of price points
There is a certain etiquette needed when creating a wedding registry, and most of it has to do with money. Your guests may not be willing or able to splurge on items above a certain price point, and it’s important to remember that when making your choices. It would be terrible manners for your registry to only contain high-end, expensive gifts.
Offering a range of different price points for your guests to choose from helps your guests to choose something that won’t be a burden on their budget. Experts suggest that the best way to make sure you have provided plenty of options is to multiply your guest list by two, and then add a few extra items just in case.
Ask for suggestions
If you’ve spent hours staring at your computer screen trying to come up with gift ideas for your registry, have you considered asking your bridesmaids? After all, they are likely some of your closest friends and family, so it’s likely that they know your tastes. Some of them may have gone through the process of getting married already, and can share insights from their own experiences.
(Speaking of bridesmaids, it’s never too soon to start talking about dresses! If you need inspiration for your bridal party, Bella Bridesmaids has lots of dresses in a wide variety of colors, materials, styles and sizes to choose from.)
Conclusion
No matter what you decide to add to your registry, following these simple tips can help make the process feel much less like a chore. Remember – you and your spouse only get to do this once, so try to have fun with it!
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