Key Considerations to Remember When Creating a Wedding Registry
Creating a wedding registry can be a nice reprieve from some of the time-consuming and stressful tasks on your wedding planning to-do list. This is the time where you can sit down as a couple and create a wish list of things they’d love to receive from their loved ones. From you’re looking for items to make your house feel more like a home to getting some extra cash for your honeymoon activities, if executed properly a registry can be a ton of fun.
If you’re at this stage in the wedding planning process, there are some key things you’ll want to keep in mind:
- Register Early – Don’t wait until the last minute to begin setting up your wedding registry. You want to give your guests enough time to save the money necessary to purchase things you really want. In fact, experts say that you should probably start working on your registry the moment you announce your engagement.
- Work on it as a Couple – Your registry is supposed to be an itemized list of gifts that both of you would enjoy receiving. So, iron out some time in your busy schedules to work on this together. As this can all be done from virtually anywhere, you can work on your registry a little each day in your spare time.
- Select What You Really Want – Long gone are the days where couples receive things like fine china, cookware, linens, or other items for the home. In many cases, couples already have a house and don’t need too many of these types of things. Remember, it’s all about what you want. Whether you want matching swimsuits for your honeymoon, a flatscreen television for the game room, or a gift card to your favorite restaurant, don’t be afraid to add these things to the list.
- Choose More Than One Store – Sticking to one location for your wedding registry can cause issues for your guests and reduce the chances of you getting the things you really want. This is especially true if you register at a local or specialty retail location which may not be accessible to everyone. It is highly recommended that you register at least 2-4 places to provide variety. Opting for larger retailers over specialty shops also gives you and your guests a wider variety of items to choose from.
- Keep Budgets in Mind – When selecting items for your wedding registry, be sure to keep your guests’ budgets in mind. Not everyone can afford to spend hundreds of dollars on gifts. Therefore, you want to select gift ideas that fall in various price ranges to ensure everyone can afford to purchase you something you really want.
- Register for More Than You Need – Creating a wedding registry is the one time that it’s alright to overindulge. The idea here is to be considerate to your guests. If you’ve got 100 people coming to your wedding but you’ve only asked for 50 things, it leaves some people without a gift idea. So, it is highly recommended that you ask for exceedingly more gifts than guests you plan on attending your wedding to give them options. Plus if you mention your registry in your invite, those not attending may still send a gift from it.
- Add Your Honeymoon Wishlist – Believe it or not, couples can now add honeymoon items to their registry. There’s nothing wrong with asking loved ones to chip in to heighten your experience. You can ask for spa treatments, jet ski rentals, or cash towards other activities you intend to try on your honeymoon. Some wedding registries even allow you to ask for cash that can be used during your trip.
- Don’t Include Registry in Your Invitations – Whether you know it or not, it is bad etiquette for couples to ask their guests for gifts. Therefore, including the links to your registry on your wedding invitations isn’t ideal. It would be best that you add this information on your wedding website or spread the word at related events like your engagement party or bridal shower.
Wedding registries are an ideal way for engaged couples to let their friends and family know exactly what they’d love to receive for their big day. As you browse the internet or your favorite stores for items, be sure that you keep the above considerations in mind.
