Wedding Blog

We’re just about done with our registry! I must say, the whole process surprisingly took much longer than we expected…There’s just something overwhelming about the fact of having endless options! I thought I’d share some lessons we learned along the way.

1. Have a theme in mind. While you don’t have to know exactly how you want the different rooms in your new home to look, it helps to have a sense of the overall feel you are going for, both in terms of style and in terms of color scheme. For example, are you going for classic or modern? Dark, light, or colorful? Straight edges or round? In the same way that many brides have inspiration boards for the wedding, it helps to have an idea on a theme to help unify the decor, furniture, tableware, etc!

2. Plan ahead to dedicate two or three weekends to creating your registry. We went in thinking we’d be done in a few hours. The reality is that there are so many options, both in terms of specific items as well as stores. We actually first spent some time walking through different stores before setting up a registry, so that we could understand the various products available and the different registry policies the stores had. We also found that many stores carried the same exact items but at very different prices, so it helps to look around!

3. Do the math! Register for a lot of items and a wide variety. Do the math to determine approximately how many items to register for. You can do this by taking your total number of guests, multiplying that by the average amount you think guests will plan to spend, and then dividing that by the average price per item. Then up the number of items by 15-20% (to provide different options!).

Don’t worry, it does not make you look greedy. In fact, your guests will appreciate having a wider selection to choose from! It is all about giving your guests options. As a guest to many weddings myself, I try to be thoughtful in the gifts I purchase and it helps to have many different things to choose from! It is sometimes frustrating when I want to get the couple something special and the only thing in the registry is a towel bar.

4. Select items with different price points. Again, give your guests options! Some guests prefer to purchase something large, some prefer to mix and match. People may also choose to give in various ways, i.e. purchasing you a mid-priced gift along with a gift certificate, purchasing multiple items, purchasing items as a group, etc. And of course, guests have different budgets. One way to do this is to opt for registering for items in a set separately. For example, while it may technically be more affordable to buy a 10-piece cookware set, registering for each piece individually provides your guests more choices and flexibility.

5. Add things you want, even if you know that no one will buy them! This means the expensive couch you’ve been eyeing, or perhaps the completely impractical piece of decor that you’ve fallen in love with. Register for them anyway, because many stores offer a one-time post-wedding discount for items in your registry. What that means is that you have up to a year or 18 months after the wedding to visit the store, where you get one chance within that period to purchase as many additional items on your registry at 10-15% off… meaning big savings on things you plan to purchase yourself!

6. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water! We got tired! It helps to be comfortable, and of course, keep yourself hydrated!

Feel free to add to this list, if there are other tips you have for couples starting the registry process!