Weddingbee Blog

I know this has been a popular blog topic, but registering for gifts has been consuming us. Late last year we decided that we would register at Amazon.com and Macy’s. Amazon offers free shipping on most orders over $25, and there’s such a great variety of things available through them. Macy’s offered the 5% cash back on purchases made off our registry, and it was a nice nationwide chain that most guests had access to. It seemed easy enough.

Ah, and then it happened. I checked our Macy’s registry and found that the prices were completely different than when we had registered. Some things were more because we registered during a sale, and some things were less, but a lot of things were gone. We purposely selected towels that we were told they would always carry, but they were gone. The luggage was gone. All our bed linens were gone, and so was some of the barware we selected.

With much protest, I dragged Mr. Joey back into Macy’s to replace the disappeared stock, only to find it all disappear a few weeks later. Mr. Joey isn’t a shopper, and I knew that I might get only one more registering outing out of him before the wedding. So, it was time to strategize. I asked around about which store people liked to register at, and which stores people found it easy to buy off registries. I scouted a few places with a friend one weekend. We played with the registry machines and looked at selection. I decided on Crate and Barrel. They had pieces that were simple and more our style, and I know that the basics we registered for will be around until at least the wedding.

Perfect. All I had to do was get Mr. Joey into the store. Of course, it wasn’t going to be that simple. Turns out the same day I decided on Crate and Barrel was the same day we started moving on building a house.

So what does this have to do with registering? Well, before when we thought about registering, the only items I was concerned about lasting a long time were the dinner and glassware. I knew my tastes and living space would change in the future, but I also thought that we’d probably be in the same apartment for the next few years. Now that’s all out the door. If everything sticks to schedule, we’ll be moving into our new place by the end of summer, a few weeks after the wedding.

How am I supposed to register for a house that isn’t even built? I don’t have the mental capacity right now to think about room color schemes when it comes to the house. I’m still trying to decide how many rooms there will be, the layout of the kitchen, and whether I want gas or electric. Deciding on the colors of sheets, towels, and picture frames isn’t going to happen. But what does that mean for our registry? Well, right now it means it’s pretty bare. We are registered for sheet sets in a few basic colors (ivory and mocha) and a couple sets of towels in a green, but that’s it. There are no blankets, no shower curtains, no duvet sets. I thought about just ordering styles that I like now and then returning them later, but it seems like too much of a hassle, especially with Amazon. I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want to register for stuff I might not like or use, but I want to make sure we have enough for people to choose from.

Anyone have the same problem trying to register for stuff that may not match your home in the immediate future? What solution did you come up with?