Weddingbee Blog

…or this post could be alternatively titled “How to get a Le Creuset for free!”

Today the UPS man rang the doorbell. I scared the crap out of the kitties as I flew down two flights of stairs to retrieve my packages from the stoop. I lugged the heavy package up to the kitchen and unwrapped my “prize.”

Ohhh…Kitchen Aid Mixer meat grinder attachment and the 5 qt. enamel cast iron Le Creuset Dutch oven… my knees just buckled a little.

What super generous wedding guest sent this belated gift? Why, that would be my girl “Macy”!

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Thanks to Macy’s Registry Star Rewards we received a gift card from Macy’s last week which covered the purchase of both the meat grinder attachment and the Le Creuset.

It works like this:

Scenario 1: Aunt Jane purchases the Joseph Joseph 5-Piece Index Cutting Board Set off of our registry for $64.99. (BTW we seriously we love this cutting board set.) 5% of the value ($3.25) of this purchase goes into our post wedding gift card.

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Scenario 2: We purchased Mr P’s wedding suit from Macy’s for approximately $175 using my Macy’s card. 10% of the price ($17.50) goes on our post wedding gift card just for using my Macy’s card.

Image by Amore Studios

Scenario 3: A couple of our guests give us cash gifts for the wedding. We decide to purchase our Calphalon Unison Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set (also a big favorite of ours!) of the registry with my Macy’s credit card. The set is on sale for $599 and we get 5% of the price for it being on my registry AND 10% of the price for using my Macy’s card ($89.95).

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With those three purchases we have just earned $110.70 towards a Macy’s gift card. $110.70! That is half of a Le Creuset! Obviously, buying items off of your own registry with your Macy’s card earns you the biggest bang for your buck. If you are going to go this route, Mr P and I figured out a few tips to help maximize the reward you receive.

1. Register early—all of your Macy’s purchases (non-registry included) earn 10%
2. If you are at Macy’s and see something you like and want to pick up that day make sure you scan it to your registry first. For example, I found cute placemats on sale and we hadn’t registered for them. We grabbed the gun and scanned them, then took them to the checkout and purchased them from the registry—hello 15%!
3. If you are giving a household item as a gift, put it on your registry first and then use tip #2. Bridesmaid H got married the month before me. She registered at Target but really wanted a crystal chip and dip bowl (yes, it is as funny as it sounds) that we saw at Macy’s, so I added it to my registry and purchased for her as a wedding gift, earning Mr P and me 15% of the purchase.
4. Use cash gifts and gift cards to buy high priority items on your list. Use your Macy’s card for items purchased with wedding cash but make sure you are disciplined about paying your credit card bill with your wedding gift money.
5. If you are having a second reception, have Macy’s change your wedding date to the reception date (after you are already married) to extend the time that you are earning rewards. This makes sure that any gifts you receive off of your registry for the second reception are included in the tally.
6. Use any gift cards that you get immediately after your wedding to buy things that you haven’t received. Purchases made just after your wedding count, too!

Registries can be a hot topic. I’m a firm believer that there is no “right” answer about where to register or what to register for. Depending on where you are in life and where your interests and values lie different registry options will fit better. I feel strongly that Mr P and I selected the best registry combination got us.

Mr Pretzel and I are in our thirties (OK, he’s 29 until next month, but close enough), we are established in our careers and have already replaced our college housewares at least once (in my case, two or three times). We had not one, but two receptions (about 250 people attended these combined) and needed registry items in a range of price points for our guests. We love to cook and definitely wanted to upgrade to top of the line cookware, knives, and small appliances. Easily 70% of our registry was in the kitchen and cookware departments. I previously mentioned that we had an Amazon registry which contained items from various online retailers like Pampered Chef, Urban Outfitters, and REI. For our main registry we researched the registry programs at Bed Bath and Beyond, Macy’s, and Williams-Sonoma. All offered similar high quality cookware options, completion bonuses, and registry incentives but the Star Rewards program made Macy’s the clear winner for our situation.

For the Pretzels it was clear—if we had registered at Bed Bath and Beyond instead of Macy’s, we would have left money (or a Le Creuset, as it were) on the table.

Ok one last pretty picture of my kitchen buddy, Molly.

I cannot wait to cook some noms with Molly!

What type of registry fit your needs best? What rewards do other registry programs offer?