Deciding Whether to Register for Wedding Gifts
Give your registry diversity – plenty of items with varied prices to choose from so that no one feels left out. But as you’re scanning towels and dishes and other items that would look so beautiful in your house, don’t be afraid to add some of the higher-priced items to your list. Even if you don’t have that generous aunt that will go completely overboard on gifts, you never know if several of your family members might decide to go in together to buy something incredible.
It’s helpful if you register with a store that is common in most cities and states. It’s even better to register with a store that has a website so that your friends and family that won’t be able to attend the wedding will be able to shop online. You might get more than one of something that you registered for, but you won’t get those beautiful crystal goblets if you don’t ask for them!
Don’t need anything for your new home? One of the newest trends is to ask your guests to donate to your favorite charity on your behalf instead of providing traditional wedding gifts.
Another interesting idea? Have a “honeymoon registry.” You could add a notice in the shower invitation that reads “in lieu of traditional wedding gifts, the bride and groom are taking monetary contributions to the honeymoon.” You can ask your travel agent to help set this up for you.
But you really want cash, you say? As long as you’re not rude about it, this is perfectly acceptable. You can actually create a cash registry by setting up a PayPal account. This is free and easy to use!
Once you know what you want to do for a registry, it’s time to get the information to your wedding guests. Do not include this information into the actual wedding invitation! Many people will see this as rude – as though the gift is more important than having the “honor of their presence” at your wedding. If want to let people know about the registry, it is acceptable to put registry cards in your shower invitation. If you have to put information about your registry with the wedding invitation, do so in a separate card. I can’t stress this enough – do not put it in the actual wording of the invitation!
Traditionally, the way the spread the word about the registry is through the shower invitation and through friends and family. Another great idea is to have a personal wedding website. This lets you tactfully let people know that you’re registered, where you’ve registered, and allows them to easily view the registry online, all while sharing all sorts of information and details about the wedding. And since it’s online, the site is available to friends and family all over the world – anytime of the day!
Registering for your wedding can be a fabulous thing and you can get many of your dream gifts that way. Just remember, whether you registered for it or not, you’re sure to get a toaster or two!
