TOP SECRETS AND MISTAKES OF CREATING YOUR DREAM WEDDING REGISTRY

Creating your list of wedding gifts is easy, but there’s more to wedding registry etiquette than you might imagine. When creating your target wedding registry list (or any other department store for that matter) there are a few DOs and DON’Ts that you should be aware of.

Follow the guidelines and facilitate a wedding registry list experience that your guests will enjoy and that will deliver the exact gifts you deserve. Make sure to read through this list from top to bottom before you hit the local shops, antique stores, and department stores.

Otherwise, you may find you and your future spouse running around town aimlessly and resulting in a registry list that can’t really be fulfilled. Your wedding is a beautiful thing and the experience should be wonderful starting with buying the ring and lasting until the honeymoon, and that includes creating your registry. That’s exactly what we’re here to help you accomplish. Read on and shop strong.

DO

• Create Your Registry List Early

When it comes to when to register for wedding, 6 months would be ideal. This gives your guests plenty of time to save up and plan ahead. It also gives them a chance to tackle the gifts for your engagement and shower party while they’re at it.

• Register For More Gifts Than You Have Guests

You can’t count on receiving each and every gift on your registry. Matching your guest list and wish list 1:1 may result in one guest getting stuck with the most expensive gift that they don’t want to get or can’t afford. Having an abundance of gifts on your registry ensures that each guest will have a chance to actually choose what to purchase. If you have a lot of guests coming, beef up your list by registering items – like a 6” frying pan – instead of sets – like an entire cookware set.

• Keep Track Of Your List

Check in on your wedding registry items every week or so. This will help you stay on talk of your Thank You notes – which are 100% absolutely required. If you’re going the mobile route, your wedding gift registry app should send you notifications when items are purchased. Also, your engagement could be up to a year or more. Most stores refresh their inventory often enough. Checking on your registry ensures that your items don’t become discontinued and also gives you the chance to replace some items with fresher models.

• Invite Him To Lean In

This is an often one of the overlooked wedding registry tips. The groom most definitely needs a voice when it comes to the wedding registry. We’re sure that there are dozens of items that you simply can’t live without, but we’re also sure he feels the same way about a few things that may not be top of mind for you.

• Create A Master List

Many wedding registries consist of 2 or more stores. Typically, there is a department store where the majority of your items can be found. Often enough, there are other specialty stores that top off the list. An important registry tip is to do your guests a favor and make a single list where all items can be found.

• Plan The Delivery

Most modern wedding registries allow you to choose when the gifts will arrive. If you’re receiving your gifts at the ceremony, it’s not a worry. But if you’re expecting gifts by mail it may be fairly inconvenient to get things one-by-one and have to make random trips to the post office. Also, you may be on the move to your new home or enjoying an extended honeymoon. You want to make sure that deliveries occur at the right place at the right time.

• Have A Plan B

If you’ve followed our advice about having an abundant registry there shouldn’t be a problem, but things do happen. Once in a while, registry gifts run out before all guests have had a chance to make their purchase. Add a disclaimer to the list advising your guests on what types of gifts they can go out and choose on their own. Alternatively, you can direct them to a charity, investment account, or home down payment account.

DON’T

• Mention Where You’re Registered In The Invitation

There’s a formality to your wedding invitations that you shouldn’t deviate from. Instead, tell your family and wedding party and let them do the heavy lifting. It’s also ago to post the details online, but make sure it’s not the ‘main event’. It should be a secondary page that your guests have to click to.

• Ask For Money

This is one of those wedding registry rules that are open to debate but many couples still agree that it’s poor taste to ask for money, especially if you are throwing a traditional wedding and come from a traditional family. To get around this, you can always register on various online sources like a travel agency or stock registry. Some financial institutions also provide a digital gateway where guests can deposit money into a down payment account for your new home.

• Sell Yourself Short

The best wedding registries plan ahead so you’re not left wondering what to register for wedding for the last minute. what is a wedding registry without a few selfish items? It’s fine to include a few of these, but the majority of your gifts should be used for 10 years or more. You may not know what tomorrow holds but you should at least be working with a basic blueprint. Ask yourself how your life will be in the next 5 and 10 years, and register accordingly.

• Forget About The Completion List

Many stores will offer a discount on items that weren’t purchased by your guests. Clearly you’re only going to list items that you actually want and will genuinely use on your list, so if you didn’t get absolutely everything from your guests you still have a chance to circle back and claim the necessities.

• Feel Weird About Returning Things

These tips for wedding registry are to make sure you don’t feel guilty through this process. You put a lot of thought into your wedding registry. Your guests will get most of your items but they may not be the exact style that you were hoping for. There’s also a good chance that you’ll receive a few items that you ‘kind of’ wanted but not the items that you desperately need. Don’t be shy about returning a few things in exchange for the items you really want.

• Focus On Expensive

When it comes to cost a lot of couples aren’t quite sure what to things to put on wedding registry lists. Yes, you do want high quality items that will last you for decades and look great around the house. But you also have to consider how deep your guest’s pockets are. Make sure to include less costly items – especially if you have a few acquaintances or distant relatives in attendance – that suit everyone’s taste and budget.

Remember, these wedding gift registry etiquette tips aren’t just for your guests, they’re for you too. Follow our list of DOs and DON’Ts and not only will your guests have a convenient and easy time shopping, you’ll wind up with exactly the items you need and want that’ll last years and years. The best wedding registry advice? Make sure everyone has fun.

Be thoughtful about what you put on your list and be considerate to your guests and everybody wins.