Creating a wedding registry can be a lot of fun. How many times do you get to pick out a bunch of items you really want and actually receive them as gifts (plus those scanner guns are awesome)? But before you started building that registry list, here are some tips to guide you in making the wedding gift experience a positive one for both you and your guests!
- Start your registry early. No procrastination! Once you’re engaged, there’s really no such thing as registering for gifts too early and having one available will make life easier for guests attending pre-wedding events, such as your bridal shower.
- Give your guests options. It’s best not to limit your registry to just one store: two or three is better, but it’s important, too, not to go too crazy and overwhelm guests with too many options. When choosing where to register, you should keep in mind that not everyone is going to be comfortable purchasing your gift online (your great-aunt, for example), so make sure you have at least one store available that has actual physical locations. On the other hand, at least one of your choices should allow online purchases as a convenience to your guests. Offering these kinds of options will increase your chances of receiving the gifts you’ve chosen and decrease the chances of people ditching the registry in favor of purchasing you whatever they think you’d like (which may or may not end well). As an added note, be sure to check the store’s return policy, just in case!
- Variety is key. Even though you’ve picked out all the gifts on your list, guests like to feel some sort of connection to the gift they’re given you, whether it’s because they love that particular kitchen tool or they think that blue bowl on your registry is really beautiful. Because of this, it’s nice to give them a wide selection of items to choose from. Generally, it’s a good idea to register at least one and a half times the number of gifts as you have guests. In addition, make sure that your selections have a broad price range. It’s definitely not cool to fill your registry exclusively with $150 items. While it’s tempting to focus on registering things you normally wouldn’t be able to casually buy for yourself, it’s important to remember that not everyone will likely be able to afford that kind of gift. Feel free to include the more expensive stuff, but have at least a quarter of your gifts be under $50.
- Pick your gifts in person. Choosing items for your registry online may seem like a great idea—it’s convenient, fast; you can do it in your pajamas—but, if possible, it’s a good idea to head to the store to make your selections. Pictures can be misleading and there’s a lot of information you can’t get from them. Like that serving bowl you’ve been eyeing actually weighs a ton or the glasses you now have ten of have a weird etching you didn’t see in the picture they showed on the website. If it’s not possible for you to visit the store when setting up your registry, that’s okay, but if you do have the chance, you should take it.
- Keep it off the invitation. This is pretty widely known, but it’s considered a big faux pas to mention your registry on your save-the-date or invitation. Instead, you can put the URL for your wedding website, where all of your wedding information is listed, including the places you’re registered. Plus, if people ask about your registry or about what you’d like for your gift, there’s nothing wrong with telling them about where you’re registered.