Creating your wedding registry is one of the more fun parts of wedding planning. How often do you get to go to a store and pick out a bunch of items that you will later receive as gifts? Before you start building that registry list, though, take a look at these helpful tips for how make your registry stress-free for both you and your guests.
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Start early. Don’t procrastinate! Once that ring has changed hands, there’s no such thing as too early to start registering for gifts. This is especially helpful to guests who will be attending pre-wedding events, such as your bridal shower.
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Provide options. Deciding on how many stores to include in your registry can be a little tricky. Too many options can overwhelm guests, but too few can be overly limiting. A good rule of thumb is to include at least one store that has a brick and mortar location for those guests who aren’t comfortable purchasing your gift online, and at least one store which allows online purchases as a convenience to your guests. Providing your guests with these kinds of options will decrease the chances of people eschewing your registry in favor of purchasing you whatever they think you’d like, and increase your chance of actually receiving the gifts you picked out. And, just in case, be sure to check each store’s return policy!
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Variety is key. Even though you personally picked out every item on your registry, guests like to feel some sort of connection to the gift they’re giving you, whether it’s because they love that particular power tool or they think that set of bookends is really cute. Because of this, it’s nice to give them a wide selection of items to choose from. Many planners recommend registering for at least one and a half times the number of gifts as you have guests. In addition, make sure that your choices have a broad price range. Even though it can be tempting to fill your registry with things you normally wouldn’t be able to casually purchase for yourself, remember that not everyone will likely be able to afford that kind of gift. While it’s okay to include more expensive items, you should try to have at least a quarter of them be at a price range under $50.
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Register in person. While choosing items for your registry online may seem like a great idea, nothing beats being able to see each item in person. Pictures can be misleading and there’s a lot of information you can’t get from them. For instance, maybe that beautiful salad bowl you’ve been drooling over weighs a ton or those throw pillows are actually a very different shade of blue. If you absolutely can’t visit the store to set up your registry, that’s okay, but if you have a chance, you should take it.
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Keep it off the invitation. As you’ve probably already heard, it’s considered a major faux pas to include your registry information on your save-the-dates or wedding invitations. Instead, you can include links and a list of places you are registered on your wedding website. It’s also completely okay to tell people where you’re registered if they ask, of course!