Gift Registry 101, Part II: Gift Registry Ideas

In a post earlier this week we discussed how the rules of etiquette apply to gift registry, but now it is time for some fun.

If you are new to the gift wedding industry-yes, it is an industry now-you might not be aware of all of the fun, new, exciting options available to couples. So, I’ll help you out.

Here are three types of wedding registries, with tips to help you decide which registry is right for you.


Traditional Gift Registries
Traditional registries include major department stores and boutique stores where couples choose items, aka-gifts, they’d like to have in their home. The Internet is full of websites that offer suggestions on what to register for, but it is important for couples to keep the following things in mind when registering for gifts.

- Your Couple Style
You may love pink satin sheets, while your soon-to-be spouse is more into camo. Well, unless you can find pink camo-and I do think I’ve seen it somewhere before-you’re gonna need to agree. This might be one of the first opportunities you’ve had as a couple to test your compromising skills and it is a great chance for you to talk about how you'd like to decorate your home.

- Your Needs
As couples continue to put off marriage until later in life, fewer newlyweds will find themselves in need of everything on that registry list. Don’t register for something just because it is on the list. Decide what you really need and select items accordingly.

- Your Guests’ Budgets
As with all of these registries, it is important to remember that your guests all have different budgets. Choose a range of items in varying amounts so everyone will be able to afford a suitable gift.


Honeymoon Registries
Honeymoon registries have taken off in recent years and more and more couples-especially those who already have set up a home-are utilizing these services. What is it? Well, it is just what it sounds like.

Couples choose a company or website to purchase their honeymoon from and make selections, just as they would with a traditional gift registry. More information regarding Honeymoon Registries can be found here.

Items many couples select include dinners, river cruises, excursions, carriage rides and accommodations ... molto romantico!

I like to see couples who choose Honeymoon Registries show their appreciation for the gift by taking a photo of them either at the restaurant or attraction holding a "Thank You" sign. The photo can then be converted to a Thank You card and mailed to the guest post-honeymoon.


Charity Registries
Are you one of those couples who has it all? If so, a charity registry might be perfect for you … here is how it works.

The couple selects a charity through an organization such as the I Do Foundation. When guests ask where you are registered, you and your friends direct them to the I Do Foundation website, where, in lieu of gifts, they can make a tax-deductible donation to your chosen charity.

It is important to keep in mind that conservative guests might prefer to go to a store and purchase a gift. For this reason, I recommend that couples who choose either the Honeymoon or Charity registry, also make a small selection at a traditional store. That being said-you know your guests and you can likely anticipate the types of gifts they’d prefer to give you. If you and your fiancé feel a non-traditional registry is right for you, then give it a go!

And remember … gifts *are* a fun part of getting married, but they aren’t everything. In 1, 5, 10 years time, you won’t even remember who gave you what, but the memory of who was there and how you felt on your Special Day will last forever.

Photos courtesy of lechampiondumonde, Carlo Nicora and Daveblog

5 Wedding New Year's Resolutions

As my week of celebrating the New Year continues, I thought I would write a post on wedding New Year's resolutions. I saw a recent article on TheKnot that mentioned a bunch of rules that brides should follow, so that was my inspiration for wedding New Year's resolutions. These are resolutions that brides should take into consideration when planning their wedding in 2009.

1. I (The Bride) won't revise or peek at my gift registry.
Two problems are being addressed in this one, but one root of evil - the online registry. So now stores make it so easy for a bride with online registry access, right? Wrong! This only helps brides obsess over looking at their registry to see what people bought them and making tons of changes. Do it once and and make at most 2 revisions, then leave it alone and enjoy getting the gifts.

2. I (The Bride) won't make my bridesmaids crazy with matching shoes, hair styles, jewelry, nail polish, make-up or underwear. (And yes I have seen this one)
Now I can talk the talk, but I have to admit that I was a bit out of control when it came to this. Yes, you want to make sure that your bridesmaids look nice and the pictures will turn out great, but really, if you chose someone to be in your wedding who you worry will wear some crazy color shoes or gaudy jewelry, then you shouldn't choose them for your wedding.

3. I (The Bride) will stick to the budget.
One of the biggest issues couples have with weddings is going over budget. More and more I read about couples that blew way past their budget. What's even worse is that either the parents get stuck with the large tab or couples take on large credit card debt to pay for it. Take a stand, as much as I know you want to have the chocolate fountain, butler passed hors d'oeuvres, present-box invitations and fireworks - just take a minute to reevaluate what the most important elements are for your wedding.

4. I (The Bride) will not ask, whine, meddle, spy or get mad about his bachelor party.
This makes me laugh. I have had numerous friends ask me to go with them to spy at their fiancé's bachelor party and others that get into an all out fight over it. I say, if there is reason you are worried about him having too much fun at his bachelor party, then maybe you should rethink the wedding. Lighten up ladies. Go have a blast at your bachelorette party and enjoy your "last night."

5. I (The Bride) can make sensible weight goals.
I have heard horror stories on this one. Some brides get so into a diet or exercise that they actually make themselves extremely sick. Others have done crash diets and wonder why their dress is too big, and some even get mad at themselves when they don't reach their "goal" weight when really it wasn't that feasible at all. Yes you want to look your best on your wedding day, but diet and exercise the right way. No crazy fad or crash diets, it will only end up making you sick or causing other problems. Try going to a trainer, or go to Curves and have them tell you what your ideal weight should be. Then have them calculate what realistically you could be by your wedding date. That way, meeting that goal is safer, easier and a lot more pleasing when you meet it.

It's not too late to add these wedding New Year's resolutions to your list. Have any others on your list?

Wedding Gift Registry

I was at a wedding shower the other day and everyone was griping that the bride hadn't registered for enough items or at enough places. There had been a number of wedding showers for the couple and the lists she had were already exhausted - and the wedding was still several weeks away.

For engaged couples, a wedding gift registry service provides an opportunity to identify items that they would enjoy receiving as gifts. It also eliminates duplicate gifts in most cases and ends buyer's remorse, too!

Although traditional etiquette dictates that it isn't proper to announce gift preferences, most modern couples not only register at department and specialty stores, but indicate that they have done so. They often mention the stores' wedding gift registry websites on their wedding invitations. They do not, however, ever mention what gifts they want or prefer on the invitations - just where they are registered.

Many couples create their wedding gift registries and take them to the stores or list them online almost as soon as they get engaged - and even before the wedding date is set! Others wait until it is time for the engagement party (if there is one) or just before the wedding shower.

Most wedding registration lists are maintained via computer, so that as soon as family members and friends access the gift list - either at the store or at its online equivalent - and purchase an item, the computer removes those selections or announces them fulfilled. The registry is therefore current and the possibility of receiving multiple cheese knives is eliminated. Of course, if the buyer doesn't inform the registry of his or her purchase, the update is incomplete and the couple could receive several sets of cheese knives!

Most retailers still provide a personal shopper to accompany the couple as they determine what they would like on their wedding registry. I saw one bride gleefully walking around with a scanner in hand and a personal shopper trailing her as she scanned in practically an entire kitchen department for her registry.

One of the jobs that my mother undertook when my cousin got married was to check the registries and determine what was there. She kept a wedding and shower gift list of what was fulfilled on the wedding registry. Then, when she felt that my cousin needed to supplement her registry, she called and let her know. This way my cousin knew that she needed to let friends and family know what else she needed and wanted.

A wedding gift registry makes it so much easier for the wedding couple, for the families and for the friends! Sign up now!