In the whirl of wedding planning details, registering your gift wishes may be relegated to the “let’s get this over with” list. But before you rush out and do just that, take a mo to figure out why you’re registering. You’re following a tradition that is intended to help your friends and family to commemorate this important life event, as well as help you get off to a good start with married life. Give yourselves the time to make the registry experience the best it can be for both you and your guests. Some key things to keep in mind:
1. No matter the size or budget of your wedding, registering allows guests the ease and convenience of finding a gift they know you want and would like. Out-of-town guests benefit from being able to choose a gift and have it delivered, wrapped, to your home, rather than having to travel with it to the wedding.
2. If you are engaged and already live together, congratulations; you are officially the hardest people to buy a wedding gift for! You may already have most household basics in stock, but by registering you can ask for some specialty things your guests might not know you are interested in—which cuts their wedding gift shopping stress.
3. Glance over your wedding guest list and you’ll likely find a vast and varied assortment of people—some young, others very old, some traditionalists, others trendsetters. Make sure you have a registry or registries in place that will provide your guests with the service they need.
4. Many guests will want to choose your wedding gift the traditional way—walking into a store and choosing the gift, wrapping it themselves, and giving it to you personally. If you’re choosing just one registry, make sure it will provide them with this opportunity.
5. If many of your guests will be traveling from out of town, look into registering at a store that has: a toll-free service so guests can do their shopping by phone; branches across the country that can help your guests personally; or an online registry. If you decide to use an online registry, make certain that the majority of your guests are comfortable with making purchases online and have access to a computer.
6. Choose gifts in a range of prices so your guests can make choices appropriate to their budget. Don’t be afraid of including some larger, more expensive items like that patio set from West Elm that you’ve had your eye on for some time. Such choices are perfect for those guests wanting to give a very special gift, or for groups wanting to pitch in together on one purchase.
