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Top Ten Tips for Starting Your Wedding Registry

There’s a famous saying that goes: “Those who can’t do, teach;” but we’ve amended it a bit and firmly believe that those who can’t shop, register. As you prepare for your wedding, put down payments on venues, caterers, music and more, the purse strings can get a little tight. Yet it’s also the time to plan your future with your soon-to-be spouse… which includes an unlimited number of material goods! Such a Catch-22. Enter… the wedding registry! A chance for you to prepare materially for your marriage! A chance to outfit your home with everything an old married couple could dream of needing. A chance to shop for everything your little heart desires… without paying for any of it.

Such an opportunity can be understandably overwhelming. Check out this list of the top ten wedding registry tips compiled by a team of industry professionals and brides alike.

1. Register at the appropriate time. For a wedding registry, when you should register is dependant on what gift-giving occasions being thrown to celebrate your marriage. The registry should be up and running when the invitations go out for the first such occasion. If you are so excited that you just have to start your registry earlier, plan to keep it private until this time.

2. Register for everything you want and need. A wedding registry is really just a fancy name for a wish list. Use it to keep track of everything you and your fiancé dream of having to start your life together, regardless of whether or not you think people will buy it as a gift. Then you have an instant record of the things you have bought or received and the things you still want to buy.

3. Get the word out. Once you have created your registry, make sure your friends and family know how to get to it. In today’s tech-savvy world, you can arrange for your registry to be announced via Facebook, Twitter or email; but good old-fashioned word-of-mouth is still effective as well!

4. Fill your registry with gifts in a variety of price ranges. Don’t be afraid to register for expensive items (people can always combine funds to purchase larger gifts) but also choose a number of budget-friendly gifts. You don’t know what people’s financial situations are and everyone should have the chance to spend whatever amount they are comfortable with.

5. Shop at all your favorite stores. You may find the perfect cookware at one place and gorgeous bedding at another–and that’s fine! Don’t feel confined to one or two stores. Use a Universal Gift Registry service to register for any item you want from any store in the world.

6. Choose items that reflect your taste. Chances are, you are about to be bombarded with “helpful” advice from a ton of family and friends, all thinking they know what products you should have on your registry. Try not to get overwhelmed, take it all in stride and in the end, register for what you like. After all, you’re the one that has to fold those towels and cook with those pots and pans on a daily basis.

7. Maintain registries both in-store and online. This gives friends and family the freedom to shop for you in whatever way is easiest for them. It can be especially useful for older guests who are not so familiar with online shopping! Many stores like Target, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Williams-Sonoma, will allow you to sync a registry created in-store with a universal registry service, so you can manage all of your registries in one convenient place.

8. Update often–even after the shower and wedding have passed! Yes, registry stalking is frowned upon by some, but how else are you going to know if your registry has been bought out and is in need of more items?  Don’t feel bad taking a peek! And after the big day, officially, your guests have up to one year to give you a gift. You wouldn’t want to deprive people of such a chance!

9. Feel free to register for cash. Whether it’s furnishing your first home or traveling around the world on your dream honeymoon, cash is always welcome and as long as you let people know that they are contributing to something meaningful,  registering for money is perfectly acceptable.

10. Continue to create registries. Just because your wedding has passed, doesn’t mean that gift giving occasions are over for life. Even after the wedding, continue to maintain an online Wish List, both as a couple and on your own. That way, whenever a birthday or holiday rolls around you’ll be prepared when family and friends start asking what you want or need.

Most importantly, remember that the registry is there to be fun and useful… not to add more stress to your big day. Have fun with it!

About the Author

Caitlin Palmer

www.MyRegistry.com

Launched in December 2005, MyRegistry.com is the premiere destination for Universal Gift Registry services. MyRegistry.com currently gives well over 100,000 users the ability to create one centralized registry for any gift-giving occasion, including Weddings, Baby Showers, Birthdays, Graduations, Housewarmings, Holidays and more. Along with offering registry services to individuals, many organizations and nonprofits use MyRegistry.com as a valuable fundraising tool and convenient resource for requesting supplies and other items for donation

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