An Faq According To Our Wedding Experts
To make your wedding registry process as easy as can be, heres a brief introduction of the experts we consulted, along with some commonly asked questions.
- : Owner of , a full-service wedding production company based out of NYC. With 13 years of experience, she offers a boutique planning experience to an international clientele, too, who desire a thoughtfully designed and highly personal event.
- Melissa Trentadue: Manager of Community at Zola, a favored, online wedding registry service allowing you to register for thousands of much-loved brands, experiences, gift cards, and cash funds at once. Shes been with the company for six years meeting with couples, talking to vendors, and following wedding trends.
- Lauren Kay: Executive Editor at The Knot, a leading all-in-one wedding planning service from finding inspiration and local vendors to creating and managing wedding registries and guest experiences with nearly eight years of experience in the wedding editorial business. She covers style, planning, and registry, along with trends in the space.
What Should You Register For
We live in an exciting time where youre no longer required to stick to traditional wedding giftsdoes anyone need a bread-maker? Although we may put up a fight and get you that blender anyway, its now wholly acceptable to register for non-traditional wedding gifts, like a honeymoon fund, a romantic dinner for two, donations to your favourite charity, and even a home improvement fund or gift cards.
Although theres a little etiquette involved, thanks to the rise of crowdfunding websites, registering for cash gifts is far less uncouth than it used to be even five years ago. If you already have everything you need in your household, then a honeymoon fund or a charitable cause are fantastic ways for your guests to contribute to your special day. Dont skip the registry entirelytrust us. Aunt Lucy will be pretty peeved if she cant give you something on your wedding day, however big or small.
As for how many gifts to register for, its best practice to have a robust registry with several types of skills and price points. Dont go overboard, though! Theres no magic number of advantages for a perfect registry, but there are a couple of places you can start:
Think about how many guests youre planning to invite. If youre having a small wedding of 60 people, its probably not the best idea to have 300 gifts on your registry. You should register for more skills than youll have guests, however. We recommend a 1:1.5 ratio
How Many Items Should Be On A Wedding Registry
At a minimum, there should be one wedding gift option per guest . Thats why it’s important to manage your wedding registry alongside the guest list, which will most likely change in the lead-up to the big day.
However, you can, of course, add more items to the registry. Doing so gives your guests plenty of options for different budgets, which is helpful given close friends and family can be expected to spend more than extended family and colleagues. Once again, dont feel demanding – your guests will appreciate the choice.
Recommended Reading: Wedding Budget Excel Spreadsheet
Should I Ask For A Kitchen
This is hands-down the question people seem to have most often, and the answer is: It depends. If you bake regularly then it’s an awesome addition to your kitchen and will likely bring you a ton of joy. If you don’t bake regularly, or if you have concerns about storage space in your kitchen, I recommend skipping the Kitchen-Aid stand mixer in favor of a quality hand mixer, which can actually do a lot of the same things that a stand mixer does.
Related:The 10 Best Hand Mixers to Buy in 2021
Kitchen-Aids are popular on registries because they’re beautiful and expensive, so they feel like a special item but if you aren’t going to use it regularly, it might be worth picking a different “special item” for your registry. Below are two picks at a similar price point that I’d recommend giving a second look:
Plants And Design Planters
You are a design-addict? Your guests might want to give you natural or artificial plants, together with design planters. Couples with a love for the outdoors will love this, the same as natural gardeners. They come in bamboos, glass, ceramics, pottery and even fabrics to give your lawn an appealing look. Design planters retail between $14.91-58.65 on .
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Scratch maps are wedding registry must-haves for adventurous couples who are in love with traveling. They allow you to scratch off places where you have been to around the globe, a beautiful way to preserve memories. Luckies of London retails for $31.98 on .
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Umbra Hub Modern & Contemporary Floor Mirror
Mirrors are notoriously expensive, so it’s all about getting the most bang for your buck. This full-length mirror doubles as a decorative ladder, which is convenient and also totally on-trend. The natural colors adapt to any home, and you’ll save yourselves the hassle of having to mount your mirror.
Categorize By Price Point
You want to register at least one item per person, meaning if youre inviting 150 guests, be sure theres a minimum of 150 gifts on your registry. Try to divide your registry into price points, including under $50, under $100, and under $150.
Of course, theres room for items over $150. Its completely normal to put some bigger gifts on your registry as some guests may be inclined to get you a bigger gift, as are friends who are splitting an expensive item. Just dont let those big-ticket items dominate your list. Variety is key.
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Register For Plenty Of Gifts
Be sure to register for more gifts than you have guests. This gives your guests more to choose from, and also makes it possible for them to compile multiple items as one package. It is also a good idea to register for more individual items than sets. Sets tend to be more expensive, and they limit the number of choices available to your guests.
Williams Sonoma Classic Cotton Chambray Napkins
Courtesy of Williams Sonoma
Just like you get plenty wear out of a chambray shirt, youll get plenty of use out of these chambray napkins. Durable, yet super cute, theyre the perfect choice for everyday, casual dining, and come in a charcoal hue that will work with any type of dishware, flatware, or other table linens.
Air fryers are the it appliance of the moment, well-deserving of all the buzz and hype. Particularly this one thats affordable and effective, yet has a nice and compact footprint so as to not take up too much space on your kitchen counter.
Its a game-changer for cooking crispy French fries , and also has a dehydrator function that lets you turn things like fruits and veggies into crunchy chips.
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Estelle Colored Champagne Coupe Stemware
Courtesy of Estelle Colored Glasses
Theres going to be plenty of champagne drinking and celebrating happening, so, along with a yummy bottle of bubbly, some chic champagne glasses are in order. These art deco-inspired coupes are a fun departure from traditional flutes and are made of beautiful, hand-blown glass.
There are various colors to choose from, but you cant go wrong with this statement-making-yet-still neutral amber smoke shade.
How To Share A Saved Project On Shutterfly
With Shutterfly, you can add personalized products to any registry list and share those saved projects to people who booked to purchase that item! Share your travel photo books, calendars, scrapbook pages, and collage posters, with family and friends. Just choose the projects you want to share, and the people to see them. Well send out an email inviting them to view your projects on Shutterfly. Family and friends can easily view your shared projects without being a member.
To share a project:
Also Check: Free Wedding Spreadsheet
The Couple Registered Really Earlyis It Okay To Buy Birthday And Holiday Gifts Off The Registry
Yes. Buying gifts for other holidays from the wedding registry helps make sure the couple will get everything they need, says Mark Kingsdorf, Master Bridal Consultant at The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants. In fact, this is why many stores offer the option of keeping a wedding registry open for several years after the event.
Think About Your Guests
Guests typically spend anywhere from $50 to $150 on a wedding gift, depending on how close they are to you as a couple. Co-workers and acquaintances often spend less, while family members may be more generous.
Your registry should have a good mix of affordable and bigger-ticket items, says Alyssa Davies, a personal financial writer and author of The 100 Day Financial Goal Journal. This ensures everyone has the ability to get you something off your registry, and also offer them a selection to choose from.
Our expectations of guests are quite high and can be extremely costly, sometimes people cant always afford the same things we can, Davies says. As long as you have a range of prices, there can be a way to make everyone feel as though theyre able to support you on your new adventure as a married couple.
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Wedding Registry Ideas $150+
Giving a wedding gift is about so much more than the price tag. With that said, these gifts are on the high end of the spectrum and are typically reserved for immediate family members, close friends, and members of the wedding party. Depending on your wedding guests, it might be wise to limit the number of gifts in this range. From a high-end espresso machine to must-have kitchen items, a GoPro action camera, our guide has you covered.
The Ultimate Wedding Registry Checklist For Modern Couples
Traditionally, a wedding registry would be filled with practical products to help a newlywed couple furnish their new home. But these days, most couples are already living together well and truly before tying the knot!
With this in mind, what kind of items should you include on a modern wedding registry that youll actually love and use?
If youre currently looking for some non-traditional wedding registry inspiration, weve got you sorted. From smart home gadgets and kitchen appliances to gift vouchers and memberships, read on for the ultimate wedding registry checklist for modern couples below .
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What Should I Put On My Registry
The contents of a wedding registry will vary for every couple. As you begin wedding planning, the most important task is to create a registry with gifts you need most. If you and your S.O. have been living together for years, don’t feel pressured to register for traditional gifts like serving sets and cookware if you already have them. Instead, ask for items you’re excited about, like a sleek espresso machine or handmade artisan throw pillows that’ll match your home aesthetic. To help you narrow down your wishlist, we’ve rounded up the best wedding registry ideas for every room in your house. Use this wedding registry checklist to ensure you’ve got the basics covered.
Mistake : Not Updating Your Registry Regularly
Your registry should be maintained from the time youre engaged to when you walk down the aisle. Revisit it often and update it with new gift selections. This will give your guests a range of options. A good rule of thumb is to have more items on your registry than guests at your wedding, as this will help accommodate gifts from engagement parties and showers. Its for this reason that using a universal registry is encouraged. Having all of your registry items in the same spot gives you one main checkpoint regarding gift shopping. Plus, this will help you keep track of thank-you cards later.
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When Should We Set Up Our Wedding Registry
The sweet spot for creating your wedding registry is between 6-9 months before your wedding day, and ideally no later than 3 months before.
Why do we need 6-9 months to set up our wedding registry? This is because usually, couples send out their wedding invitations around 3 months before the big day. You will want to mention your wedding registry with the invite or on your wedding website. So, 6-9 months gives you plenty of time to set up your registry and really consider the gifts you want and need. Even if you create your list, get inspiration, and then finalise it closer to the day, it is great to mention your list on your invites to save you from sending numerous replies to what shall we get you for your wedding?.
Top 25 Unique Wedding Registry Ideas
Written by Shutterfly Community Last Updated: Sep 7, 2021
Creating your wedding registry is one of the most exciting parts of the wedding planning process. Its when you and your partner can sit down and plan out exactly what youll need and what could be beneficial to have when starting your new life together. So, what should you put on a wedding registry? Of course, you may want to add those common wedding registry items such as dinnerware and bath towels, but dont hesitate to get creative and add unique personalized gifts to your wedding registry checklist. If you are in need of inspiration, weve compiled a list of the best unique wedding registry ideas at a variety of price points to guarantee a wedding registry list youll be excited about.
Recommended Reading: Wedding Planning Excel Sheet
Mistake : Not Putting Your Registry On Your Wedding Website
The best way to share your registry with guests is through your wedding website. Traditional etiquette indicates that its not required for guests to give a gift, so its best not to share registry information on formal wedding invitations. You can, however, include registry details on an insert in your save-the-dates. Since your wedding website is a hub for important information, its the best way to share gift information with guests.
