Wedding Registry FAQ’s
A fun, but sometimes daunting task is creating a wedding registry. Clients in various stages of life have different “needs” and sometimes don’t love the idea of a wedding registry. Or, maybe you do like the idea of a registry, but you don’t know where to start. Here are our FAQ’s and “rules of thumb” for the wedding registry topic.
Who needs to create a wedding registry?
Anyone getting married should create a wedding registry. No matter the size of the wedding, no matter your age, no matter your gender - people want to celebrate you and this is a great way to do just that. There will be plenty of people who ask what you might need or want, and want to get you a gift - wouldn’t you rather they get you something you actually need or want, instead of something random?!
What should I put on the registry? Is there anything I should not put on a registry?
Anything you might need or want in your house. Appliances, glassware, flatware, dishes, decor items, small pieces of furniture, outdoor items. There isn’t a limit to what you can put on there. Heck, you’d be surprised what people will purchase! Things you should not add: large items like a house or a car.
Where should I register?
We suggest picking places that are larger and have a national presence, especially if you will have friends/family traveling in from out of town. Places like Crate & Barrel, Target, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, the Container Store, Walmart, etc. - these exist across the country so your guests won’t have to go out of their way to find something (or to find the store). If you have a cute local boutique, we LOVE supporting local, and suggest you add this, too. We suggest finding places with an online ordering option when possible - and ALWAYS make sure they have a good return policy. If you get duplicates (which you will) or if you get something that you decide later you don’t need, you want the option to return unopened/unused items for a store credit so you can get something in its place that is a better fit. We like stores like Target and Walmart being in the mix, especially if this is a store you shop in often. If you return items you get duplicates of, you have a store credit in a place you KNOW you will be shopping in regularly.
How many places/stores should I go to, to create a registry?
Depending on your event size, we suggest 2-3. This may vary based on a number of factors such as guest count, location (are people mostly traveling in or are they local), etc.
Is there a price range I should stay within when selecting items?
We suggest items priced from $5 - $250+. Sometimes groups of people will go in together to purchase the higher ticket items. You may also have guests that want to purchase multiple smaller items to make a larger “gift package”. Once you set the range you are comfortable with, make sure to include items throughout that scale, so that people can find gifts that are within their price range and comfortability level.,
How many “things” do I have to put on the registry?
This varies by your guest count. We normally say 1.5 “items” per person you are inviting. So if you are inviting 50 people, include around 75 items on your list. That way if someone wants to get a few smaller/lower priced items they can, and it still leaves options for other guests. We always suggest keeping an eye on your registry so if things have been purchased and your list is running “low”, you can add things on there. Additionally, most registries will give you a discount on any unclaimed items after your wedding, so put things on there you plan to buy so you get that added discount on anything not purchased by guests. Also keep in mind that a “set” of something counts as multiple things. So, if you register for 12 forks - that’s “12 items”, not 1. Someone could purchase 4 forks for you - so count those as individual pieces even though they are all forks.
My wedding is a destination wedding, I don’t think people will bring gifts. Do I still need a registry?
Absolutely! Just because people are traveling in doesn’t mean they don’t want to give you a gift! Most registries have the option to ship the item directly to the couple, which prevents them having to haul a gift with them. Heck, even if folks are local they may still ship the item directly to you. Another reason to select stores with a bigger presence so shipping is a breeze.
We are an older couple and own a house already, we don’t really need a registry. Do we still have to do one?
We still say yes. Are there items you need to refresh? Such as, you blended your silverware sets and they are old and mis-matched - this is a great item to get an upgrade on! Maybe you are renovating a room in the house - you could register at Lowes for paint, tiles, materials, tools, etc. Lawn mower? A grill and accessories? There are SO many things you can register for.
Are there other alternatives to the traditional gift registry?
Still not set on having a registry? Or maybe you have a few items on the list but want to include something else? No problem. We love things like Honeyfund, which allows guests to contribute cash towards the purchase of things on your honeymoon like dinners, massages, excursions, room service and more! Or, you could add a charitable giving feature which allows guests to make a donation in your name to select charities that are meaningful to you as a couple. Most store registries also have the option automatically added to their sites which allows guests to purchase gift cards in varying amounts.
What if we don’t want gifts and we just want cash?
That’s totally fine! We do suggest having a few smaller items on a list as there are some folks who want to purchase a physical “something” and give it to you. However, for the rest, you could add a link for gift cards or have them contribute to a Honeymoon fund. We don’t love seeing people post on a site “we just want cash” - it makes us feel funny.
What is the best way to give people the registry information so they can see what we want or need?
We highly recommend a wedding website to relay all wedding information (hotels, itinerary, RSVPs, registry, event details, etc.) - this is the perfect place for your wedding registry. You can link directly to each website so that it makes it easy for people to find your list, find your items, make a purchase and send the gifts.