10 WEDDING REGISTRY TIPS

Creating a wedding registry can either be one of the most fun or super stressful things! It’s exciting looking at stuff that you and your partner will build a home with but it can be overwhelming and confusing. What does one need to register  for to start a “new life” together as a married couple? Are there certain things people always ask for and end up never using? Questions like these roamed in my head before registering. Luke and I took a day trip to Cincinnati last weekend to register at Crate & Barrel and Macy’s . Crate & Barrel also gifted us with two stemless wine glasses that came in a cute “congrats” bag for registering with them and Macy’s gave us several discount coupons for things like tuxs and wedding invitations. Such great perks! We absolutely had the best time but I put together these tips to try to make wedding registering less of a daunting task. 

Avoid things that look super cool but you wont often use. This one is hard for me. I think one of the first things I saw while registering was a fondue set. Naturally I was drawn to it (I served for a summer in college at The Melting Pot!). I took a step back and thought about if this was worth registering for ultimately decided against it because I couldn’t picture myself using it that much. 

It takes two for marriage and two to register. You and your significant other will be in your marriage together so why wouldn’t you register together?! Both of  you will end up using the gifts you recieve and it’s nice to have someone there to weigh in on tough decisions. Even if one of you isn’t into the thought of registering I think they will have fun. 

Register for a range of items hitting different price points. I think its obvious you shouldn’t only register for fine china and crystal but maybe you want to feel like the Queen of England 24/7 and more power to ya if that’s how you roll. Personally I tried to do a nice combo of “fancier” things such as cheese boards and some serving trays and then some practical items like new mixing bowls and baking sheets. 

Take advantage of the store experts advice and any brochures. At the larger stores the sales associates went through the layout of the store and pointed out some suggestions which we found very helpful. One store associate pointed out a awesome hand blender right before we left and I added it to the registry real quick. We also received great brochures and packets that were very beneficial. 

Register for some neutral colored pieces. I was given this tip from my sisters and a few others! I love patterns and all kinds of colors but I do think it’s a good idea to have some neutral  pieces especially for every day use. I went with a light grey color I found for my daily dining set. Keep in mind you can also pair neutral pieces with fun prints and patterns whenever you want. 

Keep in mind your future wants and needs. Years from now you will be at a different place in life most likely but have the things you registered for. Registering for 4 new plates may be enough at the time but think about holidays and events you might host in the future especially if you like to entertain. I tried to imagine how many of the same items I would need if I wanted to have my 3 sisters and husbands over as a general plan. 

Do research on big ticket items before hand. This is actually something we didn’t do enough of before registering. We were still at a loss when we got to registering for a coffee machine we wanted and what knife set we liked. This is why researching is so important especially if its a more expensive item. Read reviews, ask your friends and family for their suggestions and think about it!

Review your registry after you’re done. We looked at our registry later that night and holy cannolis we realized we did not register for enough stuff when looking at our guest list. We knew we hadn’t added a few items we wanted to do some more research on but also we saw things we missed that we thought we 100% would not forget to add. Figures.

You can add/ delete items on your registry throughout that pre wedding time. There is no way you will make your registry and not touch it after. Things can go out of stock or clearly you can forget things. I’ve  already changed my mind on what color kitchen utensils I want but didn’t panic since I can edit the registry online.

Take inventory of current items you have. You may have already way too many coffee mugs in your life (probs me but also give me all the cute ones). Maybe you have some items that were passed down by family or are in great condition that you don’t plan to part with anytime soon. It’s crucial to have a rough idea of what you currently have before registering I think. It also helps you develop a list in general.

That’s my major advice. I hope this helps any current and future brides-to-be!