Lifedings: Creating a Very Personal Wedding Registry

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Creating a Very Personal Wedding Registry

Bridal Registry Savvy Insures Gifts Newlyweds Won't Want to Return

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Tricia Spencer

Jul 21, 2009

Wedding gift registries are common offerings by retailers, but to receive uncommon gifts, the wedding couple must think outside the registry box.

It was another century when retail giant Marshal Field uttered his famous slogan, “Give the lady what she wants!” He meant it. Marshal Field was a department store pioneer, and his Chicago store was the first to offer a bridal registry for engaged couples.
Wedding Gifts Then and Now
In prior centuries, practical wedding gifts were necessary to help the young couple establish a home. Almost every bride went directly from her parent’s home to one shared with her new husband. It was rare for either the bride or groom to have lived alone prior to the marriage, and that meant that everything from forks to sheets had to be acquired.
In today’s modern world, marriages customarily take place later in life and often represent the union of two career-oriented people who have been on their own for some time. Each has a home or apartment full of life’s necessities, and blending those possessions into whatever home they will share is easy.
Today’s brides and grooms still enjoy being showered with well-wishes and gifts at their wedding, but those gifts no longer need to be as practical as they once were.
Traditional Bridal Registries
In the many decades since Marshall Field’s offered the world’s first bridal registry, retailers of all kinds have thrown their hats into the wedding registry ring. From WalMart to Home Depot to Tiffany & Co., registry options are plentiful. Yet most wedding registry retailers offer essentially the same choices:
silverglasswareflatwaresmall applianceschina and other dishescutlerybarwarelinensWhile these items are traditional wedding gifts, many of today’s couples don’t need them to begin their married life.
Outside the Box Wedding Registries
Thanks to the advance of technology, gifts from around the world are now available via the Internet, creating an effective way for engaged couples to expand their registry reach.
No longer must a couple visit a bricks and mortar store to register for wedding gifts. Just opening an online search engine and supplying keywords that reflect a heart’s desire will bring a cornucopia of choices.
If basic household items are not needed or wanted, a couple could register for:
a health club or spa membershipa remodel from a home improvement storedvd’s, cd’s or booksa honeymoon or other destination triptuitionflying lessonsscuba classesconcert ticketsa massagean online auction accountcharity donationseco-friendly upgradeshealth productsa new home down paymentrestaurant gift cardscomputer or Wii applicationscoins for a coin collectionstocks and bondsartWhatever a couple loves about life can be reflected in their wedding registry listings. From the inexpensive to the pricey, gifts can be customized to the delight of the bride and groom. While there is nothing wrong with registering a china or silver pattern selection at a traditional registry, there is also nothing wrong with not doing so. Other options are available. Instead of a guest spending $20 on a toaster, that same $20 can be applied toward big-ticket items like the honeymoon trip or a stock purchase, or to smaller cherished items the bride and groom long for, like a special book, or tickets to a once-in-a-lifetime event.
How to Register for Unique Choices
In addition to the bridal registries offered by most retailers, there are online registry websites where a couple can encompass gifts from virtually anywhere in the world. Items can be added even if the company that offers the desired product or service doesn’t have its own bridal registry.
Utilizing a wedding registry that spans the globe offers unique opportunities such as:
an unlimited choice of gift selectionsan easy ability for guests to contribute to what a couple truly wantsgift tracking options for the wedding couplenotification servicespersonalized online communicationsThe key to receiving gifts that make the bride and groom’s hearts sing is to make the wish list long and varied. Choosing many options, in many price ranges, works best.
Wedding Gifts that Please Everyone
Choosing a wedding gift can be stressful for guests, and no one likes to learn that his or her gift has been returned. A bridal registry not only insures that the wedding couple will receive gifts they truly want, it is a comfortable guide for those doing the shopping.
Being specific is beneficial. Guests may never know of the bride and groom’s passion for saving the rainforest, or for reading classic mystery novels, or for metal detecting, or any other interest, if they aren’t told. A universal wedding registry does the telling in a way that makes life easier and more pleasant for all.
More wedding planning ideas: