Getting The Most Out Of The Wedding

By Andrew McGlothlen

After returning from your honeymoon, you begin to open your wedding gifts with your new husband. “How did we get such an unusual assortment?” you wonder. “I thought they would know what we needed.” If it’s not unusual gifts, it’s repeat gifts. Seriously, who needs four microwaves? Where did you go wrong? You didn’t utilize your resources—gift registries.

Gift registries are offered at more stores every year. Where should couples register? In the opinion of those who have come before, couples should register at several different stores. The gifts they put on their list should vary from low-priced items like a nice towel set for the guest bathroom to some rather high-priced items. It doesn’t hurt to put high-priced items on registries, but a couple shouldn’t expect guests to be able to afford them. It’s quite possible, though, that several guests will “go in together” on a larger gift. The variety of stores and prices should accommodate all guests but still allow a couple to begin to fill their new living space.

What should couples register in their registry? On the practical end, it’s appropriate for couples to register for appliances from toasters to microwaves to refrigerators. Electronics of all types from DVD players to surround sound stereo systems may also make it onto the list. China, crystal and fine flatware tend to be more classic requests, though still found quite often on registry lists. Pots, pans, strainers and the like are also fairly common requests from a couple trying to fill a kitchen.

One of the best parts of modern gift registries is the ease of actually registering. Many places allow couples to come into the store, fill out as little information as the wedding name and the date, and then take a scan gun and point and shoot at anything they’d like. While couples should have fun with this, they should not shoot just anything because when that complete set of seasons of The Simpsons on DVD shows up, the amusement may be lost on the couple that was just having fun. However, this approach does make it much easier in that a couple can point and shoot at their own pace, and they are usually allowed to return and add more to their list as they think of it. Smaller stores may use the handwritten approach, but it’s still a small price to pay to ensure that only one microwave shows up in the gift pile.

With all this in mind, couples should really just enjoy the experience. It’s not every day that they are able to request everything their hearts desire and actually receive some of it. However, not every guest will be comfortable purchasing from a gift registry, and couples should be prepared for that with a card tray. When used properly, though, registries will help many guests save a lot of shopping time and allow a couple to fill their new abode almost effortlessly.