You’ve hit the one year mark, and are getting ready to send your  Save the Dates. Perhaps you are wondering what I should have ready to go for my guests when I place the Save The Dates in the mail? 

 

Very simply we recommend three things: 

• Your wedding website – the central information hub critical to keeping your guests up to speed on all the event details 
• Your wedding registry – even if its just the start of the items you’ve been dreaming about featuring in the life you plan to build together
• Your hotel block – details like address and booking information for where you recommend your guests say for your wedding weekend 

 

Today we want to highlight the wedding registry {but don’t worry we’ve got you covered in future posts on building out your wedding website and your hotel block}

 

So what exactly are the wedding registry essentials you need to know before getting started? 

Look no further, we’ve put together some details in this blog post to help make the registry process smooth and fun! 

 

What is a Wedding Registry? 

At its simplest point, a registry is your wishlist! A registry is designed to serve as a list of items you as a couple hope to incorporate into the new life you will build together after the wedding.

 

A registry is also another way for your guests to learn about you as a couple. After all, it is a reflection of your style, what you find valuable, the items you desire to build your home, and the experiences or adventures you look forward to after the wedding day is over. In this regard, your registry should be a reflection of items that reflect your personality and the home you hope to build as you start your new chapter together. 

 

A registry also serves as an assurance that you don’t receive multiples of the same gift or items you already have/won’t need. It’s practical in nature & allows your guests to know what to get you (and what has already been purchased or received). 

 

There are several different types of Wedding Registries: 

 

The Catch All – The Universal Gift Registries 

 

• It’s the most centralized option for you and your guests. Giving you the ability to select items from a variety of locations/stores and centralizing them in one location (so guests don’t have to click to multiple links, etc). 
• They often have features that allow you to also build websites, track thank you notes, support cash gifting and honeymoon donations as well, and provide group gifting options. 
• A few examples of The Catch All Registry would be: Zola and MyRegistry

 

The Honeymoon Contribution 

 

• A tool used to share plans for your honeymoon and to ask guests to contribute to fun adventures you have planned or hope to experience on this trip. 
• A few examples of The Honeymoon Contribution Registry would be: Honeyfund and Wanderable

 

The Charity 

 

• A tool for couples to use to direct guests to donate to a charity or cause in their name in lieu of gifts
• A few examples of The Charity Registry would be: Justgiving.org and Idofoundation 

 

The Traditional 

 

• The setup of a registry at a traditional retail store. Often provides you with registry completion discounts after your wedding date has passed in order to encourage you to purchase the items to complete your home even after the event is over. 
• A few examples of The Traditional Registry would be: Amazon, Crate n Barrel and Pottery Barn. 

 

Creating Your Registry: 

After you’ve nailed down the best registry option for building out your wedding, we want to encourage you to take some time dreaming up items that really reflect items that you really would love to add to your registry.  

 

The goal here is to hone in things like style, and the items that will really enhance and elevate your life. Think about the things that bring you joy and help to make your house a home. The step in the process will help you identify collections that can help make your home reflect what you desire in a truly cohesive way. 

 

On a practical level, we also always recommend a variety of price-points be represented in your registry. Some guests will want to go in on a gift together, others will enjoy a larger purchase of maybe a big item on your list, and others still may want to give you a collection of items. Be sure to add a variety of items at different price points to help give your guests options.

 

Looking for a breakdown of approximately how much to include at the varying price point? Here is what we found as a recommendation for how to divide up your registry if you are looking for benchmarks: 

• About 1/3 of the items should be priced under $50 
• About 1/3 of the items should be priced under $100
• About 1/3 of the items should be priced above $100

 

At the end of the day, your registry is about the two of you and we hope we’ve encouraged you to not only think practically about what registry style and items fit your life, but also what fits your story. 

 

Let your registry be an extension and a reflection of you and not just a collection of things. Do your best to think of only what you think you will actually use in your home rather than going off a generic list of items that a retailer says you can’t live without. Pour your story – and your future story – into the items you select … that will make your Wedding Registry a collection of items you cannot wait to weave into your home and your life long after the wedding is over. 

 

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