We’ve come to the part of wedding planning where we are registering for gifts. Yay! We started with the The Knot’s Ultimate Registry Checklist, which is a great start and I highly recommend! We went through the list and decided what we wanted/needed and where we were going to register for it. We registered three different ways; online, in person with a consultant and in person alone. There were pros and cons to all of them.
Registering online – Amazon
Registering online is very easy. You can do it at your leisure from the comfort of your home. You can read reviews as you’re looking at products, compare products side by side, and make decisions in your own time. I loved being able to register in my sweatpants at home but there are some drawbacks too. You can’t physically touch the items and, if you’re like me, you can’t visualize size very well. Also, the possibilities are almost endless so have a clear idea of exactly what you’re looking for or you may fall into endless pages of pot holders!
Registering online I liked because we didn’t have a time constraint or a certain day to do it. We created the registry and added things as we thought of them. Having endless options worked out when we went through the other two stores and didn’t find exactly what we wanted, we found it on Amazon.
In Person with a Consultant – Bed, Bath & Beyond
I was nervous because I had heard horror stories of pushy consultants but we got extremely lucky! I’d heard stories of consultants who hovered constantly and never really let you make a decision for yourself. Our consultant didn’t hover and she wasn’t too pushy, I mean it is their job to sell you things so expect a little push. Our consultant let us roam and just came and check on us periodically. She answered questions if we had them, helped when we needed it and left when we didn’t.
I liked being able to touch everything and actually feeling how heavy something was and seeing how big or small things were. For example, we looked at so many glasses and picked ones that were lightweight and actually fit in my small hands. If I had just gone on looks I would’ve ended up with a heavy drinking glass that I needed two hands for. I also liked going through the aisles because it gave you a chance to see how things work together and maybe finding some items you might have forgotten, which we did even though we had a very thorough list. I thought we were so prepared and didn’t realize how much I’d actually forgotten, like a sponge holder for the kitchen sink! Who thinks about stuff like that?
In Person without a Consultant – Target
This one scared me a little bit. I crave structure and organization so I wasn’t sure how I would do walking around Target with my now not so inclusive list of items. I was scared that I wouldn’t find everything we needed aimlessly walking the aisles. But, luckily, I was quickly at ease when we started.
I did like not having an actual appointment so you didn’t have a time limit to adhere to. I also liked how easy they made it, just pick up the scanner from Guest Services and go! The scanner was very easy to work, it basically worked like a smart phone.
We did pick up a lot of things that were not on our list with all the freedom we were given, we’ll see if that turns out to be a pro or a con. Target was great because I didn’t feel weird about taking a towel from one aisle to make sure it looked okay with the shower curtain on another. The freedom actually made me a little more relaxed with going through items.
Regardless on how you choose to register here are some tips from our experience.
1. Eat before, you might find this silly but trust me it makes a difference. If you’re anything like me you get hangry and registering is not the time! It’s supposed to be a fun experience picking out everything for your new life together. So be safe and eat before or pack a snack.
2. Have multiple registries, you want your guests to have options. We have an older generation invited to our wedding that probably won’t shop online so it was important that we had in store options.
3. Visualize where everything will go and how it will work together. Have some color scheme or an idea of what you want out of each room you register for. But remember to compromise with your partner, if you want stone and he wants wood make the two work together some how. Not always easy but arguing over theoretical gifts you may or may not receive is not worth it.
4. Pre shop and get organized! I cannot stress this enough! Have an idea of what you want purchased at each store and go with a list. Know that there is always some wiggle room and your registry can be changed. If you liked something in the store and then get home and decide you liked something else better, change it. This is your day and you deserve to be happy with what you receive.
5. Be mindful of the budgets of your guests.
6. Remember, you’ll be just as married whether you get the super expensive cutlery set or not. Don’t stress the little stuff, this is supposed to be fun!
You’re going to get in a few little fights and you’re not going to understand why he doesn’t think you’re bathroom shower curtain has to match with the bath mat, and that’s okay! You’re building a life together and while some may think it’s silly, these items are your first building blocks toward that. These are the things you pick out for YOUR home, YOUR life and YOUR marriage. Get past the little stuff, throw him a bone every once and while and have fun, YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED!
If you would like to see how our registry turned out you can check it out here on our wedding website!
Blonde & Caffeinated 