Specialty Registries
Specialty registries
Choosing gifts
Some couples bring quite a bit to their new marriages, including children, houses, and a whole traditional registry full of household items.
Even though they may need new dishes, pots and pans, towels, and other home necessities, many couples actually prefer to wait until they have found their new home to begin purchasing their household items. Many established couples, whether they’re marrying for the first, second, or even third time, may have all the furniture and home items they need. There are many reasons why couples may not want traditional registries, which is why specialty registries have become so popular over the last few years.
Nowadays, almost every type of store will have a system for compiling wedding registries. Not only national and regional chains, but traditional department stores, local merchants, and just about every specialty store in the marketplace will have items available for a registry, items that can reflect your hobbies and fit your specific needs.
Many couples would rather fly away than open boxes, so they set-up a travel or honeymoon registry. In lieu of tangible items, you could decide to register at your travel agency and let friends and relatives contribute to your dream honeymoon. Even if you and your partner haven’t chosen your destination or made reservations, the credit will be available for you at the agency.
If you and your partner are wine lovers, a cellar registry at a wine store is a great registry alternative. In addition to bottles of wine, you can also register for everything you need for your dream cellar, such as crates, glasses, books on wine, and accessories like corkscrews and coasters. This is also a great registry to compliment a wine-themed shower or engagement party.
Themed showers and engagement parties can certainly help theme a registry. If you and your spouse love to cook (or if you just love to eat), a culinary theme might suit you well. Try a registry for cooking classes or any activity that you can enjoy together (and guests can enjoy later). The hostess of the shower can ask guests to bring their favorite recipes, then compile them into a special cookbook for your kitchen.
If you’ve just purchased a “fixer-upper” as your first home together, a registry at hardware stores, home improvement centers, and furnishing stores will definitely come in handy. Registering for gift cards at one of these stores will allow you to purchase the items you need when you begin your home repairs and renovations. Tools and equipment are also great for both old and new homes.
If someone is giving you a personal bridal shower, you may want to open a registry at a local lingerie store. This way, you can eliminate any uncomfortable moments with intimate clothing that might not be your style. It also allows you to be professionally measured for any undergarments—as many are non-returnable.
As a general guide for both specialty and traditional registries, you should include enough items on your registry so that your guests can choose gifts for your engagement party and your shower, as well as for your wedding. It’s also important to choose items in a variety of price ranges, from inexpensive to luxury, so that guests can find affordable gifts and give you the wedding items that they feel are most appropriate for you. It’s great to add gift certificates to any registry, since they can be included with any gift and allow you to add and choose items from the registry at your leisure. Many brides later regret that they didn’t register for many of the items they could now use in their new homes. It’s better to register for more than less—you can always buy the overlooked items sometime after the wedding if none of your guests purchased them for you.
Offer guests something cool and interactive—a photo booth. Few people can resist the joy of ducking into a booth and striking a pose while the flash clicks away. Not only will your guests have fun in the photo booth, they can keep their photos and post them to their refrigerator or office wall to remember the great time they had.
Selecting a bridal registry early in your wedding planning cycle can easily be one of your most enjoyable and exciting planning functions. Bridal registries are a free service available at many department and specialty stores.