Getting married is one of the most exciting times in your life, yet there’s so much to plan. This handy wedding registry checklist includes 10 top tips for the bride to be, so that’s one less thing that you’ll have to worry about!
Wedding Registry Checklist
When organizing your bridal registry list, there are a few key factors to bear in mind.
Select Future Family Heirlooms
You should give priority to quality mementos that you will cherish for years to come. However, don’t choose pieces that you’ll never use – extremely hard to clean items may not be practical.
Get the Groom Involved
Make sure to choose gifts that you’ll both enjoy. It’s a good idea to discuss your ideal style of home and to make a list of what both of you have already and will keep, as well as items that you need. Decide whether you’d like everyday and more formal tableware, and agree on a color scheme.
Set up Your Registry in Advance
As soon as you announce your engagement, some family and friends will want to send gifts so it’s good to be prepared.
Register in Multiple Places
Although it may seem easier to register in one place only, it’s important to make things easy on your wedding guests by having a few options. Some of your friends may live abroad and prefer an online option whilst elderly guests may prefer to go in-store.
Ideally, the store should be able to deliver to you rather than guests having to pick up your gift and then go to a post office to send it.
Include a Wide Range of Gifts
Make sure to include a variety of price points, so that guests of all budgets have plenty of choice. It’s advisable to include more gifts than guests for this reason.
Don’t be Afraid to Defy Convention
It used to be traditional to order a full set of up to 12 plates, glasses cups and saucers. However, many couples don’t have space to store so much tableware and these days you can mix and match.
Select Your Registry Items in Store
Wedding gift selection is a bit like clothes shopping, in that it’s helpful to see prospective gifts at close hand if possible. A trip to the store will enable you to touch the items, check the quality and make sure that they’re a true reflection of your taste.
Not only that, it can be fun as some stores will lend you a hand-held scanner to zap products as you walk around. You and your groom will have fun using that gadget.
Plan Ahead
Perhaps you have a Summer wedding planned, yet you’ll be hosting a large family gathering at Christmas? Your needs may change in future, and items like teapots could well come in handy if hosting friends for afternoon tea.
Don’t Use Presents that Arrive Before the Wedding
In the highly unlikely event that the wedding doesn’t go ahead, gifts must normally be returned, so do bear that in mind to be on the safe side.
Send a Thank You Note
It’s important to keep a record of the gifts you have received and from whom, so that you can include a reference to the specific item that you have received and how you will use it in your thank you note.
We hope that you’ve found these tips helpful – we know how stressful it can be, planning a wedding. However, if you get your gift registry right, you’ll enjoy the benefits for many years to come, together with some fantastic mementos of your special day and your guests.
You might also find our tips on buying a wedding gift if you’re not the bride to be but one of the wedding guests!
Are you planning a wedding – if so what are your must haves for your bridal registry list? If you’re already married, do you have any wedding list tips for the bride to be?
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Pin or share with friends if you’ve found this wedding registry checklist useful.
I still haven’t finished thank you cards, I should get them ready asap. My wedding was in Germany, I didn’t know how much about traditions and I didn’t do any of these things. Guests gave cards with cash in it and a few got some personalised gifts.
Ela BellaWorld
It must have been nice to have a mix of cash and personalised gifts. For the thank you notes, we had postcards of one of our wedding photos printed and sent those out in envelopes, they were quite popular as a souvenir
That’s what we are planning to do with the card, however we want to make it personalised for every guest, like one of our wedding photo and one photo with them. It is not easy that’s why I keep postponing it 🙂
That’s a lovely idea!
Will definitely keep these I mind!
Beauty Candy Loves
I’m glad that they’re helpful, Candice
I never thought about not using presents until after the wedding, but this makes sense! Thanks for the great tips!
xO – Steph
www.urbanblonde.com
My pleasure Steph and thanks for stopping by! We only received our gifts after our wedding but I think it makes sense not to use them before
Great tips! I like the idea of registering to multiple places, not only is it easier for the wedding guests, but it gives the bride and groom more selection too since one store might not carry everything you want.
Eden | Mint Notion
I have to say that we didn’t do this ourselves but I wish that we had!
Great tips, lady! Hope you’re having a great week!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Hi Ashley, times are a bit difficult this week due to a close relative being ill but you’re always a ray of sunshine
Thanks for these interesting tips darling!!
xo Paola
Expressyourself
My Facebook
My pleasure, Paola
I think number 5 is so important. I’ve been to a few weddings where the registry is only Anthropologie or something, which I can’t help but think isn’t really budget friendly to most when you’re asking for full dinner settings. Good post and very helpful!
-Emily www.coatandcoffee.com
I agree, it’s important to have a wide range of items, and it can be awkward when brides ask for a cash contribution only as at a recent wedding I went to
These tips can be very helpful for every bride-to-be. Have a lovely day.
Nina
http://www.ninasstyleblog.com
You too, Nina, have a great week ahead
Wonderful tips, wish I had these before my wedding ♥
Corinne | http://breathedreamlove.com
I wish I’d had some of them too 😉 Have a great day, Corinne
Thank U for sharing these information 🙂 A little compendium on the contemporary interpretation of the concept of Musa from Naomi Campbell to Mara as Muse, and touching on Willow Smith and Gigi Hadid
all of these are great tips for the bride-to-be!
I’m glad that you found them of help, thanks for stopping by
What a wonderful collaboration. I loved the post. Gemma x
www.jacquardflower.uk
That’s very kind of you Gemma, have a lovely day
Great tips! 🙂 So many great desserts I can see here! Mniam mniam mniam <3 xxxx
We did have a bit of a field day eating all those desserts 😉
Useful tips as always I will share these with my friends who are getting married in 2017 Lucy x
I’m very glad that you found them useful, Lucy
I know most of these tips are common sense but you’ll be surprise how many bridezillas out there that set up the registry without involving the groom. Great tips!
Shireen | Reflection of Sanity
It would be a real shame not to get the groom involved, two heads are always better than one!
Thanks Jalisa, it’s been a very tough week due to a relative’s health issues so reading lovely comments like yours really does help
Vera Wang has quite the CV – everything she touches seems to be magical 🙂 I can certainly appreciate how lovely it would be for a newlywed couple to receive any item from the Vera Wang for Wedgwood collection as a wedding gift!
Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice x
I won’t be planning a wedding in a long time… but never say never…
Who knows what is around the corner!
Great tips on how to set up a gift registry – we still use and cherish the things we put on ours many years ago ♡
Same here, we love using the items that our friends and family gifted us
That cake knife is making me swoon…. so pretty!
Erin xx
islandbell.co.uk
Lovely isn’t it, and makes afternoon tea all the more special
For a second I thought you were getting married and was like – is there something I’ve missed? 😀
Ha ha, I’m already married but it was before the blog – I did think about sharing a throw back to it though
This is such a useful post, I have absolutely no idea where to start with gift registry. Plus Vera Wang anything will always be perfect!
Elle
www.theellenextdoor.com
xx
I’m very glad that you found it helpful, Elle
Very useful post for a bride-to-be. Unfortunately, 40 years ago when I got married there was nothing like a gift registry.
Both my bestie recently got engaged and are planning up a storm for their weddings – have sent this over to them because I don’t think either of them have thought about the registry!