Creating a Wedding Registry

Over the weekend, Erin and I started shopping for our wedding registry. We decided on 3 stores – Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. We made it to the first two. We went in with no plan and were a bit overwhelmed, but it was a good experience! We have a good starting point, but I think I’d do things a little differently from the beginning.

Let me start by saying Erin and I both live in separate apartments. She’s been renting with a roommate for almost a year and I’ve lived completely alone for about 4 years. We both have a good amount of stuff already, so part of our plan is figuring out what we want to keep and what we want to trash.

It’s also worth noting that while we know what city we are going to live, we don’t currently have a place lined up. We aren’t entirely sure of the layout and ‘feel’ of our post-wedding home yet. Your situation might be different, so keep that in mind as you read.

Make Appointments

We just walked in, which was perfectly OK with the store. However, if you make an appointment, stores can have a representative walk around with you, guiding you and making suggestions. This can be a big time & stress saver.

Have Some Sort of Plan

We went in completely blind and had no idea what we were even looking for at first. It took us some time to get acclimated and we pretty much just walked around the first store a little before finding our sea legs, so to speak. Luckily we were in the smaller of the two stores.

I will say that not having any plan was sort of freeing; we went in with a completely blank slate, which didn’t limit any of our options. Knowing some things, like what you definitely do or do not need, will be a big time-saver and avoid some in-store conversations.

Having a plan might also make it easier to go to the bigger store first and really get a handle on what’s available to you. Knowing what departments you need to go to and what sort of stuff you’re looking for will help you stay organized and less overwhelmed. If we did Macy’s before Williams-Sonoma, I think our trip to the latter would have been much more precise. We found ourselves saying, “We need these but we think we can get a better deal somewhere else.”

Figure Out Your Style

This was another game time decision that we made since we aren’t really sure what our home will be like yet, but part of your pre-shopping plan should be figuring out what you want for the style of your home. Do you prefer wood or metal finish? What colors do you like? Will each room have a different motif? This can be as easy as a color scheme and get as complicated as you and your fiancee would like.

This will help narrow down what you look at. We determined that we liked the wood finish better than metal, but it took some extra time to decide that based on what Williams-Sonoma had. We then had to figure out what kind of wood we liked (Maple? Oak? Walnut?). Knowing this information going in will be a big help!

Scan Now, Delete Later

At first, we thought we should only scan what we knew we wanted (big picture stuff like appliances). That didn’t last very long. During the process we realized that the registry isn’t set in stone and that we can add and delete as needed. Because of that we decided to take a broader approach. If we saw something we liked and it fit into the small plan we came up with, we scanned it.

We feel this gives us more options as we do figure out what we need and what our style really is. Since we haven’t made the links public yet, there is little risk of us getting something we don’t want. By going with a Scan and Burn^TM method, we can properly curate the list at home, knowing what options we have.

Just remember that nothing is permanent. You’re probably going to tweak your registry a lot, visit each store multiple times, and change it as you make more informed decisions.

*One good tip we got was that while you can surf and add online, be mindful of availability. Some things are online only, some are seasonal, and if you’re registry is made a year before your wedding, some things may cycle out.

Give Your Guest Options

The registry is a nice tradition and immensely helpful to both the couple and the guests. Most people attending your wedding want to help you start your marriage off on the right foot and make your first home the best home it can be.

Because of that, don’t let price deter you (especially at places like Willimas-Sonoma). You should add what you want, just don’t expect everything.  Make sure to add a gift card to the registry too. This will allow guests to contribute what they can so that you can be able to purchase that crazy-expensive pressure cooker that cooks rice in 4 minutes.

Enjoy Yourself!

Finally, have fun. This isn’t supposed to be a stressful event. You and your fiancee are planning your first home as a married couple together. We were looking at cutting boards and it dawned on me that these things will go in the first home Erin and I have together, and that made me really, really happy. Remember to take it easy and enjoy yourself.