The Wedding Registry

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As I’ve mentioned before, Erik and I have shared a home for a few years now, which, though it has helped us financially, put us in a real predicament when it came to a wedding registry.

You see, Erik is a saver. He really likes stuff. He still has an attic full of his childhood toys and a man-cave full of collected sports memorabilia. Me? Clutter is my ultimate nemesis. I hate having more things to clean around, and the more stuff we acquire the more claustrophobic I feel. Minimalism is key in my world. Though our home started with a collection of hand-me-downs from family members, we’ve slowly collected all the furniture and décor that we need. Here-in lies the problem: what do you ask for when you have all the household items you need?

Most wedding resources suggest that a larger registry is better: give your guest options on what to buy you. As a frequent wedding guest these days, I’d agree, unless you don’t actually NEED anything. I feel obligated to buy off the registry for showers, but I hate being limited by the fact that the couple only provided a small selection. I like to get a themed gift or something extra special, and I hate the constraints of a small registry! Many sites I’ve referenced suggest listing two items per guest in attendance of your wedding, in a variety of price ranges. Easy for them to say! Where am I going to come up with 350 items for a registry?

Our solution turned out to be the honeymoon registry. Though we have all the “stuff” we need, we don’t have an unlimited budget for the vacation of our dreams. The new honeymoon registry trend solved that problem! After looking at MANY sites that are out there for the purpose, I decided on Honeyfund.com as my tool of choice. I divided our honeymoon up into incremental amounts, then added the more fun elements that we are hoping to include on our trip, but weren’t sure we could afford. Guests can print a certificate towards an item on the registry and bring it to the ceremony or shower, or they can pay directly online via Paypal. There’s no fee for using Honeyfund (unless you upgrade to the premium version), and only a very small charge for credit card transactions that your guests make.

We still created a small registry at Bed, Bath and Beyond--- which is especially great because they frequently offer free shipping to the bride and groom. We skipped some of the traditional formal items like china, which I don’t have room to store and already have an inherited set of. So while we will hopefully get new sheets and towels, we will also be able to splurge on the honeymoon!

Though I often feel guilty about “asking” for gifts via a registry, I’ve been advised by friends to live it up. One friend’s sage advice was that, “This is the last time anyone’s buying you anything. From this point forward it will always be about your [future] kids. Stop feeling guilty and enjoy it!”

So, while it is tacky to include the registry on an invite, don’t be bashful about creating a large enough one to give your guests some choices. Skip anything that is not “useful or beautiful” and enjoy the process!

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