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Register as soon as you are engaged – 3-8 months before the wedding - so people can shop early for your wedding and showers.
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Know your own tastes, don’t feel stuck to traditional registry lists, register for what you know you will actually use – but also be open to new ideas.
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Ask the store about the items you have registered for – are these all kept in stock?
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Avoid duplication – avoid registering for dinnerware at 3 stores. You could make one store for kitchen items, one for bedding, …
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Avoid gadgets and gifts that you will rarely or never use.
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Check out the store – ask questions – it is easy to purchase, easy to return, return policy (plenty of time?), online options, affordable shipping, gift wrap, can you order by phone, gift cards.
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Check out your friends registries – go online and view the registries of friends, family, co-workers, or people you go to Church with who have recently married. Check out which items were all purchased, and which items were not touched. No reason to register for items no one is going to buy.
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Consider registering for everyday and formal versions of dinnerware, glassware, silverware, linens.
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Do you even need to register? Is this your second wedding? Are you older, and have a well-stocked home already? Are you financially secure, with a big income? If so, consider NOT registering – guests could donate to charity instead.
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Don’t over think the wedding registry process. It is not worth undo stress. Enjoy it!
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Don’t register for inappropriate or shocking items. Purchase these items yourself. Don’t register for anything your parents would be embarrassed about (they might be paying for the wedding, and their friends are giving you gifts). They don’t have to like your taste in china, but shouldn’t have to be shocked that you registered for something scandalous! Save this for your own shopping, or for a bachelorette party.
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Don’t register for items you really won’t use or don’t want.
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Don’t register for seasonal items, unless your wedding is less than 2 months away. The store will run out of these items quickly.
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Don’t register on a Saturday or Sunday – these are busy days.
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Don’t rush – take plenty of time. Spread it over a few trips to the store if necessary. Check out options online, in addition to the store.
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Future discounts or completion packages – will the store offer you a discount on purchasing items you don’t receive yourself?
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Late shoppers – although many people will shop weeks or months ahead of time for your gift, there are just as many (or more) who will wait until the day or week of to shop, or even later. Plan for this. Look at your registry a week before the wedding to make sure there are still plenty of options available. You will still receive a few gifts, up to a year after the wedding, Make sure that the store can keep your registry available online for a year after the wedding.
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Learn the lingo – know the difference between china, dinnerware, earthenware, stoneware, casual china, formal china, … The store can help you with this.
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Pick a store that you both like, and fits your taste as a couple.
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Pick national stores – so that guests throughout the country can all shop at the same store.
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Plenty of options – remember, you need plenty of items for multiple showers, and wedding gifts.
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Print out – print the registry out at the store – carefully proof it. Count the number of pages. If 1-2 items are pushing you over to a new page, consider deleting something, so that your registry looks shorter.
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Read FAQs, hidden fees, and fine print at stores before registering.
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Register first for the items you really want (china plate). Carefully track your gift registry. If all the plates are being registered for, then add the butter dish or asparagus plate. That way you end up with you really need first, and don’t end up with all the matching serving dishes, but no dinner plates. You can add anytime to your registry.
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Register for a variety of prices and types of gifts. Fit the needs of your guests. Register for gifts in a broad range of prices. If most people you know spend $20 on gifts, be sure and have plenty of $20 items on your list. This may mean registering for china with individual pieces, versus entire place settings. But other guests will want to spend significantly more, or may go in on a group gift. Register for some traditional items, and some that are more trendy or fun.
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Register for fun items as well! Think about camping, games, card table, travel items, grilling accessories.
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Register only at reputable stores. Be wary of online-only stores. Avoid registry scams.
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Register together – allow more than 1 session if needed, make it a fun night, take time to talk about your preferences. But don’t take it so seriously that it causes an argument.
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Reliable person to check your home – while you are on your honeymoon, be sure and have a reliable person check your home daily for gift deliveries (or whatever address your gifts were mailed to, address listed on registry).
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Remember your groom – what items is he interested in having in your home? What are his tastes and styles? Bring him with you to register!
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Shipping address confidential – Keep your address hidden from guests, but still on file. This way strangers won’t find out where you live, but the store will still be able to ship to you.
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Where to ship - You could put the address of your parents, or something nearby the wedding. Or why not save time - put your shipping address at the address of your future home, if possible. If not, at least choose something in the same city as your future home.
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Offer shipping as an option - Having a shipping option will give guests the option of not having to pick up the items. Many guests like to send gifts ahead of time (this is traditional wedding etiquette).
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Sufficient place settings – You will want plenty of plates, glasses, silverware – for parties, large family gatherings, and for breakage.
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Take inventory – see what you have, what your fiancé has, decide what you will keep, what you will donate, and what you will still need.
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Tracking registry – can you track your registry online? Can you make changes or additions online?
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Wait to return – don’t return duplicates or unwanted gift items before the wedding. Wait until the wedding is over, the gifts have all arrived, inventory taken, and you actually have time to return and exchange.
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Never include registry information with your wedding invites! Others may be doing this, but that does not make it proper etiquette. Don’t worry, guests will figure out where you are registered – they can check the popular stores, go online, ask your Mother, … Don’t risk looking greedy, un-sophisticated, or presumptuous by including your registry information in your invitation.
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Letting your guests know about your gift registry – Word-of-mouth is the best way to let guests know where you are registered. Don’t include in your wedding invite, and don’t e-mail out to your general contacts. Tell your Mom, bridesmaids, sister. They can tell people who ask. It is perfectly appropriate to list registry information on your bridal shower invitations – because this does not come from you, it comes from the host of the shower. If you have a wedding web site, you could list registry information here.
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Thank you notes – for gifts received before the wedding, send thank you notes within 2 weeks of receiving the gift. Be sure and be 100% caught up on thank you notes before the wedding. For gifts received on the wedding day, make sure to finish & mail thank you notes within 4 weeks of returning from your honeymoon. For later gifts, try to write thank you notes right away – so that you don’t forget!
