What You Should Know About the Wedding Registry

The practice of giving and receiving wedding gifts should be about love, but it often ends up in confusion and disappointment.
 
If your wedding guests are left to their own devices when it comes to choosing a gift, they will often select something they would want, without taking your needs into consideration.
 
And while the gesture may be heartwarming, having a roomful of gifts you have no use for is never a good thing.
 
Luckily, you can avoid this kind of situation and miscommunication by creating a wedding registry.  
 
Should You or Shouldn’t You?

There is no right or wrong answer to the "should you or shouldn’t you" question. However, in the interest of having the wedding of your dreams and creating wonderful memories that will last the rest of your life, a wedding registry makes a lot of sense.
 
When you register at a specific store or through an online service, you are helping your guests by guiding them toward gifts you will truly love. You are also helping yourself by ensuring the gifts you receive will be in line with the overall tone and feel of the rest of your wedding.
 
Helpful Wedding Registry Tips

Far from being greedy or presumptuous, a wedding registry simplifies a process that’s going to take place anyway and makes it far more efficient. Here are some tips to ensure everything goes off without a hitch:
 

• Register as early as possible for people that want to buy gifts early
• Think outside the box and register somewhere that’s true to your personality
• Make sure the process of the registry you choose is easy and hassle-free
• Take stock of what you already have and what you need
• Feel free to over-register and choose more gifts than guests to give them more choices
• Know your guests and make sure the gifts you choose are within their budgets
• Let your guests know in a tasteful way and include the info on your wedding website
• Make it clear what you want so there is no confusion

 
Receiving Money
If you decide to forgo a traditional gift registry and would rather receive money as gifts, make sure you give the money a purpose. When you don’t have the money earmarked for as specific purpose, it’s very easy to use it for other things and watch as it dwindles without really doing anything meaningful with it.
 
Whether it goes toward a down payment for a new house, a car, home furnishings or the honeymoon, give it a specific job to get the most out of it.
 
Making a Charitable Donation

More and more couples are choosing to use their wedding gifts as a way to give back through charitable donations. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, choose two charities; one that is close to your heart and one close to your partner’s heart and then let your guests decide.
 
When you get the wedding registry part right, it helps maintain that warm and fuzzy feeling and keeps the flow of your wedding process moving right along.
 
What are you planning to do for your wedding registry? Comment below, I’d love to hear what you are planning.

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