Wedding planning anxiety aside, your wedding guests will be facing their own trials and tribulations in the run up to your special day. The biggest challenge for any wedding guest is getting the ideal gift for the couple tying the knot. With more gifts to choose from than ever, the pressure of choosing the perfect wedding present is often unbearable. Wedding gift registries provide a vital source of inspiration for wedding guests as well as a chance to prevent the problem of duplicate gifts for marrying couples. Wedding gift registries also help couples to avoid the rather uncomfortable situation of having to return gifts, with only presents that will be used featured on the list and able to be purchased by guests.
With wedding gift registries being the god-send that they are, we thought we’d shine the spotlight on where couples should register to reap the most rewards and what things to think about when registering yours.
Taking the traditional registry route
Department stores have been the go-to place for wedding registries for as long as we can remember. However, as more and more things move to the internet, online registries are becoming more widespread. Department stores provide a diverse choice of items for couples with varying tastes as well as guests with differing budgets.
Going online with your gift list
Whilst your guests won’t be able to view gift items in person to check out their quality and finish, the accessibility of an online registry is unbeatable both for the guests buying and the brides and grooms registering items. With an online registry you’ll have a wider range of items to choose from, and if you change your mind, lists can be easily altered. You can also gather cash gifts for charity, your honeymoon or another project via an online registry. Online registries are extremely accessible for guests, as Easy Weddings explains in more detail:
“An online gift registry is easy for any guest that has access to the internet to use. It doesn’t matter if they don’t live near the store you are registered with, and it doesn’t matter if they don’t have time to dash out in their lunch break and buy your gift, they can do it all from their computer, laptop or tablet. This is perfect for guests who are based overseas as they can easily purchase a gift from your registry and have it delivered to your doorstep!”
Top tips for gift registering
There’s no doubt that registering a wedding gift list either online or in-store has its benefits. In addition to identifying items that will be of use to you and your partner, keeping your guests’ budgets in mind is important. Pick items that present a variety of price points. In the same breath, don’t be afraid to be ambitious when gift listing. Older relatives or those closest to you may want to splurge on big ticket items.
Whether you’ve decided a department store or online gift registry is right for you, Brides provides the ultimate guide on where to register with their 50 best wedding registry sites and stores. Already received your wedding gifts? Don’t forget to say thank you!
