Best Wedding Registries

Registering for your wedding can be overwhelming. We get it! We have been there and we remember the stress.

How do you figure out what things you’ll actually need for your new home together? How do you decide on things without starting an argument about color of your everyday china or your bed sheet thread count? What stores should you register at and how many places?

We are here to help you narrow it down.

We all know that there can be some stressful parts of the wedding planning process, but there are also a lot of fun parts. Of course, the cake tasting is always a fun part, but most people talk about the gift registry side of things. 

Honestly, who doesn’t like to make a big lists of gifts? It’s like making a Christmas list as a kid, except you have to take your fiancés wants into consideration. 

Of course it’s fun, but don’t just go jumping into it willy nilly. My enneagram 1 heart needs to have a plan, and I have some tips for you before you grab the scanner gun and start scanning everything in sight. 

First of all, just because you’re going to have a plan doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. In the end, you’re planning your future home with your fiance and that’s an exciting time. 

Take the afternoon and have some fun. Go to your favorite stores, and talk about what color you want your curtains to be, what kind of silverware you want, and so much more. It’s a big day. Take the time to enjoy it. 

1. Pick More Than One Store

Now, everyone has their favorite store (I could live in Target), but when you’re making your wedding registry, you need to register at more than one place. 

Yes, I’m telling you to go to A LOT of stores. Why? Because you want to give your guests options. Maybe they don’t live near a Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, or a Crate & Barrel. Make sure you give them plenty of places to choose from when they are buying you gifts. Also think about the age ranges of your guests. Obviously, some people may not want to order online, they may want to go in person.

2. Register Online

More and more people are wanting to shop online, and more and more couples are wanting to register online rather than going to stores in person. We get it. We also love convenience! Some of the most popular ones:

1. Zola
   Zola has been up-and-coming for some time now. It’s been gaining popularity, with good reason. Zola boasts that they are “the easiest, most helpful registry for couples and their guests.”
   So what’s different about them? They have completely simplified the idea of registries. You can even register for both gifts and gift cards, as well as create a honeymoon fund! You can also add gifts to your Zola registry from OTHER online stores! Zola is a one stop shop for all of your registries to be housed in one place. SO cool and helpful if you ask us!
2. Amazon
   This one is also a life saver and a pretty obvious choice this day and age! With the luxury of Amazon Prime, many of your guests love having the option of ordering and receiving their items in 2 days! It’s super helpful if your friend-group has 17 weddings in one year and it’s easy to let the wedding date sneak up on you, with no time to get a gift shipped from a store.

When people ask us where they should register, we always say to be sure to include one or two of those large chain stores and a solid online option. It’s great for you to pick all our favorite stores, but make sure it’s convenient for your guests as well. 

3. After the Wedding

There are a lot of stores, like Bed, Bath, And Beyond which will give you a discount for all the gifts left on your registry. Amazon gives free bonus gifts on select brands.

Hopefully your guests buy everything single thing on your list, but that’s not likely. Before you start your registry, think about what you’ll still buy even if it’s not gifted to you. 

For us, it was our Kitchen Aid Stand up Mixer. We knew that we were still going to go out and get one, so we put that item on our Bed, Bath, and Beyond list so we would get the discount after the wedding. It saved us some money. 

4. What Do You Already Have (And What Needs to be Replaced)

Depending on what stage you’re at in life and what you already have, you might not need some of the “staple” registry items (who needs more than one coffee maker). If you have already owned a house or apartment, you may have a good number of things. But this is the time to splurge! Do you have a cheap can opener? Splurge for the automatic stainless steal one on your registry.

Before you hit the shopping aisles, see what you and your fiance already own and what you’d like to keep for your life together. But also don’t be afraid to start over.

This is a good time to look at some of the items that make need replacing. How’s that microwave from college holding up? Maybe it’s time for a new one.

5. Think Outside the Box

I know that people always expect some of the common registry items. Everyone expects to see bed sheets, towels, plates, silverware, etc. But pick things that you like and will make you and your fiance happy.

Do both of you like to camp? Put a tent on your list! Maybe a hammock! Add some board games! Whatever you like and want for your future life, go crazy. This is one of the few times in your life when you can just make a giant list of things you like and would love to have. Don’t think you have to stick to the traditional gifts.