Dont know what to do for wedding registry?

Question

i'm not one to ask for stuff, even for my birthday or christmas i can never come up with ideas just cause i HATE asking.

well, we're getting married in May and our families are already bugging us about what we want. we dont know. thing is, we're getting our first home in the next month.

my mom threw us an engagement party in november, and our families bought us so much stuff (not that we had anywhere to put it) - picture frames, albums, dishes, matching kitchen canisters, spoon rest, salad tongs, glasses, mugs, my grandma got us monogramed towels for the bathroom, toaster, coffee maker... ever since i was younger my mom has always gotten me some sort of kitchen thing (waffle maker, crape makers, pots and pans, bakeware.. etc). my fiance and i bought silverware cause it was on sale like 1/4 of the price, and we have a blender, and he has really good knive sets and cutting board. we even have a full stocked bar so we have the entire barware and everything you can think of for that!

so now, we have no clue what to do for the registry, and my mom is getting pissed that we havent started doing it yet. but we dont know what to put on it. we need new bed sheets, but thats about it. between the two of us and all of our c**p we already have 2 complete bathroom sets and bedroom stuff, my best friend's mom died reciently and her exhusband just gave us a whole crapload of lamps, an oak dining room table and chairs, and 2 dressers since they had to clean out the house since it just sold

i'm really out of ideas on this one, so i have no clue... help please. i've only even bought stuff for one couple that got married and their registry was all plates and wine glasses and things like that... we have all that stuff! help!!

Answer 1

One thing I was adament on NOT registering for was fine china and fancy serving dishes. My mom talked me into it saying things like, "You never know when you'll be the one hosting holiday dinners years from now" and "This is the time to get nice stuff because you'll never buy it for yourself. People WANT to buy  you nice things."

So we both caved, and I'm really happy I saw it her way. We registered for eight place settings on fine china just so we have them someday, and we've already received some as engagement presents, and I LOVE them. What about a really nice knife set? Serving platters for turkeys, appetizers, chips, etc.? Could you use matching night stand lamps?

I agree with the first answerer, you might need to upgrade some of your pots and pans, furniture, etc. I know it's hard to think of stuff at first (my fiance and I lived together for two years before getting engaged, so we thought we were all set as well), but we ended up finding stuff that we wanted to upgrade (really nice towels, a new microwave, a nice vacuum, a laundry steamer).

I would walk around places like Bath Bath and Beyond and Target and find stuff that you know you've always wanted, but never bought yourselves.

Even if you still can't think of anything, register for fun things like a TV series on DVD (and maybe a new nice DVD player), or if you're still lost, register for a charity.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Can you upgrade anything in your home?  You said that you don't need anything but new sheets, but are there things that you have that you could upgrade?  Maybe you need a better coffee pot, or new mugs, or a new saucepan or something.

If you've been getting housewares for a long time, chances are they aren't all in perfect condition and since people are apparently begging to give you presents, this would be a nice time to upgrade some of those appliances.

Are you are your future husband living in a house and planning any repairs?  Maybe take a look at a few home improvement stores like home depot and lowes for renovating projects.  You can register at those stores as well.

Keep in mind that you never have to register for your wedding, but if you don't, you run the risk of ending up with a bunch of stuff you really don't need.

Answer 3

I would start upgrading some of the stuff you have at this point.  If you go to a place like Bed Bath & Beyond, they will give you a checklist, to help guide you through the process.  You may find somethings on there that you hadn't thought of.  Use this as a time to get somethings that you wouldn't normally buy for yourself like a clothes steamer, or jewelry cleaner, or that new margarita machine (so cool).  It's hard to think of things off the top of your head, but if you have a reference sheet that should help.

Answer 4

My sister is getting married in November. She and her fiance both have their own houses so they have double the things they need! They registered at Sears and the local sporting good store. They registered for tools, camping equipment, good sleeping bags, a new grill with all the barbeque accessories, TV and DVD (you can always use a spare TV somewhere), and lots of linens... towels, sheets, shower curtains, window curtains, sofa cover, rugs, placemats, cloth napkins.

EDIT: People's suggestions of registering at a home improvemnt store is a great idea. You can get things for the inside and outside of your home, like a garden hose or planters. I also remember when my friend was married a few years ago, she registered at Target and put CDs, movies, and printer cartidges on her registery.

Answer 5

Here are some ideas:

- Towels- even if you think you have enough you can always use more. They get worn quickly enough. They also aren't that expensive, so its reasonable to ask for.

- Photo albums and other ways to display/store pictures, you should have plenty after the wedding.

- More  sheets- you can always use spares.

- Tablecloths

- More glasses- they break (just don't do more than you can store)

-Extra silverware depending how much you bought

-More serving things, like ice cream scoops and different kinds of tongs that you don't have.

- Grilling utensils if you grill

Don't ask for cash, even doing it through word of mouth can offend some. You are starting a new household, so I am sure you will think of something. Honeymoon registries are considered tacky by lots of people. Many people will want to help you start a household, not pay for your vacation.

Be careful asking for upgrades. Don't ask for another one of anything you got from the engagement party, those people may look at your registry and wonder why what they got you wasn't good enough.

Answer 6

First of all, thank you for not ending your question with, "so how do I ask for cash." It's never appropriate to ask for cash as a gift.

The glorious thing though is if you have a limited registry (which I have a feeling you well) that is probably what you'll end up getting.

Ideas for the registry:

1. FIne china, not just the normal dishes that you currently have but heirloom pieces that will be with you the rest of your marriage

2. Same thing with silverware and stemware, good crystal, etc.

3. Any of those small appliances need upgrading?? any appliance you dont' have that you would like

4. What about hobbies you'd like to do together?? I've seen camping equipment, etc. on registries. It's a great gift for the couple if it's something they can do together.

Think of this as an opportunity to upgrade what you currently have and indulge yourself a bit.

Mainly, just go shopping around the store and put a few things on your registry in each price range. If you provide a limited registry, then your guests will either pick out something on their own or give cash. Everyone can use cash. :)

Answer 7

There are lots of things you can register for but don't necessarily need - art for the walls, clocks, candles, even vacuum cleaners. Interesting cake pans in cute shapes, fancy crystal bowls, etc. Extra sets of sheets and towels are always nice to have, as well as new pillows. At places like Bed Bath and Beyond you can register for outdoor things - grill sets, patio umbrellas. At Target you can register for things like tents and sleeping bags, or things for pets.

I think your best bet is just to go into a few different stores - Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Crate and Barrel, Macy's. Look around - see what they have. This might help you think of things that you need for your home, or that would just be nice to have around. I think you'll be surprised at what you find.

And this is mercenary but true - at Bed Bath and Beyond, you can return anything from your registry, even without a receipt, and get cash. I'm not saying you should orchestrate your gifts to come out with the maximum cash payout. But there's no law against registering for a few extra sets of towels or lamps, deciding which ones you like when they arrive, and then returning the others. I'm going to get a thumbs down for this, I think, but it's the hazard of insisting that a couple has a registry - they can easily take things back.

Answer 8

Don't register at TARGET!  I did for my baby shower and they wouldn't let me eve exchange items for a different size without a receipt!  They were awful.  Absolutely couldn't exchange all the newborn sizes for larger sizes and they were rude besides.  Same thing happened for my brother's wedding.  They got duplicates...stuff they didn't want...

but nothing could be returned to Target without a receipt.  It was a nightmare.  Register at Walmart instead.  They treat their customers with respect.  Also Home Depot...Sears...Lowes...or even gift cards are great.  Hope this helps.  

Answer 9

A home improvement store could be a great idea since you’re buying a house.

Target has a wide range of items. You could ask for sheets, window treatments for your house, lamps, end tables, etc. Literally anything in the store or the website can be added to your registry – board games, cleaning supplies, whatever. I asked for and got a LitterMaid (electric cat box) on mine.

Do you have a Z Gallerie near you? They’re a furniture and décor store and they offer a registry program: www.zgallerie.com/  Could be a way for you to get stuff to fill up your home.

If most of your guest are local to your area, boutiques often have registry programs as well and you could set on up that has home décor that you like.

Answer 10

well there has to be something you might want around the house

nice sheets

kitchen items you don't have

appliances

go to a department store and look around.  you are bound to find somethings

you can suggest gift cards to local stores and restaurants or close family you can ask for cash.

Answer 11

You can register almost anywhere these days.  Since you just bought a new house maybe consider registering at a home improvement store (like Home Depot or Lowe's).  You can get some must-have tools for around the house and gift cards because there are always little projects that need doing right when you move in that can cost a lot, and there are certain tools that a home owner should always have handy (a well-stocked tool box, electric drill, etc.)

My fiance and I are registering for typical kitchen/towel stuff but we are also registering for our honeymoon.  Since our families are so big our wedding is going to cost a lot, so there isn't really anything left for our honeymoon to Paris.  We found some good sites that help you plan your trip and break down the cost into reasonable "gift-sized" amounts, and people can buy you like certain dinners out, or tickets to a certain chow or museum on your trip.  

Some people might think it's tacky, but it's what we really want. And people keep asking us "what do you really want for your wedding", so do we lie and say "a glazed bowl" or be honest and say "help paying for dinner in the Latin Quarter".

I'm sure once you start decorating your new house, you will think of lots of things that you will need/want to register for.

Congrats!