By Kate Sembor
Whew! Six months into planning our wedding, I was really starting to run out of steam. Every week there seemed to be another deadline or check to sign with no end in sight!
Enter: The Wedding Registry! After delving deep this past weekend into all things registry, I can honestly say that I have renewed excitement for our big day. Taking one morning to spend time with Kyle registering for gifts was just what we both needed to relax and have some fun.
We researched and found so many options for our registry — it was hard to pick just one! Traditional department stores like Macy’s or specialty stores like Crate and Barrel offer almost anything you could desire for the home as well as helpful registry checklists, planners, and even in-store parties and demonstrations. If you already have your home accessories, there are great online options where your friends and family can donate monetary gift to a honeymoon fund (like Honeyfund or Wanderable) house project, or even a down payment on a new home.
Gone are the days when brides only registered for towels and bake-ware (although these items are still awesome!); it has become the new normal to include power tools or grill-ware for your hubby, or unique items that describe who you are a couple, like a kayak or hammock!
In the end, we decided on having both a small in-store registry for physical gifts and a Honeyfund that will help us create our dream honeymoon. Our family and friends can have both options and we will appreciate each as we start our life together. Our wedding website even allowed us to pick a favorite charity to benefit from our registry gifts — Win-win!
After spending the weekend in registry mode, we are not completely done registering (and that is OK!). Take your time, have fun, and do not be afraid to change the items on your registry or go back and add more after you have had more time to think about your needs. With more options now, you are bound to find something that fits your lifestyle.
This was probably the wedding activity I found the most enjoyable to date, and it was so fun to include my fiancé in something we both found exciting. It was a great chance for us to dream together about our future and envision the life we will have as a married couple. Bring on the remaining wedding checklist!
