The holidays are a popular time for there to be an uptick in engagements and I am happy to provide you ladies with some tips as you prepare your wedding registry. Before I get into the nitty gritty, I want you to hear me say this – you do not need a thing. As you and your person prepare your hearts for a life of partnership into whatever venture God has called you, you really just need each other.

Can I tell you something to think about before a registry? A wedding planner. I can not recommend it enough. I’ve been blessed to work as a planner for a few weddings on my own and then joined my friend Krisy’s team at Southern Sparkle Weddings & Events (@southernsparkleweddings) as an assistant and I say this with zero hesitation – it is the best thing you will do for you and your mate but also for your friends and family so that everyone can enjoy your day. You may think that you cannot afford it but I would say, you cannot afford not to have one. 🙂

Ok on to the registry!

First things first: Where do you normally shop?

When trying to decide where to have a registry, think about where you like to shop and also where those who love you might prefer shopping. If you do most of your shopping in an online space that offers registries then yes, go online and sign up but if the majority of those who love and support you and who will be shopping your registries prefer an in person shopping experience, you might want to choose a second registry.

When we were pregnant with Henry and created a baby registry, we created one on Amazon because it is so convenient but we also chose Target because we knew there would be ladies from his home town that would want options that did not involve online shopping – there was the added benefit that Target price matches.

Another thing to think about when choosing where to have a registry is which store provides the best incentives for your registry. Most stores and online shops that offer registries also offer incentives like an extended return period, after wedding discount and group gifting options so make sure to read up on which ones offer the incentives that matter to you.

Lastly, if you are looking for all online registries, you may want to use a site like Zola to compile items from multiple stores in one place.

Ok, next – What goes on the list?

If you already know where you’ll be living, this will be helpful in deciding what you need. i.e. If you will have a small kitchen with limited storage, keep that in mind when registering for kitchen items. With that said, you also might want to think about storage saving items to put on your list like bins that slide under your bed if your closet space is limited.

It’s also helpful to do an inventory with your fiancé on what household items you already have and plan to keep.

I found a checklist online by Target that I’ve linked below that will be helpful as you decide what you need to prepare your home for your new life together.

This checklist will give you a good start but think beyond items for your home and think about items for your life.

Do you guys love hosting game nights?

Include some board games and a nice serving platter for game night snacks.

Do the two of you love camping?

Register for a tent.

Do you love to travel?

Put that Away luggage you’ve been eyeing (and is totally worth it – trust me!) and a Southwest gift card.

Your people love you and are excited about this new season of life and want to celebrate not just the new home you’ll enjoy but the life you get to spend together.

The last thing I’ll add is just a little insight on what our wedding registry experience was like.

We registered at Target and at a small boutique back home. If we were getting married today, we’d likely add an all in one online registry like Zola or an amazon one to have a wider selection but at the time, everything I knew to register for was at Target. Like with any registry, you’ll have some people who want to buy you things from the list and some people may just know you and have something in mind that they want to give that’s not on your list.

On the day before my first shower, my sister-in-law called and asked if everything had been purchased on my registry? I knew that could not be the case and so I looked and EVERYTHING was gone. I called Target customer service and while I did have to push them to keep looking, they did finally find it and got it back online for me. I say this not to turn you off from Target – that was six years ago and their technology is much better now. We did a baby registry in 2019 and it worked like a charm with no mishaps.

What we found is that many people gave gift cards to go towards what was left on the list and that was SO helpful. We were able to purchase everything else we needed with those gift cards and still had some leftover. AND because everything was in one place and we received so many gift cards for that store, we used their after wedding discount, which saved a good chunk of change.

I will add – don’t be afraid to add something that feels expensive. Many registries offer group gifts where you can put money towards a pricey item of a group of ladies from your church might go in together to get it for you. So if you want that Kitchenaid mixer but can’t image someone shelling out $400 for it, you put that baby on there and may the odds be ever in your favor. You might be pleasantly surprised to open it at a bridal shower or you’ll be like me and get a good little discount off of it after the wedding. WIN WIN! 🙂

What other questions do you have that I didn’t cover?

Do you have wedding/marriage related questions outside of registries?

Send me an email at casey@caseyegrooms.com and I’ll be happy to help!