Wedding Gifts and Your Gift Registry

Wedding gifts

People enjoy being generous and giving wedding gifts. It is also always fun to be the recipient of a gift. The value of gift giving is both on the part of the giver and the receiver. As the giver of a gift, we worked and spent part of our life to gain the money and resources to purchase that gift. As such, in gift-giving, we are sharing ourselves.

As receivers of gifts, we think of the giver, their generosity, and perhaps the sacrifice they made to pay for the gift. We are humbled and grateful for our relationship. Weddings are those times when the meaning and value of our relationships are brought to the forefront.

Your guests will be considering wedding gifts. Establishing a gift registry is a good way to provide ideas and make it easy for your friends and family to purchase meaningful gifts. A gift registry also sets the framework and provides a range of gift and price options.

Begin your registry

Establish your gift registry no later than three months prior to your wedding. Six to nine months' notice is best.

You can create a gift registry at many online and fixed-location retail outlets. There are also online resources where you can consolidate, and add items from any store, both online and fixed location stores, as well as include requests for cash donations. Be sure to check if there are service fees for any of these services. It is also important to understand the return policy if an item is not as you expected.

Ideas for wedding gifts

Start by selecting wedding gifts that you would most want, and those that are your highest priority. Ensure that there is a wide price range. You should include both outlets that are strictly online, as well as retail stores that have a fixed location.

When considering gift categories, think of the rooms in your home and what you might need or want for each room. Rooms will have standard elements. Bedrooms will always have bedding, blankets, and pillows. Bathrooms will always have towels, vanity sets, cabinet organizers, etc. Outdoor items can range from decorative garden items to patio furnishings. You will probably be going on your honeymoon. A new set of luggage may be one of those practical items that fall into the “need” category.

More unique gift suggestions to include in your gift registry might be a live concert or theater tickets, a Michelin dining experience, a monthly wine subscription from a preferred winery, a week at a timeshare owned by a guest, a hot air balloon ride, etc.

Update your wedding gift registry

Update your list regularly. As guests select items and the list becomes smaller, add to the list to ensure there are still plenty of options available for guests who wait to make their selections.

Share your registry

Share your list by providing family and friends with a small card that they can reference should guests ask. The card should contain details about where you are registered as well as an online link to the list. It is appropriate to provide a separate card with this information if you use printed wedding invitations. Reference to the information should also be included if you use electronic wedding invitations.

Generostiy

Generosity 

Generosity goes both ways. You can be generous by knowing that some may prefer to purchase a gift that is not included in your registry. Some may be comfortable with online shopping, and some will want to personally see and touch the gift. No matter the preferences of your guests, they are being generous and kind.

Thank you

Do not wait until after your wedding to say thank you. As soon as you receive the gift, promptly send the thank you note. It is done, and it will give you peace of mind. You will also not need to come back from your honeymoon with a to-do list when you may be trying to get settled.

Keep a record of whom you have sent a thank you card and when you sent it. The thank you should come from both you and your fiance. If it is helpful, you can write an initial statement in the thank you cards ahead of time. Something like the following is appropriate. The missing words can be filled in later. If you choose this option, have a box or basket with the thank you cards, as well as one pen. You must use the same pen to fill in the missing words.

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