Wedding gift registries have moved on from mundane household appliances and pretty floral patterned china, and it’s now possible for couples to register for just about anything when they get married. With an increase in the number of couples that set up home together before marriage, alternative gift lists are becoming ever more varied and popular.
Here are six of the latest wedding gift list trends:
Lifestyle lists
A new trend in wedding gift registries is for lifestyle gift lists, where guests can contribute towards club memberships, or special interests the couple might have. Good examples include contributions to health club or golf club membership for sports enthusiasts, buying garden centre vouchers for horticulturalists, and stocking the wine cellar of wine lovers.
Experience lists
Experience lists allow the couple to take part in activities or sports that they wouldn’t usually pay for. Experiences could include cookery classes, a hot air balloon ride, race car driving, a couple’s spa day, or a hospitality day at a favourite sports venue.
Charity lists
For couples who feel that they don’t need presents themselves, but want to give something to people that do, a charity list is a great way to put guests’ generosity to good use. You can simply ask guests to contribute to a particular charity, or you can actually create a list so guests can see what they are buying. One guest might by a clean drinking water supply for a family in the third world, while another might pay for the education of an orphaned child.
Honeymoon lists
Asking guests to contribute towards the cost of your honeymoon is a very practical way to enjoy your wedding gifts. Most tour companies now offer honeymoon registries with an initial deposit, and guests can either make a general contribution towards the holiday of a lifetime, or can pay for specific items such as a romantic dinner, a diving experience, or an excursion during the trip.
Traditional household lists
Many couples do still choose to register for household items, but even these lists are taking on a different style. Traditional delicate china is being replaced by chunky crockery in bold colours and patterns, and couples are registering for luxury domestic items such as a designer retro laundry pails, funky coloured clothes hangers, or quirky cooking utensils. Glassware is still a popular item on many gift registries, and oversized champagne flutes in unusual shapes are particularly fashionable.
Variety lists
For those couples that just can’t decide on one type of gift list, the internet is providing the opportunity to mix and match. There are a huge number of companies now offering variety gift lists which allow you to register for items from a number of different retailers, as well as signing up for lifestyle or experience lists. If you choose this option remember not to spread your choices to wide or you may find you get just a little bit of everything, and not very much of anything.
