Anyone who is married will tell you that planning and arranging a wedding is an almighty task. From organising the actual wedding venue itself, to the dress, the reception, the bridesmaids, the flowers, and a whole host more. There are some small details of a wedding that can be made much easier for the soon to be Mr and Mrs, and one of those details is wedding gifts.
How Can Gifts Be A Problem?
Gifts can cause no end of problems to both the bride and groom, as well as the wedding guests themselves. No bride has the time, (or patience) to field a hundred people asking the same question ‘What would you like as a wedding gift?’, and there is nothing more annoying and embarrassing than receiving duplicate presents, or even worse presents that are actually no use to you whatsoever.
People will want to buy the happy couple a gift anyway, so it makes sense to have a system in place that allows guests to know exactly what the couple would like, and also lets the guests to know what they have all brought in advance so they don’t double up on gifts.
Well ladies and gents there is good news, because such a system does actually exist and is called a Bridal Registry.
How Does a Bridal Registry Work?
A bridal register is a centralised system where the couple can decide on one or more retail outlets they would like their gifts to come from, and then let’s them set up a wanted list which can then be accessed by guests when it comes to decision time.
A very useful feature of the system is that as each gift is purchased it is automatically removed from the list so that there is no risk of duplication. Delivery is also taken care of by the retailer, so guests do not have to worry about lugging around a beautifully wrapped ironing board with them on the day of the wedding!
Is this system hard to set up? Actually not at all. The steps are very simple, and easy to follow.
Decide On Your Stores
A gift registry can be made up of one or more stores (and don’t forget Easy Weddings has its own gift registry). What many people seem to take advantage of very successfully is the large department stores. These are always popular with guests and couples alike as they normally have a huge range of departments, and allows you to select gifts from a larger range of products.
Arrange The Details
You will need the store concerned to have all the vital details involving your wedding. They will need to know the date and location of your wedding, and then of course your name and contact details. This enables them to arrange delivery of your gifts, as well as making sure your guests do not end up buying gifts for the wrong couple!
Decide What You Want
This is the fun part! This is where you get to decide on a selection of gifts that your guests can then choose from. Most stores have basic templates that you can use, however it is a good idea to select our own gifts so you are sure to get what you really want.
A good idea is to think in terms of budget. Not all of your guests are going to want to splash out on a 50 inch LCD television so it is a good idea to pick some more expensive items, but then balance that out with some more affordable items.
Most big stores now offer the ability to set up your registry on the Internet. This gives your guests the chance to actually see the gifts before they select them. If they are not fans of the Internet then they can of course just visit the store in person, and make their choice and purchase at the same time.
Let Them Know
This is actually the part that often causes the most distress to couples. Now you have your registry set up you now have to let your guests know about it. Many people worry that having a message sent out to guests asking them to buy your gifts in this way can come across as rude, however if done tastefully it really doesn’t.
You have a number of ways to let your guests know what you have planned. The store that is running the registry for you will normally be able to supply you with formal registry cards that give your guests full details of how to purchase gifts using the system. These cards could be sent out along with the wedding invitation.
If you didn’t feel comfortable sending the gift card request with the invitation, and you don’t mind paying for a little extra postage then you could always send them out separately as you receive your replies.
Another option you have is to have a wedding website, or even Facebook group where you are able to keep guests up to date with any arrangements or plans you have made. Here, you can casually mention the gift registry without making it sound like the prime focus of your contact.
A Great Idea
Wedding days should be as stress free as possible, and bridal gift registries do take the sting out of one of the issues that keeps popping up when people talk about common wedding problems.
They are easy to set up, easy for guests to use, they ensure that the happy couple gets something they really want and need, and that guests money is not wasted.
Timothy Ng lives, breathes, and sleeps personal finance! Check out his in-depth guide to no balance transfer fee credit cards where he answers everything you need to know to help consolidate your debt using balance transfer credit cards.
