Bridal Registry

The Bridal Registry is a service offered by a store or other organisation where a couple’s gift preferences are listed so they are available to family and friends. You don't have to just use one store; use several. That way, you know you will get a range of items you actually want and keep your own unique style. It is best to register as soon as possible so that folk have a range of relevant choices they know you will appreciate as gifts for engagement, bridal showers, brunches or just a simple ‘Congratulations!’ However, do take your time in selecting the items. I know it sounds like a very materialistic job but it is, in fact, far from that; you will be staring at that salt cellar for many years together so feel free to discuss, quibble, reject, adapt. It is your home, your pleasure, your future you are planning together in a very real way; you are not just grabbing all you can get so don't feel pressured to rush the list. And don't put stuff on because you feel you should; if you rarely entertain or drink wine, you don't really need two dozen tall-stemmed wine glasses. However, if you do barbecue regularly, maybe forks or baking pans are more useful.

Nevertheless, your lifestyles will change to some extent so do not dismiss a large fruit bowl or a carving knife; you may be hosting a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner in the future! You need to list both the desirables and the essentials, something formal and special and something everyday but still feeling unique to you both. Some stores have a year long completion discount of up to 15% of stuff you don't manage to get by your wedding. And you can have a range of items - from the very cheap to the more expensive, the traditional to the fun and funky. If in doubt, ask for more plates! The items you really do need should go at the top of the list while the more eclectic ones towards the bottom. What is the point of having a lovely gravy boat if you have not one saucepan to make it in?

Also, get to know your terms and definitions: the thread count of cotton and linen, what is crystal, cut glass, copper-bottomed pans, casual china, fine china and bone china? Avoid focusing on seasonal items. Even if you get married in the summer, you are not going to be always dining outdoors. Include a registry for wacky, desirable items too like spa treatments, a year’s car valeting voucher, paintings, outdoor and indoor games, a decent camera or an artisan skills class

You can check up on your bridal registry regularly and, if it is being completed early, restock it with different items. Or if all the cheap items have gone, replenish so guests still have a choice and are not stuck with the hundred dollar juicer or the two hundred dollar bedlinen.

Many great stores have registries including Crate & Barrel, Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma, Kohl’s, Honeyfund and Lemox.

Choosing the items you want in your new home is a fundamental part of the wedding; guests would rather get your something you want and will use, remembering them sweetly, rather than something irrelevant so have fun with your bridal registry.