Wedding Gifts Registry Vs. Personal Gift
Ildalynn Elazar
Going into the wedding season as a guest looking at your five wedding invitations for the summer, it can be overwhelming to know what to give the multiple happy couples. But have no fear, we will go through a guide to wedding gifts and what to know walking into wrapping all those presents.
Registry:
Most couples who are getting married will register at one store. It is very common to have registered at many stores not only in physical stores but as well as online ones as well, like Amazon. Some people are reluctant to use the registries because of a lack of connection to the present you choose because you are just picking it off a list instead of knowing what the happy couple would like/need. Which is understandable, but let’s look back on why registries became more common in mainstream society.
In the past, most women would go straight from their parents’ house to being married, while bachelors would have only the bare minimum or have similar situations where they have nothing. The couple was starting a family together and did not have all the items needed to make a home. So they would ask their friends, family, and community members for help.
In modern society, this is often not the case. Often, both partners have lived life as an adult before choosing to get married. So for many couples, there are a couple of items that they need but also items on the list that they desire as well. But they chose all the items on the list because they do either need or want them. Just because you didn’t get to see the need before you chose it does not take away the impact that it will have on the couple. And, as a bonus, you can often pick and have the gift delivered all from the comfort of your home.
Non Registered Items:
Choosing to give the couple a gift that was one that they did not register for can be a really sweet thing to do. However, it can also be more of a hindrance than you might realize. Let us say that you are out shopping and see this beautiful bowl and you think that would be a perfect gift for someone’s wedding. So you buy it and give it to them. But what you do not get to see is that they were just given the same bowl by someone else. So now they have to take the time to return said bowl and exchange it for another item that they would use. Modern registries will track who bought what and what is still available for others to buy to prevent repeat gifts.
If you are a DIY king or queen who loves to make unique and special gifts for the couple that would be difficult to repeat, then go for it. Or if this gift is not mass produced and specific to the couple, then that would be a great gift. There is nothing wrong with choosing a gift not on the registry. It is just important to be cognizant of what gift you choose.
