The Registry

First of all, ugh. Josh and I have been avoiding creating any type of registry for our wedding, but now that people have received our invitations, they’re starting to call to RSVP and “oh by the way, are you guys registered anywhere?”

Josh claims he can keep telling people that we’re not registered and we’re not planning to register. My two engaged girlfriends at work gasped when I mentioned we hadn’t registered, and one warned me that because we’re not, we’re going to end up receiving crystal swans with no receipt.

The problem is that stuff, especially kitchen/home stuff, isn’t all that important to us. We aren’t stellar cooks, I have no interest in fancy china, and we already have some nice knives and good quality pots & pans. Plus, we recently consolidated two apartments into one, so we don’t really a lot of room for new stuff. I’ve heard people say that weddings are a nice time to upgrade the stuff you already have, but I don’t feel comfortable asking people to spend money on things that I’m not convinced I would buy myself.

And part of me hates the fact that registries are so friggin’ domestic. You’re “supposed” to register for the big KitchenAid mixer, fine china, tablecloths, placemats, and fancy sheets. Although I know it’s more common now to register for stuff like electronics or camping gear, so maybe my anger is misplaced. :) And hey, if nice china gets you fired up, awesome. Whatever works for you.

We considered a honeymoon registry since we both love to travel and our hopefully month-long trip to New Zealand for next fall/winter won’t be cheap. But that kind of went out the window when we realized that we don’t have any of that planned, and our plans for the mini-moon following the wedding aren’t very well defined yet either. Plus, while many people think honeymoon registries are great, the other camp thinks they’re tacky. And if that’s tacky, asking for cash is definitely out.

Also, the wedding registry is basically the ultimate birthday list, and my own family can attest to how terrible I am at coming up with birthday lists.


What I really would like to say to our guests is this:

“We’re thrilled that you’re able to share this important day with us, and we’re flattered that you’re willing to travel all the way to Florida to spend the weekend with us. That is gift enough. Your attendance is perfect. So come, have a great time, and enjoy the vacation.”

Really, we don’t need any gifts. r e a l l y. If people insist, we might suggest that they make a donation to their favorite charity and tell us a little about why that cause is important to them.


So. Any bets on whether we’ll avoid the crystal swans?