Wedding Registry Etiquette

Involve the Groom

It's easy to go crazy. After all, there are department stores and websites filled with high end merchandise, most of which would look fabulous in your new home. Best of all, you won't be paying for it, so why not just go ahead and check off all of the most adorable items? Before you get carried away, consult with the groom. Tiny pink flowers might be your idea of the perfect china pattern, but your husband to be might not into something so floral. Before you register at any department store, proper wedding registry etiquette dictates you consult with your husband to be. He may have some great ideas.

Never Ask

Asking for a specific wedding gift is tacky. Even though many registries provide cute little cards that go in with your wedding invitations, it's very bad etiquette to include these. In fact, it's considered very bad etiquette to seem like you're requesting gifts at all – even if you're registered. Your best bet is to let your wedding guests ask your family members or those in your wedding party. If you have a wedding website, you can discreetly post the information there as well.

Consider your Guests

When you're checking off the boxes next to the most expensive items in the registry, do consider your guests. Will they be able to afford these items? Will they feel obligated to purchase something that isn't in their price range? If you don't believe the majority of your guests will be able to afford the gifts you have checked off, rethink including them in the registry. If expensive items are that important to you, consider using any money given as wedding gifts to purchase these items.

Also, is the store a national chain or department store? Can your guests order gifts online? If you registered from a neighborhood store and not a chain, your out of town guests may have difficulty purchasing gifts from your registry. Make sure your choice of gift registries are convenient for all concerned.

Wait Until After the Wedding

If you get gifts before the Big Day, put them aside. Don't open them, and most especially, don't use them. Never mind that many people feel it's bad luck to use a wedding gift before the wedding, but if the wedding is called off the gifts will need to be returned.

Non Traditional Gifts

Engaged couples may now register for a few non- traditional gifts including an account set up to help with the down payment on a home or a honeymoon registry. There are those who wonder whether or not such registries fall within the guidelines of proper wedding registry etiquette. I'm happy to report that it indeed acceptable to register for one of these alternative type wedding registries. Some of your guests might not want to contribute to a house or honeymoon however, so you may want to register with a department store as well.

Visit our Wedding Registry page to register for your wedding gifts. All your favorite registries, in one convenient place!