If you’re a bride-to-be, you know that a wedding registry can be useful to make your wants and needs for wedding gifts readily available to your guests. But like any other decision you make when planning a wedding, there are pros and cons.

Here are some things to consider when registering (or not) for things to make the gift-giving fun and practical!

Pros of a Wedding Registry

  • Gift-giving made easy. Wedding registries undoubtedly make gift-giving easier for your guests. The purpose of it is to let your guests know exactly what you need for your new married life and take the guesswork out of choosing a gift.
  • Convenience for all. With the ability to buy and ship directly online, registries are convenient for all guests, especially those who are traveling from out of town and don’t want to have to transport it to the wedding.
  • Get what you really need. The majority of couples today live together before they get married and likely have accumulated traditional gift items. A wedding registry helps you get what you as a couple actually need.
  • Anytime and anywhere. The effectiveness of online shopping allows delivery anytime and anywhere, making it nicer for your guests! They can shop and the store will wrap the gift, enclose a card and deliver it right to you.
  • Customize it. Items on a gift registry can be truly personalized to the couple’s taste and style. There are no rules for what a couple should include on their registry. In addition, most stores manage your list for you, which diminishes the risk of receiving unwanted or multiple items.

Cons of a Wedding Registry

You have everything you need and don’t necessarily want more items for your home. Perhaps you lived together for a long time, or you just really like what you already have. In this case, it is probably best not to register for more household items.

  • Guests may not like the purchase price of more expensive items. Looking greedy is the last thing you want to do. Even if you include some lower-priced items on your list, they may be purchased first, leaving other guests to choose from the more expensive presents.
  • You don’t want gifts at all. Maybe this is not your first marriage, or you just don’t want gifts for your wedding. This might be a challenging one for your guests since most guests like to get a gift. But you could try mentioning to family and friends that you really don’t want gifts and direct them to a favorite charity instead.
  • Truthfully, you’d prefer cash. There is an unwritten rule that if you don’t have a wedding registry it means you want cash. If you’d really prefer cash, you can spread the word kindly to family and close friends. If asked about gifts, you can say that you are trying to save for something in particular.
  • Guests feel limited. Some wedding guests may find choosing a gift from your registry list to be impersonal, especially if they are set on selecting a certain gift and don’t want to feel limited to a certain few stores.
  • Uncomfortable about the price. Guests may not be comfortable with the couple knowing exactly how much they spent on a gift.
  • Worried about a gift. You are worried your friends can’t afford a gift and you want them to just attend your wedding and not worry about a gift too.

So, that’s our pro/con list regarding a wedding registry! Let us know if we missed any. Whatever you and your spouse-to-be choose to do, make sure that it’s something you both want. It’s your day and your life!