Too often, young and soon to be newlyweds understand the importance of registering a tad too late. Some write off the practice entirely, deeming it a tedious or even an embarrassing tradition, since gifts should come from the heart and not be demanded. But before overestimating your relatives’ gifting abilities and consequently, having to incorporate that mallard figurine from your quirky aunt (who was certain you’d love it) into your interior home design, consider how often in popular culture we hear the lines, “and that’s why you register”. Registering for the right gifts is a crucial part of setting up for a couple’s household and being able to do it the correct way, where the end results leave you with items that you can cherish and use for many years to come, is an essential step to beginning the new chapter of your life. While it may seem like a disorienting experience at first, with these step by step instructions on picking the best items, you’ll have the perfect registry in no time.
The early bird gets more than the ring
Weddings are stressful enough without having to be rushed to put together the perfect wish list. The rule of thumb when answering the question, “when?” is to have a website set up before any of the dates are set for your engagement or bridal shower parties. Punctual people will attend to it quickly, while the procrastinators get more than enough time to be reminded several times. At Scully and Scully, among other places, you can get started with your registry by setting up a personalized list on the website, easily searchable by the names of the bride and groom.
Entirely you, with a hint of timeless
Be honest with yourself when picking your gifts. Are they items that you can see yourself using for a long time? Or are they pieces that you think every household should have? You want to free yourself from the trap of choosing the gifts because you should, as early as possible. Ultimately, you make the rules for what you want and you shouldn’t shy away from trusting your taste and knowing your needs. Having said this, when picking items, also consider the important factor of timelessness, which doesn’t necessarily equate to traditional items. You can decorate and fill your home with avant-garde, esoteric or contemporary styles, as long as you keep in mind that most of us are susceptible to trends and are rarely happy when we fall for the hoax. With any style, always consider its timeless features such as durability, quality of making, and compatibility. Better yet, ask yourself the two questions listed below, and any item that doesn’t have you answering “yes” immediately, leave for when you have a certain set of items and you can afford the riskier choices.
- Does the item subscribe to the style you wish your home to be?
- Is the item timeless at least in one aspect (quality of making, style, durability and etc?)
Think: parties
Registries are the perfect way to begin collecting the items you need for entertaining in your home. It is equally an opportune time to plan your first hosting as a couple.
Use your registry for putting together all of the visually pleasing and equally functional items that you need in your home (not only in your kitchen!) for all the parties to come. Some examples below:
Having guests over after your wedding is also the best time to show your loved ones how their considerate gifts are being put to use!
But also think: life
The beauty of registries is that you can pick a variety of items with no questions asked. So while you can spend half of the allotted budget for the unique items that you use for special events, the other half you can designate for everyday use items. Here, you want to focus the most on the compatibility of the items with the rest of your interior design. If it’s kitchenware, try to get a theme going so that there is some coordination between your china, flatware and bar ware. If it’s decor, focus on accent colors and recreating the image you have in your mind of the space you’d like to inhabit. Some planning will save you much headache down the road, as you may realize that your items are too scattered in theme, color or function.
Some examples below:
The 3 rules of multi: multi-functional, multicolored and multi-textured
Why have items that serve you in limited ways when there is an alternative? Since this is the time to invest in the pieces of your future collection, get the most out of your investment by ensuring that most of your items meet at least one of the 3 criteria: multicolored, multi textured and/or multi-functional.
The usefulness of the multi-functional items is obvious but why multicolored and multi-textured? These qualities will serve you for when you want to enact some changes. You might be flirting with the thought instilling a mustard colored theme in your living room space but might be afraid that you’d outgrow the style fast. Luckily, just because you are committing to a lifelong partner does not mean you have to do this with every aspect of your life. In fact, take a break from the lifelong commitment by accepting that the interior design of your home can be very temporary, as long as you collect the pieces that allow for a smooth transition to other styles. Case in point:
It’s called getting hitched for a reason
Getting married is undoubtedly an important decision and we want to congratulate you on reaching this significant milestone. Equally important to note, the decision is only the beginning. Wedding planning is one of the first of many activities that requires both parties to be present and accessible, in order for everything to go smoothly. Despite it being stressful at times, putting together registries and in general, planning for the future can become an enjoyable experience if it is shared with your lifelong partner to be.
