Introduction
Almost
every newly married couple would love to receive a large
supply of wedding gifts that the couple will be able to
use for years. Typically, guests gave wedding gifts to couples
so that the couples would be able to start out on a decent
financial footing. The wedding gifts were designed as a
show of support from family, friends, and the community.
Gift
lists weren't common a few years ago, but wedding etiquette
is changing all the time. Nowadays, while it's certainly
not compulsory, most couples do have a list. The main advantage
is that you avoid 'ten toaster syndrome', in other words,
you don't get given lots of the same thing. Lists also give
your guests the confidence
to know that they're buying you something you really want,
rather than taking a chance and splashing out on something
you'll hate.
Obviously,
no wedding guest is obliged to buy a present at all, list
or no list - but most do, so why not give them the opportunity
to get the right thing?
It's
becoming increasingly acceptable to send out gift lists
with the invites, if only to avoid circulating lots of bits
of paper, but some people don't feel comfortable with it.
Traditionally, guests contact the bride's mother for information
about the list, but this can be a bit of a pain added to
the one thousand-and-one other things you and mum have to
organise.
A
gift registry can be utilized for the wedding
and shower alike, not only for the bride
but also for the groom.
Today,
gift giving at weddings has become even more complex, particularly
with the practice of having registries. Registries are lists
of gifts that the couple would like their guests to purchase
for them.
The
first thing to look at when deciding where to register is
the type of items that a couple would like to obtain as
gifts. The following is a list of possible places to register
when you are planning your wedding: Department
Stores, Speciality
Stores or Wedding
Stores.
Remember,
you do not have to register all in one place. It is now
typical to register at two or three different places. This
gives your guests a chance to purchase items from a place
near them. It also helps to provide them with options.
Whatever
store that you choose, you will want to make sure that they
have the technology
in place to create, maintain, and update a registry and
that your guests will be able to see the quantities you
request in real time as they are updated. Internet enabled
stores help with this process enabling your guests to see
the items that they want to view anywhere.
Department
Stores vs Online Stores
Many
brides no longer register their gift registries with department
stores – they register them with online websites.
The advantages to registering with online sites are:
- Prices
are clearly marked
so that guests can quickly see what is in their price
range.
- Purchasing
a gift online is fast and
convenient. There is usually a shopping
cart system which allows the guest to purchase the gifts
online with a credit card.
- Online
gift lists are accurate and up-to-date.
Gift lists at department stores are often inaccurate because
guests buy from different stores and the lists are manually
updated resulting in errors.
- There
are a wide variety of gifts
for the bride and groom to choose from. Online registries
usually have everything from cutlery and crockery to garden
furniture.
- Everything
is in writing.
If you are promised a discount, make sure you get it in
writing.
- Gifts
are mailed to you.
This saves the guests from going to the shop to purchase
the gift, waiting for the shop assistant to print out
the gift list and then standing in the queue to buy the
gift. It also saves your guest time because they don’t
have to wrap the present and it saves the guest the hassle
of taking it with them on your wedding day. It also saves
you having to arrange for someone to take your gifts to
the reception.
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