The Savvy Bride - Wedding Planning & Tips » Bridal Registry

Bridal Registry Tips and Items You’ll Really Use

Jennifer — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:21:24 +0000

(ARA) – While the fondue pot and ice cream maker seem like must-haves when you’re adding items to your bridal registry, it’s important to ask yourself, “Will I really use these items on a regular basis?” You may want to reconsider your selections. And, although making a wedding gift wish list can be daunting, the following tips can keep the happy couple celebrating wedded bliss for years to come.

Registry Basics
Before you and your sweetheart start scanning items for your registry, do your homework. Consider the size of your space and where you will store your new items. If you’re living in an apartment or smaller condominium, you may want to rethink registering for the super-deluxe size barbecue grill. You’ll be surprised how quickly your new gifts can fill up your space.

Next, think about your guest list. Make sure that you have a variety of items to choose from and at different price points — high and low — so guests can purchase items they feel reflect their own taste and that they can afford. Be sure to consider your out-of-town guests as well, by registering for items that are available both at nationwide locations and online, such as Target and Bed Bath & Beyond, to help ensure they can access your registries from anywhere.

Kitchen and Bath Registry Ideas and Necessities

Now that the registry basics are covered, the fun can begin. Start with the rooms that you live in and use the most — the kitchen and bathroom.

Do you like to host dinner parties? Fine china should be on your list. According to theknot.com, crisp black-and-white dinnerware patterns are all the rage this season. Find something that will not only match your taste and decor, but also be a classic design for years to come.

Want to skip the china, but love to cook? Register for a complete collection of high-end cookware. Stores, such as Sur La Table, offer cool cooking gadgets for the basic, well-stocked and gourmet kitchens alike.

In addition to registering for the mainstays in the kitchen, such as sterling silver flatware and crystal stemware, don’t forget about everyday items like measuring cups and spoons, a kitchen scale, electronic timers or even a microwave oven.

Love a spa feeling and want to re-create it in your bathroom at home? Then don’t settle for a plain, ordinary shower experience when you can create an invigorating one. Register for a new showerhead. Many new showerheads, such as the Enliven showerhead from Moen (available at Target), offer multiple settings that suit any mood — “Relaxing” wide spray, “Invigorating” concentrated spray and “Refreshing” combination spray. Available in fixed and handheld versions, both feature a spray selector, making it easy to change settings and keep you and your spouse singing in the shower.

Continue to create your spa-like, romantic atmosphere by registering for luxury bath towels and high-thread-count sheets. Other items to consider, both extravagant and necessary, include: a down comforter, feather bed, pillows, alarm clock with dual alarms and a closet organizer.

Beyond the Registry

If you and your significant other are looking for adventure instead of objects, why not create memories instead? Family and friends can help purchase items including your airfare, honeymoon suite or candlelit dinners at your vacation destination on sites such as www.honeymoonwishes.com or www.thebigday.com. Register for horseback riding or scuba diving adventures for you and your sweetheart to have memories that will last a lifetime.

Finding Inspiration

Still need help finding inspiration before registering? Retailers, such as Target, offer planning ideas and buying guides on their Web site by category to help get you started.
Recent, popular items to register for include:

* Luggage
* Tool kit
* Bagless vacuum or steam cleaner
* Patio furniture
* Ultra compact digital camera (to help capture memories of your special day and new life together)

Before taking the big walk down the aisle, make sure you’re prepared with necessities that will last long after saying “I do.”

For more information about the Enliven three-setting showerheads available at Target, visit moen.com, or call (800) BUY-MOEN.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

A New Concept in Bridal Gift Registry Emerges: My Dream Home Registry Offers an Alternative in Changing Times

Jennifer — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:15:05 +0000

My Dream Home Registry opens its doors to the designing public with advantages never before possible.

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) November 8, 2007 — The average age of brides and grooms is increasing for the approximate 2.5 million new weddings each year in the United States. Most individuals are already living quite comfortably on their own when that special someone comes along. “Though blenders and china can be useful wedding gifts, newly married couples these days often have bigger ideas in mind.” With MyDreamHomeRegistry.Com they can register for the gifts they really want and need for their home.

My Dream Home Registry allows couples to register for just about anything, especially those big-ticket items. Paint, flooring, contractors, and furniture are just the beginning.” By combining some of the web’s most popular interactive tools, mydreamhomeregistry.com allows couples to completely customize their gift registry centered on individual rooms in their home. They can share plans, upload images, and involve their guests in the process from start to finish.

Friends and family purchase gift units for a given room starting at just $10. When a sufficient amount of money is raised, the couples pay any vendor, retail store, or service provider they choose. Need a plumber, new sofa, or new baby room? Done. Complete freedom for couples to make their own decisions on the items they really need, not just what a particular store happens to offer.

If it sounds complicated, it’s not. Registering is an easy 4-step process and couples can return to edit or update their registry any time. MyDreamHomeRegistry.com offers toll-free customer support; free enclosure cards, and advice from professionals in the design and construction industry. My Dream Home Registry is also perfect for Baby Registries, Birthdays, Retirement, or just about any occasion a gift registry is needed.
Company History
My Dream Home Registry was founded by Interior Designer Kristin Hannah and business partner Brian Waspi. Many of the couples friends were just getting married or having a baby. The request for helping with their gift registries lead to an important discovery; that there are many problems with the traditional registries available today:

1. Not everyone wants to buy from the large department stores
2. Boutique stores or other special finds are not available for a registry
3. No cash back policy for returned items so clients were limited to the choices from that store
4. Exact sizes, color schemes, etc. needed to be know before having the baby or design their home
5. Couples could not ask friends & family to purchase a large-ticket item as a gift
6. There were few other choices for people who already had pots and pans & the home essentials
7. Who has time to visit 10 different stores looking for gift options while trying to plan everything else

After trying the different options, and doing research about what was available, the idea for a new concept in gift giving was born; one that successfully avoids the above registry pitfalls while accommodating everybody involved.

For more information please visit http://www.mydreamhomeregistry.com
or Contact Brian Waspi at 800-845-2750 or via email bwaspi@mydreamhomeregistry.com

Classic Bridal Shower Gifts NOT on the Bride’s Registry

Jennifer — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 03:07:19 +0000

Classic gifts are always an easy choice to make when shopping for any occasion. The definition of a classic gift can be very different when relating to different individuals. Buying a classic bridal shower gift is sometimes difficult as the bridal shower gift is typically less expensive and extravagant than the gift you will give as a wedding gift. It is also hard to avoid buying something on the bride’s gift registry. A gift registry is meant more for the actual wedding rather than the bridal shower. This article will give you some ideas for classic bridal gifts that the bride to be probably does not have on her registry. When buying a bridal shower gift it can be simplified by deciding what category of gift you would like to purchase.

Household gifts are a timeless choice when it comes to bridal showers. A laundry basket filled with household cleaners wrapped in cellophane would be a wonderful gift for the bride to be that is moving to her own house for the first time. A similar gift would be a nice wicker basket filled with non-perishable foods that would be handy in case the bride and groom are short on time after the honeymoon. A recipe box with plenty of recipes for every occasion is another great clever, but yet classic, gift for a young couple just beginning their lives together. Bath towels and wash clothes may be on the registry but are still a great gift for most newlyweds. If you want to focus on the bride and want a gift to make her feel special you could get her a gift basket of bubble bath and other great smelling lotions and such. Christmas ornaments are another great classic gift that many people do not realize a newlywed couple would need. How many of celebrated our first Christmas with our new husband with some really beautiful Christmas ornaments? Picture frames are another great classic gift that any newlywed could use. The picture frame could be geared towards the wedding theme or maybe the couples honeymoon trip or even their pet if they have one.

Clothing attire is also a classic choice; it can be just for the bride to be or for both the bride to be and the groom to be. Matching flannel pajamas for the couple would be a fun and yet practical wedding shower gift. Maybe get the bride to be flannel pajamas with the feet in them. If the couple lives in a warmer area of the world maybe you could buy them a gift of extra large beach towels. Beach towels would be a great idea as the couple would more than likely have a use for them on the honeymoon. A nice accompaniment to the beach towels could be a bottle of suntan lotion or sun block for that tropical honeymoon. A nice comfy bath robe would be another classic gift the bride to be would probably not think of for herself. Give her a nice bottle of luxurious bubble bath or bath beads with the robe. Slippers for the couple would be a cute and useful idea as well. Personalize then with monogram of the newlywed’s initials or simply “Mr.” and “Mrs.”

You could also choose to go with a more unique gift. A picnic basket with all the necessary dishes, wine glasses, napkins, checkered picnic blanket and utensils necessary for a romantic picnic would be a wonderful gift. You could get the couple a nice wine chiller with a nice bottle of wine. Board games such as Monopoly or Sorry would be a great classic gift that a newlywed couple would not think to register for.

Buying a bridal shower gift can be very fun and it should be. You do not have to give wash clothes and spoons. Not everyone needs pots and pans; make the gift fun and unique, but you can still keep it classic. Whether you go with a household gift, clothing, or something completely original the bride to be and groom to be will appreciate the effort. If you choose to use the bride’s gift registry maybe you could put your own unique touch the gift by wrapping it uniquely or having it personalized.