Registering 101: When to Register

“When should I start my registry?”

You’re in love, you’re newly engaged, and you spend hours gazing into one another’s eyes…until Aunt Edna gives you a phone call asking why you haven’t picked out your silverware pattern yet. You might be surprised to learn that it’s common for friends and family to immediately ask where you’re registered so they can buy you an engagement gift or get started early on picking the wedding present.

Just like any group of people, when faced with a task, your group of guests will vary with regards to their punctuality towards buying a gift. Some people (The “Aunt Edna” type) will want to just buy it right away, some people will amble towards the store or computer when they remember, and a surprising number of people will procrastinate until the two weeks before the wedding. Ideally, your registry will be set up in time to accommodate all these types of guests so that you don’t have to spend precious wedding-planning time puzzling over whether or not to return gifts.

Besides wedding guest habits, another factor to consider is retailers’ inventory. Many major retailers change their inventory several times a year, which means if you register for on-trend items too early, many gifts may be hard to find or discontinued when your wedding rolls around.

Given retail patterns and guest habits, here are our recommendations:

Within 45 days of getting engaged:

• Create a registry with at least one store
• Seed it with items that you know you won’t change your mind on later
• Register for timeless items
  • Keep these gifts non-seasonal (i.e. non-related to holiday/fall/summer)
  • Appliances with long shelf lives are a good idea
  • If you already have thought of appliances/serveware that you are planning on using for your wedding celebration, go for it!

Within 8 to 5 months before the wedding:

• Decide all the places at which you want to be registered and create store registries there
• Begin spreading the word to your guests (for tips, see our previous Registering 101 post “How to get the word out”)
• Just as before, the earlier you register, try avoiding seasonal items. If you need to add items closer to your wedding, around the 1 month mark it’s safer to go for those non-year-round pieces. Retail staff can usually help you identify these gifts.

Quick hint: A good mid-point to check on your registries is two weeks before your bridal shower. Shower guests will look for your registry for gift ideas.

Enjoy your registering!

Posted in: Registry Favorites