Do you need a wedding register? Modern day wedding etiquette
Did you know that you don’t actually have to have a wedding register? Despite what your mother or mother-in-law to-be may say, a gift registry is no longer an absolute requirement for the modern day wedding.
Many couples live together before tying the knot these days, often making a wedding register - traditionally used to kit out the couple’s new home - redundant.
Before we get too carried away from the idea however, there are a few reasons why you should consider having a register:
- It makes it easy on your guests - they’re going to get you a gift either way, and a register makes it easy to know what to get
- It makes it easy on you - if you make a list of things you might actually like, chances are you’ll end up with more things you like than things you don’t like or need
If you do want to have a register but don’t necessarily need a whole lot of things think of it as an opportunity to upgrade some items and to get some more useful and fun things.
Clever wishing well items include:
- Board games
- A tent or camping gear
- Travel guidebooks
- Cookbooks
- A picnic blanket or set
If this doesn’t suit your style, luckily there is a simple, modern alternative: the wishing well.
If you’d prefer to have a wishing well, asking your guests for money instead of gifts, here are a couple of tips to make it a success and not step on any toes.
- Tell your guests how you will use the money - this gives them an incentive if you’re saving for a house or honeymoon together for example
- Explain it in the card - tell your guests your wishes in a sweet way, perhaps with a poem
Hot Tip! If you really don’t need or want anything, why not pay it forward by registering with a charity and asking your guests to donate on your behalf.