Registering and receiving gifts should be the most fun part of the wedding planning process. And it will be if you are organized, have a game plan and follow these simple suggestions.
NEVER write on your wedding invitation where you are registered. While the store where you registered will tell you the exact opposite (because it is good for them) this is a huge etiquette blunder that will have tongues wagging. The gift registry information can go on your personal wedding website. It can be spread by word of mouth. Your guests will ask; the information will get out, just don’t advertise it.
Where should you register? The options are many: all major department stores, building supply stores, travel agencies, home furnishing stores, on-line registries.
Keep your registries to no more than three different places. Vary the price range so that there are plenty of items in the $20-$30.00 price range for your budget conscious guests.
Before you select where your registries will be, find out the following:
We always dress like this when we go shopping!
Now get ready to hit the store of your choice. This is a long process and you may need to break it up into more than one session. Be comfortable. Wear comfortable shoes and go on a full stomach. Have some munchies in your purse.
It is a rare groom that will keep his mind focused on thread counts in the linen department. If he disappears, you will probably find him in the electronics department. Organize the day with the Home Improvement/Hardware store as the last stop. If you start the excursion there, he will lose all interest as soon as you exit through those double doors.
Wedding gifts should not be brought to the wedding or reception. This is not a birthday party. Sadly this is a rule many guests ignore. Appoint someone to be in charge of any gifts that show up on the day of your wedding. Most importantly, make sure that person has a fresh roll of scotch tape so they can securely tape every card to the gift. Even though the card is already attached, it is really easy for them to come off when stacked and thrown into the trunk of a car. No gifts should be opened at the wedding.
Always write a hand-written thank you note for any gift received. Nothing pre-printed or computer generated and absolutely no emailed thank you notes.
When you select your thank you notes, take into consideration the size of the note and the size of your normal handwriting. You do not want a thank you note that requires you to write The Gettysburg Address for each person. A good size fold-over note is about 5” x 4”. An appropriate size for a correspondence card is 6” x 4”.
A Thank You note is written and signed by one person. Even if the gift is a toaster obviously meant for the two of you, one person signs the note. You will incorporate the other person in the text such as:
Dear Aunt Jane,
Spencer and I really appreciate the toaster you gave us at the Johnson’s wedding shower.
If the gift was given at a shower, as opposed to being shipped, thank Aunt Jane for attending.
Say what you will use the gift for (when applicable, like money)
Some words to use are: gracious, thoughtfulness, pleasure, kindness
Some closing words are: Fondly, Sincerely, Many Thanks, Love
Send out your thank you notes as soon as possible. Do not go over 8 weeks.
Be gracious. Whatever you got, it was better than a sharp stick in the eye. People do not always buy the gift you registered for. Perhaps Aunt Jane always likes to buy kitchen towels from Italy as wedding gifts. Go with it.
If a guest attends multiple events and gives you multiple gifts, each gift gets a separate thank you note.
If you receive a group gift, each person within that group gets their own thank you note. So, for example, the secretaries in your father’s law firm got together and bought you an espresso machine, each should receive a thank you note. ">
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