Wedding Invitations

Some might view a wedding registry as perfection, not to mention a very convenient way for your wedding guests to send a token in celebration of your marriage.  But some might not.  There are those who think that a wedding registry is the height of rudeness and presumption, to assume that guests will want to buy super-expensive items for your home.  There is a middle ground of course.

In general, though, wedding registries are now found acceptable in terms of wedding etiquette.  Brides should appreciate hearing that most etiquette experts recommend calculating the number of gifts based on the number of guests at both your wedding and shower (or showers).  Just be sure to only choose items that you will love, use and cherish. Guests would rather give you cash than buy something you’ll never touch.

Do also remember that a basic rule of thumb is to give guests a range of options. You want a sprinkling of high-end, expensive items and then an equal number of mid- and low-priced options. Having a few higher-end items on your registry allows close people like your grandparents or parents to buy a larger gift.  Of course,  inexpensive items are an essential part of a registry and make a great pool for shower gifts. When you do pick lower-priced items, be sure to choose gifts that people will actually want to give.

Finally, etiquette experts remind us that a hugely important part of the wedding registry would be the thank-you notes written by the bride and groom (okay, probably the bride).  Thank you cards can start going out as soon as gifts are received. In fact, writing your thank you cards in small batches will help you get a handle on a major time task and help keep track of who gave what gift. Technically,according to traditional etiquette rule, you have up to one year from the date of the wedding to write and send your thank you cards. It’s also acceptable to send one card for both the wedding and shower gift, but you should mention both items in your note. Don’t forget the stamps!