It’s easy to miss the must-have wedding registry items that you’ll need to build a cohesive home for you and your partner when you’re in the midst of wedding planning. After all, there’s a lot to keep track of!
When I was first married, I didn’t realize quite how much stuff I’d need. It was a bit of a learning curve when I discovered that my new husband lived a bare bones existence while everything I had was pretty feminine. To get our home to represent us, we had to spend a lot of money buying new things.
I’d always wished we’d created an online registry like they have available now. That way, I would have remembered some of those must-have wedding registry items that I forgot about as I was picking out candlesticks and monogrammed towels.
When merging two lives together, you want the end result to be cohesive. Sometimes, it doesn’t work that way. His postmodern furniture might clash with your antique nightstand or he might use old chipped plates while all you ever use is paper. Getting married requires organizing your life to merge your households, and you should use your registry to create an inventory of what you need to make that happen.
Categorizing Must-Have Wedding Registry Items
When I first moved in with my husband, I realized it was going to take some work to get the place looking like a home. My husband wasn’t a bachelor anymore, but his apartment sure was designed for one. Milk crate end tables and bean bag chairs didn’t really feel like the design elements of mature, married people!
So, I made a list of items we needed, broken down into four categories:
- Décor: You want to consider things like wall hangings and welcome mats to help your place feel like a family home. Consider a few unique touches for your wedding registry, personalized with your new name.
- Necessity: When I got married, it wasn’t until our first dinner together that I realized we didn’t have salt and pepper shakers. My husband kept leftover packets in his junk drawer, but the next time I went shopping, salt and pepper shakers made the top of my list. The moral of the story is, don’t forget the basic necessities, even if they seem a bit mundane!
- Upgrade: There are some items that may have worked when you were single but don’t now that you’re married. I had to replace a worn-out pot set to accommodate both cooking at home more and cooking more food. Think about the items you may need to replace now that you’ll be doing things as a couple.
- Other: If you two have hobbies that you like to participate in together, then you may want to consider putting items to support that on your list. The last wedding I went to, the bride listed a poker kit for her neighborhood’s weekly poker nights that I wound up buying for them. This spot is mainly for things that represent you as a couple but don’t fit anywhere else.
Those four categories will help you break down the things you need so you know what to list as part of your registry. Because there are so many moving parts involved in a wedding, it’s smart to get it all written down or typed up. That way, you can reference it as you use an online registry to help with consolidating your two households into one.
Using an Online Registry to Consolidate Your Households
You don’t want to do what I did and go on a buying tangent without talking to your partner. I didn’t really get a lot of input from my husband and as a result, our initial decor was a bit one-sided.
Over time, my husband picked up a few items to add to our home, but it’s best to consolidate your options early on with an online registry. That way, the two of you can both pick the specific items you want and create a cohesive design together.
Using a site like Elfster, the steps to creating a registry you can both work on are simple:
- Sign up: Sign up for a free account with an online registry site.
- Share your account details: Share your account details with your partner so they can sign in and add their own items to the list.
- Start adding items: You’ll want to use a site that has multiple options for adding items, allowing you to be as specific or as broad as you want. Elfster, as an example, allows you to simply suggest items via text like “a toaster.” Or, on the other hand, you can provide a specific link to the exact model, color, and retailer you want. You can also shop on the site or use a browser button.
- Share the list on social media: Be sure to share the list on you and your significant other’s social media pages along with any event pages you’ve created. You also may want the ability to share via email or text for those friends and relatives who aren’t big on social media.
- Update as needed: Use a site that gives you some flexibility in adding and removing items as needed so you can keep your list up-to-date as circumstances change.
By using an online registry, you can both make suggestions for your list that will help you create a home together. With easy sharing, you can make sure everyone gets an up-to-the-minute copy before your big day. Ideally, you’ll want to share your list at the same time you’re sending invitations to ensure your guests have time to plan and even add their own personal touch to the items you list.
The must-have wedding registry items can be broken down into four broad categories; décor, necessity, upgrades, and other miscellaneous items. By covering those categories, you can ensure that you and your partner will have a cohesive, combined style. Using a registry is an integral step in wedding planning, as opinions about the most important registry items between you and your partner might differ. And by streamlining the registry process, you’ll have more time to simply relax and enjoy the celebration of your shared love.
Ready to create your wedding wish list? To get started with your wedding registry, register with Elfster. For wedding gift ideas, you can browse our Happy Couple Gift Guide. If you’d like more must-have wedding registry ideas, visit us on Facebook, Instagram @Elfster, or Twitter @Elfster.
