I am excited to introduce my first guest blogger ever. My friend and new Hello Bella partner, Jen Berry, will be contributing her wisdom from time to time, and I'm very excited to see what she has in store. Jen has a passion for weddings, and a history in corporate event planning so we compliment each other very well.
A note from Miss Berry: So as a romantic at heart, I too have always had an interest in creating the perfect wedding. As I got older this tilted to not only the perfect wedding but also the most budget friendly one. I have made it my mission to find the best things at the best prices.
Registries
Here in Canada we have a limited number of registries, most commonly: The Bay(Home Outfitters) and Sears. I myself find that these stores offer minimal selection and poor prices.
So I searched for a solution and I found it. www.myregistry.com!
This registry allows you to place any item from any store that has a website and locate it all in one registry. Guests can even give cash donations under titles such as "Our House Fund," and "Our Honeymoon Fund," via secure paypal. You can comparison shop online and find the best prices so that $500 Kitchenaid you saw at the Bay your guests can buy online for $250 at Target.com. This is ideal for those who can cross the border to pick the gifts up as many great offers give free shipping within the US.
I suggest using Hagens of Blaine as your shipping address. www.hagensofblaine.com or in Point Roberts www.themailcarrier.comboth are reputable and offer very cheap recieving services.
Registries
Here in Canada we have a limited number of registries, most commonly: The Bay(Home Outfitters) and Sears. I myself find that these stores offer minimal selection and poor prices.
So I searched for a solution and I found it. www.myregistry.com!
This registry allows you to place any item from any store that has a website and locate it all in one registry. Guests can even give cash donations under titles such as "Our House Fund," and "Our Honeymoon Fund," via secure paypal. You can comparison shop online and find the best prices so that $500 Kitchenaid you saw at the Bay your guests can buy online for $250 at Target.com. This is ideal for those who can cross the border to pick the gifts up as many great offers give free shipping within the US.
I suggest using Hagens of Blaine as your shipping address. www.hagensofblaine.com or in Point Roberts www.themailcarrier.comboth are reputable and offer very cheap recieving services.
~Miss Berry
(And a side note from Bella Blogs: traditional etiquette dictates that it is not decorous to put any registry information on or in your invitations... Have your family and friends spread the word around and put the links on your wedding website instead!)
Aw, I didn't know you two were collaborating! You'll be great together!
ReplyDeleteYup! Well Jen has loads and loads of wedding resources, and lots of practical experience, so she's here to help me out, if and when I get busy enough to warrant it! It also helps if I have more than one inquiry for the same date!
ReplyDeletemy fiance and I actually registered at MyRegistry.com because we wanted to include a honeymoon fund and yea it really stinks when you're limited to pricey department stores!
ReplyDeletehowever, we used MyRegistry.com's free e-nouncement services to announce our registry. do you think that this is okay - we just thought it was too much work to ask friends to spread the word and this seemed like a tasteful alternative. what are your thoughts? Thanks so much! :)
Hi Renee,
ReplyDeleteWell, I think that your alternative is MUCH better than including the information in your invitations, so don't be worried. Would it be 100% etiquette approved? Probably not. Is it the end of the world? Not at all. I see PLENTY of etiquette no-no's (non-hosted bars is probably the most prevalent) and although it might not fly in a posh and traditional crowd (Gossip Girl?), it's become more acceptable in certain communities.
The key to etiquette for YOU is to base your decisions on your guest profile. Are they older, more conservative, and more expectant of traditional etiquette? Are they younger, have they been to many a wedding that broke some etiquette rules and been completely fine with it? Profile your guests, and go from there.
The tricky, and perhaps annoying thing about gift registry etiquette, is that as the couple-to-be-married, you're not *supposed* to seem as though you are expecting gifts. It's supposed to be about sharing your day with people you love. On the flip side, a guest is SUPPOSED to give a gift to the couple, and if they don't, well that's breaking etiquette rules as well. It's an awkward flip, but an etiquette game none the less. Just like when you pull out your wallet to pay for dinner knowing full well that your date is going to pay, you do it even so because you are playing the etiquette game.
For those in a similar situation such as yours, I would say the most etiquette approved course of action would be to post the link on your wedding website, and have family, friends, and bridesmaids spread the word. You'd be surprised at how fast word will travel ;)
All the best and hope you have an incredible marriage ahead of you!