It’s time to get rid of the idea that wedding gifts have to be things like a china set you’ll never use, a stand mixer that will collect dust or expensive sheets you’re too afraid to actually sleep on. Wedding registries today are moving away from traditions of the past and are more focused on contributing to building your life together.
Thankfully, you’ve got plenty of options when it comes to wedding registry alternatives. Let’s take a closer look so your wedding guests, family, and friends, can have the opportunity to give or contribute to what couples actually want.
Wedding Registry Ideas
A registry has been an excellent addition for many couples across the globe. Of course, it’s important to stand united on the concept to begin with. Here are 5 reasons to convince your partner that you need a wedding registry if you’re on opposing sides.
But, once couples are on the same page, it’s time to decide what type of registry you’d like. These days, you can find inspiration in whatever you could imagine. Here’s some support to help keep your efforts focused on a few essential items.
Traditional Wedding Registry
It’s important to note that there is absolutely nothing wrong with couples who use traditional wedding registries today. After all, there are plenty of things you may need to make your home feel like yours, so why not get the stuff for free?
Your traditional wedding registry doesn’t have to be boring. There are several gifts to upgrade on your wedding registry to help take it to the next level and make it more unique at the same time. This list is excellent for anyone looking for home goods, but maybe not exactly what you’ll see on a regular registry.
When it comes to a more traditional approach, you’ll have to decide how friends and family can contribute. You and your partner will decide which is better: a physical or online wedding registry?
Physical Wedding Registry
Even in the age of the internet, physical wedding registries still have their place in the world. They are reliable and have ultimately stood the test of time. Here are a few pros and cons to weigh when considering a physical wedding registry.
Pros
Here are a few of the advantages of utilizing a physical wedding registry?
- Free shipping
- Discounts after your wedding
- Guests are familiar with this registry idea
- Some guests prefer shopping in a store
- Guests want to feel like they can spend time hand-selecting items
Cons
It’s equally important to look at the drawbacks as well when using a physical registry.
- You’re limited to items sold in the store
- It’s difficult to ask for cash contributions
- Limited on gift card gifts (if available at all)
- If you already have everything for your house
- You might end up with multiple items
Online Wedding Registry
Not surprisingly, online wedding registries have become increasingly more popular. But, you have to remember that it also comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Pros
Let’s start with some of the pros of registering online during your wedding planning.
- You can register for anything you want
- There are very creative gift registries out there
- Physical gifts, cash gifts, and gift cards
- You can find the best deals online
- You can set up a honeymoon registry
Cons
But, of course, you can’t ignore the cons of an online registry either.
- It can be time-consuming to setup
- You might not know what to say
- Guests might feel limited
- Guests might not like that sites show prices
- High-ticket items might get left behind
Honeymoon Registry
Whether you’re dreaming of sipping cocktails on a Caribbean cruise, renting a picturesque cottage in upstate New York, or backpacking across Southeast Asia, chances are, you’d like to take a honeymoon as a newlywed couple.
But how does anyone afford a honeymoon trip of a lifetime after dishing out so much cash for the wedding? One simple solution is setting up a honeymoon registry.
Understanding the Honeymoon Registry
A honeymoon registry usually centres on experiences as gifts, specially honeymooning experiences, when you’re looking at the biggest difference between that and a more traditional wedding registry. Instead of asking for new towels or cooking appliances, you’re asking your wedding guests to help send you two out on a romantic dinner or on a trip to the spa while you’re enjoying your lavish honeymoon together.
Once you’ve created a honeymoon registry of your own. You can continue to explain the process to your loved ones by following these simple steps.
Step 1 - Your Guest Chooses a Gift
For starters, your wedding guest will browse through your thoughtfully created and beautifully designed honeymoon registry. They can go through every option you have before deciding on the right fit. Couples have the option to create a wide variety of gifts on Hitchd, with templates to help them select their wording.
Step 2 - Your Guest Purchases the Gift
Once your family and friends decide on a gift they are happy with, they can purchase it directly from the site. Hitchd makes it easier than ever for your guests by allowing multiple forms of payment, including everything from cryptocurrency to credit cards.
Step 3 - Your Money Gets Transferred
The money will then go to your preferred account if you’re using Hitchd. That means it’s there ready for you to book that flight or reserve those tickets whenever you are.
Some honeymoon registry sites will limit how much or how often you can withdraw from your account. Others won’t let you access your gift money until after your big day. You can book your honeymoon confidently, knowing that you will be able to pay off your credit card in a timely fashion with your gift money. Because with Hitchd, your money goes straight to you. No fine print exceptions to sift through.
You can even ask for physical gifts in addition to the experience ones with a honeymoon registry through Hitchd. Some couples ask for other travel-related expenses, such as luggage or lounge passes, that will help make the journey that much sweeter for them.
If you’re ready to get started, find out how to register for your honeymoon in 5 simple steps here.
Home Fund
Another practical wedding gift registry idea that is absolutely fantastic is setting up a home fund . This is a great way to begin building that foundation together if you and your partner want to own a home in the near future. New home registries make home ownership slightly less stressful by having some financial help from the beginning. They can help you accomplish that goal sooner rather than later!
New home sites like Hitchd, act as a gift registry to save for a down payment or renovation of a house. You can also simply tell your guests that you’re going to be using your wedding gifts towards a down payment for a house and forgo the registry idea altogether , if you choose.
Charity Fund
Charity gift registries exist because there are plenty of couples out there that can’t think of a single thing they want to register for. Even the though of cash seems like too much for them.
Rather than sending your guests off to the store to purchase an item that you register in advance for, or asking for cash towards something, you can consider a charitable donation. Thankfully, there are a few options that make it easy to register for this alternative option.
The point is, you want to make it as simple as possible for your guests to donate cash to the charity of your choosing.
Weddings of today are often being used as an opportunity to give back to others. For some, they find meaning in honoring someone close to them who may have struggled or died from an illness. Donating cash to these charities is a great way to show support.
Others are looking for a more meaningful way to give back to the local community. Setting up a charity fund is a great way to do that while celebrating their union.
In lieu of giving gifts, couples can ask wedding guests to donate to a charity of their choice whatever the reason may be. Not everyone will follow the couple’s wishes, although this is a sweet alternative to a traditional wedding registry that most guests are only too happy to do. There’s always one or two guests who give a gift card to the couple but will also make a small donation to show support.
You shouldn’t feel forced to create a traditional wedding registry, no matter what anyone says as you near your big day. There are plenty of options for the couples of today. Don’t register for new items for your home if you don’t need them. Instead, you can create something that suits both you and your partner.
While still showing respect and appreciation for their wedding guests, couples using Hitchd have found tons of ways to make their wedding dreams come true. Everyone should feel good about giving to a honeymoon registry, charity fund or whatever you decide, so long as you and your partner make gift giving easy and thank your guests with a card after the wedding.
Gift Card Registry
You might be asking yourself - is it tacky to add gift cards to a wedding registry? Guess what? It’s not!
Give yourself more freedom in how and when you use your gifts and make things easy for your guests by setting up registries with gift cards. You can find gift cards to anything, including:
- Travel sites
- Hotels
- Grocery stores
- Home improvement stores
Have a think about what you really want and don’t be afraid of setting up wedding registries with this new take on a cash fund.
Non-Traditional Wedding Registry
Couples can also take a unique approach to the traditional wedding registry by adding items that make more sense for them. Think, for example, forgoing the linens and opting instead for wine from a local vineyard. Or, maybe you could add a cooking class or wine tour. Think outside the box - the non-traditional wedding registry can host unique ideas you can’t find in your regular store.
So whether you’re looking for season passes to your local sports team or a new GoPro to capture some of those couples bucket list items, don’t be afraid to ask for the things that you truly want.
A Wedding Gift You’ll Actually Use
Registries don’t have to be limited to household items. Instead, you should register for things you know you’ll use in everyday life, such as:
- Local museum memberships
- Couples massages
- Surf lessons
- Wine of the month club
- Create an art collection
Is a Wedding Registry a Right Fit?
It’s a good idea to stop and think about your feelings if you’re noticing any uneasiness about building your wedding registry. There’s no law saying that you absolutely have to have a registry, or registry alternatives, for guests to contribute to your big day.
Take a moment to reflect on your current life together as a couple before deciding if you want to spend your precious wedding planning moments thinking of wedding registry ideas or if your efforts are better spent elsewhere.
Ultimately, it’s your decision as a couple to receive a wedding gift in any fashion, whether it be gift cards, a cash fund, or other alternatives.
So, if you’re taking a look at your life and trying to decide if you want guests to contribute to anything, take a look at a few reasons you may want to opt out of a wedding registry entirely.
Here’s a Sign You May Want to Skip the Wedding Registry Ideas
You’re not alone if you don’t find yourself fitting into any wedding registry or alternatives for your special day. See if a sign listed below stands out to you.
You’re Renting and Not Quite Ready for a New Home
All the latest kitchen gadgets and home goods are great and all, but if you’re renting an apartment the chances are more than likely you’re a bit tied up on space. While a wedding is a great time to bring in some of those wants or needs you’ve had, consider your current space.
Especially for couples who aren’t quite ready to make the move shortly after their wedding, it’s likely better this stuff stays put in stores. After all, how many hand towels does one couple truly need exactly?
You’ve Already Got Everything You Could Ever Imagine
For the couple that is a bit older, you’ve likely gotten rid of whatever you could that was worn and tattered and replaced with newer home items. It’s the natural process of things and by no means unique.
If you set up a registry you could potentially wind up with multiple items that you already have. Instead, you could avoid this situation by standing on a united front as a couple to forgo a registry.
You’re Trying to Be An Inspiration to Environmental Consciousness
Much of the carbon emissions, cardboard packaging, and plastic waste can stay out of couples’ homes and in stores by avoiding a traditional gift registry. While it may not be exactly what your loved ones have in mind, if they want to support you as a couple they’ll be happy to oblige.
You could even go one step further by promoting a charitable cause that promotes environmental consciousness to really get the message across.
You’ve Decided Cash Funds Are the Best Route
Weddings tend to suck up a lot of funds for a couple, especially since these days they tend to be united in paying for the costs on their own. Many couples would rather accept funds towards a larger payment, such as a down payment on a home, rather than taking in more cooking utensils.
It may be time to ditch the traditional wedding registry and opt for something more modern if any of these reasons speak to you and your partner as a couple.
Looking for the #1 Alternative Wedding Registry Ideas?
Hitchd is one of the best registry alternatives you can find online today. It helps fund your adventure of a lifetime, whether that be through your honeymoon or cash fund. Think of us as your very own wishing well, Kickstarter, and travel planner, all rolled into one beautiful experience.
Fund memories, not things.
The modern registry where guests fund your dream honeymoon. It's simple and beautiful. Start your registry