Five Rules in Bridal Registration Etiquette

Planning a bridal registry is very tricky, considering that not everybody loves the idea of being told what gifts they should buy. But following some common etiquette will earn you respect from your peers (and lots of presents!) Consider five simple rules of politeness for bridal registration.

1. Give your guests plenty of options
Telling your guests what to buy and where to go isn't much fun for them. But giving them a choice in stores and in products makes them a cheerful giver. Choose more items than necessary to provide more options and don't limit your interests down to one store. Put a little bit of fun into the mix by signing up with very different types of stores like REI, The Home Depot or even a lingerie store.

2. Let your relatives be as kind or as cheap as they want to be.
It's their choice. Some relatives may go all out to buy you something you really want. Others will think your value is limited in dollar amount. Some relatives simply cannot afford an expensive gift as much as they may love you. Taking into account everybody's circumstances is important. So be sure and buy plenty of inexpensive gifts.

3. Plan for early shopping and late gifts.
It is customary to open registration, at least in one store, a short time after the engagement is finalized. This allows friends and family to purchase preliminary gifts for engagement showers and other pre-wedding events. Eventually you will open more registries with different stores and these ordinarily are good for one year after your wedding ceremony. This allows for late presents including as honeymoon registry gifts.

4. Don't invite people to buy for you.
This seems like common knowledge, but a lot of people are in the habit of sending bridal registry information on wedding invitations, or on special cards printed up by bridal websites. This is not polite and encourages the idea of ?soliciting gifts.? The polite way to announce a bridal registry system is through word of mouth.

Another acceptable way might be to include a subtle notation on the bridal shower invitations, since the future bride and groom do not send them personally. Another prolific way to spread the news is via a website. The important thing is, that newly weds do not directly ask for presents.

5. Say Thank You!
It's only good manners to say thank you after receiving a gift. All the more so should newlyweds be appreciative when it's precisely the gifts they wanted. So sending thank you notes is a very important practice-and yet one that can easily be forgotten in the midst of wedding nerves. Always remember your manners in this most elegant time period.