6 Tips for a Regret-Free Wedding Registry

Choose gifts that guests want to give

We hate to break the news, but a gift registry is not just about you. When people give a gift, they’re celebrating the couple and the next chapter of their life, said Ms. Spector. “That gift is a building block in that new chapter.”

It’s not surprising, then, that people want to give something specific; it’s their way of creating a personal bond. So, instead of, say, asking for one cash pool toward your honeymoon, break it down into a gift toward a dinner at a popular restaurant, a night’s hotel stay, or a vineyard excursion (you can do this on sites like Wanderable.) And since honeymoon funds remain controversial — 64 percent of American gift-givers say they prefer traditional registry items over honeymoon contributions, according to a 2018 NerdWallet — Harris Poll survey — register for tangible objects, too. These choices should speak to various facets of your personality, so friends who share them will delight in giving you that gift. As an ardent dessert lover, I was excited, for example, to snap up the cake stand that a friend who loves to bake registered for.

Drop the scan gun

Guests can’t give you what you really want unless you give them access to it, so instead of one-stop shopping in a big-box store, consider visiting a few smaller shops that match your style.

You can also sign up at a registry site: At Zola, for instance, a single registry incorporates items and services from a mix of popular home-good brands, boutiquey online finds, and gift cards from airlines and spas. Slowdance allows design-minded couples to select from a curated collection of home goods. And don’t overlook offline items — sometimes what you really want is in a boutique down the street.

“Not everything needs to be ‘click to buy,’” said Zoe Settle, a New York City interior design consultant. If you’ve had your eye on the perfect armchair from a local antique shop, “let a few close friends know and trust they might chip in for it,” she said.

Give people options

That means registering for plenty of gifts in a range of prices (so everyone can find lots of choices with prices they can afford) and replenishing as the list gets depleted — so people don’t resort to off-registry gifts, which may or may not lead to results that spark joy.

Ms. Spector recommends registering for twice as many gifts as guests. Coupled guests often send one gift, but people will also be dipping into the registry for the engagement party and bridal shower. Keep in mind, too, that even the cheapest gift can be as fun to give as it is to receive if some thought goes into it — for instance, a collection of silicone spatulas holds its own among expensive items when the set is in your wedding colors.

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A version of this article appears at Wirecutter.com.