Registry for Dummies

When Ryan and I went to register at our first store, we were pretty clueless. After the lovely ladies of Kohls got the computer and printer to work, finally getting our registry set up, we were handed the gun.

It's amazing how powerful you feel with that little machine in your hands. We went a bit crazy. Ryan wasn't exactly excited about this trip. He hates shopping. But once he had the gun, he was like a kid in a candy store, especially when we got to the grilling section.

We spent three hours in the store going up and down the aisles, over and over again, making sure we didn't miss anything. When I got home, I realized that a third of what we signed up for was junk we would never, ever use. It was time to edit.

So, this post is officially dedicated to my suggestions for the perfect registry. Here we go!

1. Just because you like three different sets of glassware doesn't mean you need them all. Ryan and I ran into this problem at Crate and Barrel, the second place we registered. Ryan liked one set, I liked another. We couldn't agree and eventually decided to get both for our "casual" glassware ... on top of the set of "fancy" glassware we picked out for holidays and special occasions. When we got home, we realized between the three sets of glassware and all of the barware we registered, there was NO way we'd be able to find a place for it all. It was time to edit.

2. Unless you know for sure where you will be living, don't register for rugs or furniture. Yeah, I know, this is a no brainer. But when you have the gun in your hand and are looking at a fabulously soft rug or a piece of furniture that you would die to have, it's hard to resist pulling the trigger. In that moment, Ryan and I didn't even think about the fact we won't know how big our apartment will be or what will be included in it until he gets a job and finds an apartment in that area (he graduates in December). At some point after we registered, my mom asked what we registered for. When we mentioned the furniture, she quickly reminded us how silly it was to sign up for stuff without knowing whether or not we would have room for it. I hate when she's right. Time to edit again.

3. Register for items in every price range. Once I went back and looked at our registries, I realized most of our items were an "average" price. We had a few big-ticket items (like that margaritaville frozen concoction margarita maker and kitchenaid mixer I would kill for) and a few lower budget items, but the ratio wasn't even close. I registered online for a few more lower-budget items, but we still have to go to Bed Bath and Beyond, so I'll be sure to be more mindful of the price range.

4. Think about the color palate and style you want for your home. When Ryan and I first walked into Kohls, we had no idea what style we wanted to decorate our home. Our living room items all ended up being earthy tones with a very traditional style. Our bedroom items all have very clean, modern lines. Our bathroom is somewhere in between, and our kitchen has a lot of very bright colors (i.e. solid red and solid yellow plates and bowls). Looking back, I wish we picked one style for the entire home. I know that we could always go back and change it, but Ryan would definitely be kicking and screaming the whole time. Plus, I sort of like the idea of showing every style we like. I just wish we had thought it out a little more.

5. This is the time to sign up for anything you might need. I know, I know, I warned against going overboard. I still stick by that. But even though that oven mitt is only $3.99, don't have to register for it. And just because that margaritaville margarita maker is $270 doesn't mean someone might get it for you. The trick is to think about what you would actually use (and we would definitely get a lot of use out of that margarita maker.) We chose the smaller one because, as much as we love margaritas, we knew we definitely didn't need a mixer holding more than 32 ounces of cold, limey goodness. But, like point No. 3 says, make sure you have items in every price range - as much as you would love to sign up for 30 items over $200, not everyone can afford to spend that much money.

6. Take advantage of the "suggested registry items" given to you when you go register. I'm not sure that every store does this ... we were so excited about registering for the first time I don't even remember whether or not Kohls gave us one. But, I know Crate and Barrel did, and it was extremely helpful. For example, we had no idea how many place settings we should register for. The guide they gave us had this information, as well as what items we might need for each room. Ryan especially loved this. He said that it was his "job" to mark off items as we registered for them - which was pretty adorable.

That's all I can think of right now. Man, I really hate not ending on 3 or a multiple of 5. It just feels wrong. Oh well. Maybe I'll add more later so I feel a little better about this post. Please feel free to comment with any suggestions or registry experiences!

Cheers!