Gift Registry Etiquette

Today I want to talk a little about gift registries and the proper etiquette that comes along with letting guests know where you're registered at. One of my brides recently registered for her wedding gifts and was given very large stacks of registry announcement cards by both places her and her fiance registered at. She then asked me if it was ok that she mail these along with her wedding invitations...my response was absolutely not! I felt the need to blog about these announcement cards because it seems that not many people know that sending these out to guests in invitations is simply not proper wedding etiquette. Now, before I continue, let me just say that I am all for throwing out the traditional age-old rules of the 'do's and don'ts' of weddings; however, this is one that I wont budge on. It's hard to spread the word about this topic because the stores where couples go to register for gifts push these cards on the brides and tell them that it's acceptable to include them in their invitation envelope. However, if you stop to think about it you can clearly see the reason why they push these cards so much...simply put, it's a marketing strategy for them that gets people to shop in their store thus putting more money in their pocket.

There are numerous other ways to spread the word about your registry selection...your wedding website is an excellent way to let guests know where you are registered. If your guests aren't all technologically savvy there's no need to worry...news will spread regarding where you are registered...guests will ask parents and members of your bridal party and will then spread the word on to other guests.

Bottom line is this...guests don't want to be told where to buy your gift. Some guests may already have something in mind for you and others may just want to give you a cash gift. If guests want to know where you are registered, they will ask!