The ladies in my church are putting on a bridal shower for me. I am so flattered, as I didn't think I'd be able to have one! I'm really excited about being able to spend the day with them.
Lately, though, they have been pressuring us about registering. We are downsizing, because we have each lived on our own for a long time, and have 2 of everything to try to cram into my apartment. We really don't need anything at all for our place, besides maybe some more trash bags to fill with thrift store donations. The only physical things I can think of that we'd like are a bigger home, another vehicle, new mini-blinds because my cat chewed ours to shreds, and I would like a small boat for fishing. Seriously, that's it. And we can't really register for any of that but the mini-blinds.
The only thing we really need is cash. We are paying for our wedding by ourselves and it doesn't look like we are even going to be able to afford a honeymoon, since being hit with about $5000 unexpected non-wedding expenses in the past 3 months. We have a week off work and might take a night or two trip out of town.
And honestly, if we did receive cash, we would probably use it to pay down student loan debt, boost our savings account, and for the wedding itself, instead of for a honeymoon!
What we really could use is help paying for the wedding and buying another vehicle. To top it off, we live in a small town and the only places there are to register are Walmart and Bed Bath and Beyond (and I hate BBB, it is overpriced and completely useless to a couple with a fully furnished home). And either way we go, a bunch of BBB gift cards at the end of it all I don't even know what we'd do with, Walmart gift cards might subsidize cat food for awhile, but neither will help us pay our bills.
I find cash registries tacky, and our banner would be even tackier (only $xx,xxx left to go before the bride and groom are finally debt free!). We are not going this route.
I am just so happy that the ladies care enough about us to throw a shower, and looking forward to spending the day with them more than gifts. But they keep asking me where I am registered. I tell them "we are not registered anywhere, and don't expect gifts. Your presence is present enough for us!" and then they'll dig deeper and I will tell them that FH and I have been out on our own for many years and already have everything we need for our home.
And they say, "that's why you need to register, so people only get you what you want!"
And then we go home and try to think about what we want, and really can't come up with anything. I just want everyone to come and enjoy themselves and not worry about anything like that. I am just so blessed to have them love us enough to put on a bridal shower... I didn't think that anyone was going to do that for me, and it has brings tears to my eyes to even think about it. The kind of fellowship we've received during our engagement is more valuable than anything we could have registered for.
But what are we supposed to do about the registry?
Baby boy! EDD 3/31/2013