Need help with registry... what price ranges should I hit?

thefuturemrshawks

I have my registry at Bed Bath and Beyond. While registering the consultant suggested registering for about 2.5x gifts than people coming. We are having about 150-175 people attend, and we have registered for 350 gifts. I am nervous about the price ranges we have. I originally thought our registry was great as we have lots of items on the cheaper side. However, a few family members are complaining that we went too cheap. Here is the breakdown I have:

$1-$25: 158 gifts

$25-$50: 47 gifts

$50-$100: 18 gifts

$100-$150: 6 gifts

$150-$200: 1 gift

$200+: 2 gifts (A vacuum and our bedding set)

Should I re-evaluate the price ranges and change my registry or do you guys think this is acceptable?

 

allispain

I see nothing wrong with including things on the less expensive end - lots of times, someone will buy multiple gifts that go well together if they shop at that end of the price range. For example, I have a cousin who bought 6 different things off of our registry because she loves to entertain and she wanted to get us everything from a set of beer glasses to a couple of serving bowls and platters.

The only other thing I will add is that just because your consultant told you to register for x amount of gifts does not mean that you have to - only register for things that you actually think you will end up using. There's no point in having people buy you things that will just life in a drawer or on a shelf, you know? We didn't have any many things on our registry as we had guests, because a) we didn't need/want anything else and b) I wasn't having a bridal shower. We still were given most of it as gifts, and then we also received a lot of checks at the wedding itself, which we could put towards completing our registry, furniture for our new place, and our savings.

manateehugger

Eh, it's cheap-end heavy, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. People can bundle a number of cheaper gifts. 

It's kind of a know your guests thing - mostly recent grads with loans and brand new jobs? Cheaper is probably good. 30 somethings that are mid-career and wealthier old people? You could probably throw a few more $75-$150 things on there.

I'm wrapping up grad school and FI is a junior military officer, but we usually put forward $75-$100 on wedding gifts. I personally would put a few more things in an upper range, but you don't have to. 

Remember at the end of the day a registry is just a suggestion of things you need for your home. If you need more things, go for it. If you don't, don't worry about adding a thing. 

thefuturemrshawks

We do need quite a few things still. I live at home with my parents, and he is roommates with a married couple. We are getting an apartment together a week before the wedding, so we are basically starting from scratch. Neither of us really have anything for a home, so we registered for stuff that we actually really do want/need. I'm sure I'm probably forgetting really obvious "need" items, but we'll find out later. Thank you for the suggestions, I will look at the $75 to $100 price range and see if I can find some more items that we would use. Should I see if there are sets of the kitchen gadgets or something? Those took up most of the $1-$25 items.

huskypuppy14

You have a lot of gifts under $25, but if it's like my registry, it's 1 spoon, 1 spatula, 8 glasses, etc.  So people will buy multiples of those type of things.  I originally felt bad having two $350 items ( a vacuum and a kitchen aid mixer), but I guess that's pretty normal, from what people are saying here.  

JoanE2012

Do most guests at weddings in your area give boxed gifts?  I ask because most people in my area give cash.  Gifts are usually just given at the shower, and there's a much smaller guest list.  It would've looked ridiculous for me to have 300+ items on my registry.

If it is for the wedding, I would add more gifts in the upper range and take away some in the lower range.  If I were going to a wedding and was going to bring a physical gift, I'd be looking for something on your registry that was a little more substantial and a bit more special for the occasion.  I would not be getting a pizza cutter or a mixing bowl or whatever.  That I would give at a shower.

hoffse

The boxed gifts vs. cash is highly regional.

We got 95% boxed gifts for the wedding and 100% boxed gifts for the shower, and we had a LOT of people spend in the $100-$200 range.  We were surprised.  We also had more than we thought spend over that.  I didn't register for a KA mixer (even though I really wanted it) because we needed our bedding set, etc. more, and that was very expensive because we fell in love with this gorgeous pottery barn quilt.  Well a relative we didn't even invite got us our entire bedding set.  And we had a few people string together random gifts that didn't really go together because they were clearly trying to get to that price range.  So now I wish I had done just registered for it, because we probably would have gotten it.

At my shower the ranges were more $25-$50.  Though we had some go higher than that.

I would look at your lower end list and see if you cheaped out on anything.  Honestly, the $50 or $75 blender is probably going to perform better than the $25 one over the long haul, and that's the kind of thing you can find anywhere from $15-$500.  Same for cookware, knives, cast iron, etc.  Good cookware will outlive you.  A $600 pots and pans set is not a bad investment if you cook.  

Obviously good quality kitchen gadgets, towels, etc. will probably fall in that price range, but I feel like it's way too bottom-heavy and you probably cheaped out on some things in an effort to make it easy for your guests.  That's really nice, but people want to give you something that will last awhile.  Our $100-$200 items were actually cleared out first.  In fact, our formal china was completed before our everyday dinnerware was completed.

Just something to think about.

thefuturemrshawks

I live in CA, and most of the weddings I have been to do boxed gifts at both the wedding and shower. I also have a lot of relatives from out of town that won't be able to come to the wedding but will most likely send a boxed gift anyways. I looked over the registry again, and I think you guys are right, I probably cheaped out a little. I will try and pick some higher quality items to replace some of the cheaper items. Here is a link to the registry, I rearranged things a bit from the previous feedback I've gotten. Any other suggestions? Thank you for the input, I really appreciate it!

 

Edited to take out the link!

jannapaul

I think you went so low. You have a lot of things in the price range of $1-$25. It is good as you thought of the guest and their budget. But having 47 items there is little shocking for me.  Created my registry with Ourwishingwell.com and we have maximum 20 items in the price range of $20-$50. I think this price range is good for anyone who attends the wedding.There is list of things which one can include in the wedding  gift registry.

courtneythesquid

I would add a few more expensive items, especially as you are just starting out and genuinely need stuff.  There are a lot of people who feel joy in giving a lovely gift that you will enjoy and remember.  I was really surprised and touched at how generous people were.  You have plenty of lower range gifts for the folks who are just starting out themselves, but I would add some items you would genuinely treasure, to give people the chance to treat you.

SP29

I agree with hoffse- look at the quality of the items you purchased- don't cheap out. Know your "crowd" for sure, but for a wedding, generally people want to buy you something of good quality that is going to last you for many, many years into your marriage, not something you'll need to replace in a year or two.

I think have a few lower priced items is fine, I for one would combine gifts (such as many cooking utensils), but consider that guests may choose multiple small items and leave not much for others, so it is good to have a range of prices. 

Yes, find sets if you can (if you'll use those items), and go for quality. 

We also have mostly cheaper items on our registry, but we put a few 'big' things on there (iron, blender, Hinkle knives, pot/pan set) and there are a couple items that are cheaper individually but together make a more expensive set; our dinnerware is sold by individual setting, which on its own is reasonable, but we put 12 settings on the registry, and we put items to make an entire bathroom ensemble including towels. 

Good luck! 

hoffse

OP I think your registry looks fine now - my only suggestion would be to make your china, crystal, and flatware a round set of 12 instead of 10.  You may not ever host 12 people for a holiday, but do consider how many might show up if you hosted your family and your H's family at the same time.  In my household, that would be 9 people right now, and one of H's brother is unmarried and we have no children or nieces and nephews yet.  If H's little brother ever gets engaged or married and if we ever have the children we hope to have, that will push us up to 12 right there.

12 place settings is pretty standard for a registry.

Anyway, looks good - now edit your post to take out that link so people can't see who you are!  

thefuturemrshawks

 

hoffse said:

OP I think your registry looks fine now - my only suggestion would be to make your china, crystal, and flatware a round set of 12 instead of 10.  You may not ever host 12 people for a holiday, but do consider how many might show up if you hosted your family and your H's family at the same time.  In my household, that would be 9 people right now, and one of H's brother is unmarried and we have no children or nieces and nephews yet.  If H's little brother ever gets engaged or married and if we ever have the children we hope to have, that will push us up to 12 right there.

12 place settings is pretty standard for a registry.

Anyway, looks good - now edit your post to take out that link so people can't see who you are!  

Ok, I will make it 12 place settings. I didn't even think about people being able to see who I am from the link! Thank you for pointing it out to me!!!

thefuturemrshawks

Thanks for all the input. I really appreciate it! I now have 372 gists on the registry, but that is from increasing the number of table settings (china, crystal, flatwear, napkin rings, table linens, etc.) from 10 to 12. Here is the new breakdown:

$1 to $25 -140 gifts. (Kitchen gadgets, handtowels, etc.)

$25 to $50 -47 gifts. (entertaining supplies, some home decor)

$50 to $100 -26 gifts. (variety of categories)

$100 to $150 -5 gifts. (includes all of the china! apparently it only lists the gift once but doesn't include the count for all of the sets)

$150 to $200 -1 gift (platter from the china set)

$200+ -3 gifts (vacuum, bedding set, and kitchenaid mixer)

 

 

 

 

kitty8403

My cousin recently married--both very young--and by the time I got to their BBB registry days before their wedding, there was still so much inexpensive stuff on it that I kinda felt bad, like they weren't being cared for properly. I ended up getting them three items instead of one and still came in under $70!

I say register for what you need most, and then fill in around that. If you need a vacuum or a good mixer or better cookware, register for it and don't feel guilty. People will buy what they want to, so you might as well give them options. This is Bed, Bath and Beyond, not Tiffany's or Saks.