Registering and Gifts
Knottie1435956186
member
Sending gifts out of country

I live in Canada but will be getting married in Michigan and having my wedding shower there as well. My host is going to ask that people don't bring the gifts to shower but rather ship them to Canada. I figured that the easiest way to do this would be to register entirely online so guests can easily ship to Canada. The problem I'm finding is that most sites don't have the option of putting a Canadian address in your registry info. So far, only Amazon has that option. Thoughts?
Re: Sending gifts out of country
If so I don't think it's appropriate to ask your guests to pay extra, or only shop online, just to make it more convenient for you (but less convenient for them). If you're having a IS-based shower its your responsibility to get the gifts back to your home, not your guests.
I would not have your host ask that your guests shop all your gifts or in anyway tell them how to shop, or how to give gifts.
It is not polite to ask your guests to make alternative arrangements for their gifts. You are responsible for dealing with the gifts once you receive them. If you don't want to deal with transporting gifts, don't have a registry and then don't have a shower and you will likely receive very few boxed gifts at your wedding.
If you absolutely want to continue with having a registry, use Amazon or whatever sites do allow for a Canadian address to be included.
The whole point of having a shower is to be showered with gifts and part of the entertainment is to see the Bride opening up the gifts. I would find a shower that didn't have physical gifts present to be weird.
But, I would definitely make some sort of arrangements to be able to transport gifts home with you or ship them yourself because even if you make your preference known there will be people who don't listen. I didn't have a shower and our wedding registry had a simple feature that they could click to get it shipped directing to us but we ended up with a few physical gifts that we had to pack into my already overflowing car the next day!
If you are having a shower, which is intended for physical gifts, it is on you to get the gifts home.
I was living 3 provinces away from my hometown when I got married. We got married in our hometown and I had a shower there. One of my guests gave me a "coupon" for the gift she was planning on purchasing, where she was able to buy online and have the item shipped to the store in my city. Other guests did give me smaller physical gifts, and some gave cash (which is not what a shower is for, but cash gifts in general are common in my family).
I think your guests will understand that you live out of country and either get a smaller gift, a gift card to your registry store, or ask you how best to give the gift.
I agree that it is impolite to dictate to guests how they deliver their gifts.
But I agree with PP that having a shower and asking people to ship your gifts, rather than give them in person, is pretty pointless.