Adding to Registry

schellzinator

My FI and I have two registries totaling for about 200 various items in various price ranges.  We have been told by others that we should be adding more to the registry. The only thing is - there isn't anything else that we want to add to the registry...we have our plates, wine glasses, towels, kitchen appliances, cutlery, bedding, door knobs, tools for FI, etc. that we want. Anything else we add is going to end up stored in the basement for the next yard sale since it would just be added to the registry for the sake of being told we needed to add more. That just seems very wasteful to me.  In addition, we are being told that we don't have enough on our registry - but the majority of the items have not been purchased yet. Any thoughts on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated?

Breakdown of Registry: 

$1-$25 Range - 46%

$26 - $50 Range - 36%

$51 - $100 Range - 9%

$100 and Above Range - 9%

audubonbride2013

Are you having a shower?

How many guests are you having?

Do you prefer physically gifts or money?

I wouldn't add items just for the sake of adding items especially if not much has been purchased.  I think you might want more items on the higher end of the registry.  Personally I spend $100 on a wedding gift, and I would get frustrated if I had to combine a bunch cheaper items to get you a gift.

Originally we also had a lot of cheaper items because we needed a lot of basic kitchen utensils/gadgets.  None of the cheaper stuff was getting purchased, so I did a little research.  We ended up switching from a bunch of kitchen gadgets to a whole $100 set of OXO kitchen gadgets. The set was bought soon after we switched.  

Bottom line, you may want to see if there are sets that combine some of the cheaper items on your registry.  I would still keep cheaper items on the registry, but I know for us most people bought the items that were $50+ with the majority giving $100+ gifts.

schellzinator

@audubonbride2013 - Yup, my shower is on September 28. At the shower we are having about about 40 people. As for gifts or money - we really don't have a preference.  We just don't want to put "things" for the sake of beefing up the numbers on the registry.

I'll definitely look into sets to combine some of the cheaper items and adding more higher ticket items.

Thanks for your suggestions!

tammym1001

I agree with @audubonbride2013 that the problem may actually be the price range of your options. If you're having 40 people at your shower and they each want to spend $50, but they have to buy 2 or 3 smaller things to add up to that amount then they are going to clear out over half of your registry. I wouldn't add things just for the sake of adding, but if there are a few other big things you guys might want then you might want to consider putting them on there.

audubonbride2013

If you're shower is at the end of the month you will probably see items bought off your registry in the few days leading up to it.  Most people haven't shopped yet.  I would say with 200 items you are probably fine.  I definitely wouldn't add items just for the sake of adding them.  Since your shower hasn't happened yet you will probably have a lot of the item <$50 go then.

csuave

Agree with the others that you are in OK shape for a 40 person shower but if you can think of things to add (that you really want or wouldn't mind as a splurge) in the higher price range it might help for people that want to spend more/group together.

All of our $100+ items were the fastest to go. Upgrades on vacuum, garbage can and coffee maker.  And splurge items: kitchen aid mixer, Hoover floormate to wash hardwood floors, nice air mattress, espresso machine.

We also looked closely at what organizational tools could help us in the house and added those: shoe racks, towel racks, towel ring, over the door pantry rack, drawer dividers, storage bench. 

mlg78

I also had 40 at my shower and about the same size of registry items.  I think I have 3 items left at Kohls, about 10 at Target and 25 or so at BBB.  Most of BBB is my china items though...

hoffse

Yeah all our $100+ items went first also.  I was really shocked.  We had a number of people spend upwards of $200-$300 on us, which we were totally not expecting.  I ended up having to add additional big ticket items to our registry about a month out.  Seemed silly to me that people would spend $135 on a salad bowl, but it's a damn nice bowl.  Given what I was noticing as the trend I just decided to add it and see (because we both really liked it, just thought it was overpriced).  Well we got it.  Along with other stuff that seemed vastly overpriced.

Actually, of everything we registered for, our china ran out first - even before our everyday dinnerware (fiesta), though we eventually got complete sets of both.  I personally don't mind buying things in pairs or 4's to get to the price range I want, but I don't like buying odd numbers, unless it's a single item.  That seemed to be consistent with what I was noticing our guests do as well.

If you entertain you might want to reevaluate serving pieces, etc.  As my mother says, she never seems to have a platter or bowl in exactly the right size.  My H thought I over-registered for these until he realized how often I use different ones depending on what we're eating.  You also might want to consider registering for a china pattern, crystal pattern, etc.  If you will never ever want it then it's of course fine to skip.  But if you ever think you might want it, now is the time.  I know it feels expensive (it is), but you never know how much of it you might get.  We literally got every single piece of ours.

Holiday items are also good, and most stores are just now coming out with them for the season.

erinlin25

I'm late on this, but we waited until after our shower to "add" anything, and even then it was small things like pasta bowls to go with our place settings or decorative things, extra platters type things, etc we saw after we initially registered.  If you "run out" of gifts people will typically give you money or a gift card; and for the most part we got money/gifts cards at the wedding compared to physical gifts (which is common). So unless there is something you absolutely want to add, do not feel obligated to add stuff.  With 200 gifts on there already and a variety of price points, its seems like you have a good list going.

carly324

Hi!  I am in the same boat..., we don't need anything else on our registry.  Anything we add will be adding just to add.  We FINALLY decided on doing a honeymoon fund for our trip to Hawaii.  We were not sure if it were tacky or not, but finally decided that if someone thought it was tacky- they just would not contribute. I totally understand it is NOT about a gift.  But, if someone can not find something on the registry and they are not sure what else to purchase they will have the option to just contribute to our fund  Happy registering

KatWAG

carly324 said:

Hi!  I am in the same boat..., we don't need anything else on our registry.  Anything we add will be adding just to add.  We FINALLY decided on doing a honeymoon fund for our trip to Hawaii.  We were not sure if it were tacky or not, but finally decided that if someone thought it was tacky- they just would not contribute. I totally understand it is NOT about a gift.  But, if someone can not find something on the registry and they are not sure what else to purchase they will have the option to just contribute to our fund  Happy registering

Its tacky, very very tacky.

carly324

that's good... we are still doing it. thanks 

schellzinator

Just an update - I added a few more things (holiday decorations, etc).  My shower was last week and it all worked out fine.  I did end up with 20 place settings when we registered for 12

Dreamergirl8812

carly324 said:

Hi!  I am in the same boat..., we don't need anything else on our registry.  Anything we add will be adding just to add.  We FINALLY decided on doing a honeymoon fund for our trip to Hawaii.  We were not sure if it were tacky or not, but finally decided that if someone thought it was tacky- they just would not contribute. I totally understand it is NOT about a gift.  But, if someone can not find something on the registry and they are not sure what else to purchase they will have the option to just contribute to our fund  Happy registering

Me while PP figures out how to read almost every thread on this board:


Oh, and your guests already had the option of contributing to your "fund." It's called cash. Cash is currency that is good for lots of stuff. A lot of people give it at weddings without you holding a cardboard sign saying that you're an out of work veteran.