OOT of town bride

Geoffreysbaby · August 2010

I am an OOT bride and my bridal shower will be OOT across the country.

There are a few ideas running through my head but none of the ideas seem be making sense on paper.

I want my friends and family to be able to give me gifts but I can only take so much back with my on a plane and shipping can get very very expensive.

So i was thinking when the invitations go out that I can put gift cards preferred. I know that so many people think this is tacky but for me it's just reality.

My other idea is to inform people that if there is a large item that they really want to get me to have it shipped to my home and I won't open it until after the shower. That way they can put a picture in the card and it will still be a surprise. The only downside with this is that I don't know if it's nice to ask guest to pay for extra shipping. And plus what wording would I use on an invitation ? I can always use my website for extra information.

My last idea is that I will do a honeymoon registration along with my gift registry so this gives more options.

Can you do a gift registry on Amazon ? I know they include free shipping on their items over $25.

So any advice that anyone has for what to do for my registry it will be greatly appreciated!

-Nicole

acmj11 · August 2010

Because you are an OOT bride, I would think that if people want to get you the big gifts, they will probably have the gifts sent to you anyway. Don't request gift cards. It's not nice to ASK for gifts of any kind.

quotequeen · August 2010

You shouldn't ask for gift cards and you shouldn't ask people to ship your shower gifts to you. The point of a shower is for people to buy you physical gifts and watch you open them at the shower. If that's too much trouble for you, you shouldn't have a shower.

You wouldn't be wording the invitation anyway, that would be the host's job.

Honeymoon registries are always rude, and are particularly inappropriate for showers.

Yes, you can register on amazon.

Geoffreysbaby · August 2010

should i just assume that people would have them sent to me or is there a way to word it maybe not on the invite but on my website. I would never ask for gifts, that's tacky but i know there might be some people that don't like to shop on the internet and as an alternative might just want to get me a gift card.

nhelene · August 2010

You CAN register on Amazon. But your gift-giver can opt to ship something off your registry to themself, so it's not a catchall solution.

Where do your guests live? If they're also flying in, chances are they'll give cash, gift cards, etc., give a very small gift, or have it sent to your home. You may also just want to pack light and find out how much it will cost to check an extra bag on the way home.

I read here the other day that Macy's is very good about letting you return things to a local store and re-ordering the same items to be shipped to your home. It may be kind of a PITA, but it will save you some trouble if it comes to that.

Whoever is throwing your shower can certainly put a note in the shower invitations: Remember, Mary is from out of town so please give her small or easy-to-pack gifts, or have them shipped to her. And let your family and wedding party know to remind anyone who asks them about gifts. But no, you shouldn't be directing people what to get you or how to get it to you.

awick14 · August 2010

Where is you registry? Our asked us for an address/ home store is which the guest could "ship us the gift" for no etra cost. It would just be ast the store location that was most convient for us. We don't have many OOT guest so I don't think we will have that problem but the guests that are OOT would be adviced is they go to our registry in a store.

Brie2010 · August 2010

Ditto PPs. Saying anything on the invite is rude. Also, it sounds like your making your own invites, which...you shouldn't plan your own shower. If you're thinking of doing that, don't.

I flew in for my shower. A few tips: fly Southwest! You can check two bags free, plus take a carryon. I brought home two huge suitcases and a duffel bag filled with the non-breakable gifts I got, like towels, kitchen gadgets, sheets, etc. For the really big stuff I got, I opened it at the shower, returned it to the store for store credit, and immediately re-bought the exact same thing when I got home. I also stored a few random things at my mom's house and drove them back with us after the wedding.

aimers1525 · August 2010

ditto to @Brie--register at chain stores like Bed Bath and Beyond/Target etc. You could always return any gifts you receive, get store credit/gift card and buy them back at the location near your home. Also, my friend had her shower in Chicago and her mom returned all of her gifts from BBB and then bought them back and BBB shipped everything for a flat rate.

Geoffreysbaby · August 2010

Thanks for all the good advice. I am not doing my own invites but my mom and MOH are and my mom was just as confused as I was. I like the idea of adding a note to the

invitation.

nhelene:

"Whoever is throwing your shower can certainly put a note in the shower invitations: Remember, Mary is from out of town so please give her small or easy-to-pack gifts, or have them shipped to her. And let your family and wedding party know to remind anyone who asks them about gifts"

I am planning on bringing a large empty suitcase with me and will consider everyones advice about returning the items and then purchasing them again while I am back home.

thanks!!

-Nicole

strlzfan11 · August 2010

I think there is a store (Macy's perhaps) that will let you take items bought after your registry back to the store and they willship them to you house for free. I'm not 100% sure of that, but I think someone mentioned that in a post a while back (like maybe a month ago) in reference to the same topic. It wouldn't hurt to contact the stores you're registered at to see what their policies are.

OOT of town bride

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