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My normally very laidback, very practical fiance has suddenly piped up with strong opinions regarding registry items. Last week's venture to Bed Bath & Beyond was very normal, very by-the-book, as we registered for lots of home items.
But then, oh boy, but THEN...
He decided to start a Target registry and is registering for some unconventional items (in my opinion). I want to let him have fun and register for whatever he wants, but will guests look at this registry and be like "They registered for WHAAAAT?!"?
The registry currently includes the following gems:
-Binoculars (for all that bird-watching that he NEVER EVER does)
-Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit
-Digital camera
-GPS system
-Oh and he wants to add MOVIES, as in DVDs!
Ridiculous or not? Do I argue and insist we take this stuff off or do I just let the boy have his fun? Those items all sound fun to me, but are they practical things to register for??
I don't think it's a big deal. I've seen videogame systems on people's registries. Plus, I would think it's cool to put together a DVD basket as a wedding gift.
My mom gave us a Wii, lol. You never know who'll buy it! Maybe HIS buddies will go in on it.
Registry stuff can be SO girly sometimes...dishes, cups, etc. Sometimes it's good to have a little fun stuff.
Plus, who do you think will buy this stuff? Nobody has to
I'm not sure I understand why you wouldn't register for those things.
Our registries include all kinds of stuff, camping equipment, sewing machine and supplies, wii + wii fit + wiimotes + games, several bottles of wine, board games, etc. plus some kitchen and houseware stuff to flush out what we already have.
The point is to help you make your house a home, right? Well, all of those things do that!
i think the GPS system is fine..the camera is iffy, and everything else is a little strange. does target offer discounts on things that were left on the registry? maybe that's why they did it?
I would let him register for whatever he wants within reason. I let me FI register for a BluRay player, phones, printer fax, etc. things that can be used for the house and your new life together. I might not have him register for DVD, but how about outdoor games. Maybe you can find a happy medium.
I don't think a camera is an iffy registry item, especially if the couple is vocal about wanting to start a family. A camera is a must! Also, we received a wii and a couple of games (both for wii, and board games) - also a normal registry item to me, since you play them and spend QT with your new spouse.
heehee, the binoculars is kind of funny to me, but i think those registry items are just fine. also, if it's a way for him to get excited about the registry/wedding, then all the more reason to let him have his fun, as you've suggested. if it's all traditional/home stuff, maybe he wouldn't be as excited? i say go for it!
good input, ladies! thanks! i won't say anything more and will let all that stuff stay on the registry. to be fair, it's all mixed in with other perfectly "normal" items like kitchen and bath stuff. i didn't wanna be the party pooper by any means, but also didn't want people saying "umm, don't they know any better!?"
happy monday, all!
I don't think it's a big deal. We plan on registering for Beatles Rock Band!
I am with you on this one. I have been a guest at a wedding where they registered for a Wii Fit and when I saw that I was offended. The things he added sound more like birthday gifts than wedding gifts. The DVD's are the least appropriate of the things you listed, in my opinion. When I buy a wedding gift for someone I intend it to last thier lifetime, and electronics just don't last very long. I would be shocked and offended if I saw those things on a wedding registry.
For reference, I am 30 but very traditional when it comes to weddings. I guess the real answer is that you can put what you want on there, but be prepared for older/more traditional guests to be offended by these items. Younger or less traditional guests probably won't mind.
I think it's kind of funny. The last wedding I went to, I picked out the weirdest stuff I could find on the registry on purpose. That ended up being a fire extinguisher and step ladder. I wrote in the card that I assumed these were for use in the bedroom. Hehe.
@gcwest - hahahahah! that is too funny!
being a non-fan of registries myself, i usually try to get as creative as i can when buying gifts, too. :)
although, now that i'm the bride, i am totally seeing the value in registries so that you don't end up with stuff that's not your taste or style.
registries are supposed to be for stuff you actually want - so if its a Wii or a flat screen - so be it. you dont have to only register for towels and china :)
hes fine - and it will help when yall get presents that not everything is somethign that he will never use or deal with.
@snmcdowell - I understand where you're coming from, but I think times are different now and there just aren't as many things people keep forever. I bet they keep their wii longer than a rubber spatula - but no one blinks at spatulas being included. Most couples buy new sheets every 5 years or so, but linens are a registry classic. I think a camera lasts as long as a blender (god knows those don't last a lifetime anymore), and you'll use it just as often. And in any case, I'm not sure I'd understand why these items would offend you on a registry. If you don't like what they've registered for, you can always go off registry or just write a check. I might not understand everything on a couple's registry, but I'm much happier to see them registering for things they'll use than for china or crystal that will sit in a cabinet for 50 years.
Lol, binoculars. That is TOTALLY something my FI would register for. Thank god we aren't registering for gifts or we would have things like BBQ, Nail gun, Kevlar pants for motorcycle...a FISHING ROD...yah he's kinda clueless when it comes to whats acceptable and what isnt.
Camera, thats ok. Wii....a little much, but you never know. video games, LOL why not?? but the binoculars though...i dunno about that one.
I don't understand how Wii fit can offend someone. Is it offensive if a couple registers for board games? We registered for things we're actually going to use and that includes wii fit.
@gcwest I do that too! I try to buy $100 - $200 of the oddball stuff that usually gets left behind like the $2 vegetable brush and potholders.
I've seen lots of registries with those sorts of items. If someone doesn't think it's appropriate, they just won't buy it.
Basically, there will be something about every wedding that ends up seeming strange to/offending a guest. Don't waste time worrying about this.
I don't think it is that weird. We did not register for anything that will last a lifetime because we have no use for china/silver/crystal. Both of our parents have sets and we will probably end up with them. I don't know if I would even use them, I would be afraid of breaking them.
We registered for a Wii Fit, camping gear and other misc. items at Target. All our stuff at BBB was driven towards our home so the Target registry was a fun way to get stuff that we would use outside the home or for fun!
my totally honest opinion... most of that stuff is kind of weird on a registry. i'd feel iffy about registering for it. As a guest, if I saw it on a registry, I wouldn't care at all... but as a bride I'd worry what people would think. i do think the trend is away from things you "need" (i.e. linens, cookware) and towards things that are "fun"... particularly because a lot of people are getting married when they're older and don't need so much stuff bc they've bought it for themselves. So I guess I think its fine to leave it on there, but I wouldn't be surprised if some people thought it was a little strange.
Just be glad he didn't do what my fiance did. It's likely we'll be receiving 10 gift-wrapped boxes of Twinkies on our wedding day.
I'd feel weird for registering for those, but if you have a completion program, you'll get percentages off. People won't be them if they want to buy you something for the house. I did register for a digital camcorder though. My cousins registered for underwear and bump its, among other htings!
See I think underwear and bumpits are crossing a line. It's not like you both enjoy the fact that your hair has a bump in it!
I don't think there's anything wrong with those items - but I'd be sure your registries have all the usual suspects (dishes, sheets) before adding them because some guests are more traditional in their ideas of what makes an appropriate wedding gift.
I'm traditional and I think those items are unappropriate for a wedding registry. Traditional registry items are housewares and kitchenware that will help you make your new home together. Some people could argue that a Wii is a houseware, I guess... but I think it would be a strange thing to register for. If I saw those items on someone's registry, I wouldn't purchase them... I would purchase a more traditional item, but to each their own.
A friend of mine had a cousin who registered at Walmart. That was fairly standard in their small town; however, the groom registered for a nose hair trimmer. I'm pretty sure that crosses a line!
As for the question. I wouldn't think it was wierd to see a registry with either a camera or a gps or a wii, but all three seems a bit greedy to me (though I suppose that would depend on the size of the wedding or the usual gift amount). I'd notice it less if it were mixed amongst "regular" registry items. If thats all thats on the registry, it would probably seem more odd.
Are they for both of you? At least as much as china and crystal would be for both of you? Then it's fine. :)
We registered for some videogame accessories (extra Wii controllers, some games) and electronics (a digital camcorder), and we got them, and we both enjoy them a lot. In fact, I don't see how registering for a videogame system is much different than registering for a tea set... they're both for entertaining, aren't they?
I can't imagine people having so much time on their hands that they would raise their eyebrows at that, but if they do... who needs their opinions? Maybe they won't buy them, but so what? Maybe they will!
@nonimouse: i also wondered if it would appear "greedy", but then i realized that the cost of some of those items (binoculars, camera, gps) are all under $100, some under $75, so it's actually cheaper than some of the expensive bedding or kitchen stuff we registered for!
@spaniel: yes, everything would be for us both. thanks for your input; you make really good points!
I actually wouldn't mind seeing those kind of things on a registry. I think if that's what you really want then who cares what people think? My FI and I already live together and have two of just about everything plus about a billion plates and towels - we'll probably have some non-traditional things because we just don't need any housewares.
I actually would have a harder time buying a gift that is on a registry that I personally thought it tacky or ugly. I feel I can't in good conscious give someone a revolving remote control holder - I just can't do it! But that's just me.
We registered for a PS3 and extra controllers, a digital picture frame and a new ipod. We didn't see anything wrong with it. I was excited because it made my FI really happy to know about some of the stuff we were actually registered for, because he is still a little confused on why we need a casual set of everyday dishes and nice dishes.
I think people register for bigger things like that thinking that a group of friends or a few families will go in on it. I don't think it's a bad thing. Sometimes, the store will send you a 10% off coupon for anything left on the registry, too!
The thing that annoyed me most ever on a registry was a $98 salt shaker. What an utter waste of money if someone purchased that. It actually made me irate - I was yelling at my FI "Why does getting married mean you are entitiled to a HUNDRED DOLLAR SALT SHAKER."
I would be much more comfortable with a digital camera on the registry than a $98 salt shaker.
on your website could you list it as the "fun" registry and call the other "traditional"? I think it is great!
I don't see anything wrong with those items. I wouldn't be offended or think it's weird. Between us, my FI and I have 5 houses and a condo. We don't need another dish, pot, glass, piece of china, sheet, towel, or picture frame. I would definitely use the registry for things that I want since all of my needs are covered. If nobody wanted to buy anything off the registry...I wouldn't be offended at all...but I wouldn't fill it with a bunch of stuff that I didn't need just to follow tradition either.
So, for those who would find registry items like that offensive....what are those people who already have china, dishes, pots/pans, towels, linens, duvets, pillows, random knick knacks, picture frames, potholders, and every other household item under the sun supposed to register for? My FI and I own our own home, we've furnished it ourselves and we each lived on our own for several years before we moved in together--so we not only have all that stuff...we have it times 2! There are certain household items that we want to replace or update, and so we registered for that, but that didn't get us anywhere near the number of gifts you're "supposed" to register for. So we registered for some more camping equipment (one of our favorite hobbies), Mario Kart for Wii (my favorite game as a kid and one we STILL haven't bought for ourselves--partially because I hate that FI always beats me at it), some extra Xbox controllers (specifically requested by a friend who wants to buy them for us so he doesn't have to bring his own when he comes over), a new microphone for our Xbox because Beatles Rockband has the option to sing harmony, which we love and so do our friends, but you need a second mic....I could go on. Everything we registered for is something we both want and will enjoy. These are all part of enjoying our life together and building a home that we love to share with our friends. I don't get the problem.
I say register for whatever you damn well please. I think that people have NO place to judge what a couple puts on their registry. You are not demanding these items, simply indicating they are things you would like! If someone has an objection to any of the items - they don't have to buy it!
We have furniture on our registry. I would probably drop dead if we received it (even as a group gift) but we plan to purchase it after the wedding - with our completion discount. I think that is a smart choice as a couple and I would be incredibly offended if one of our guests passed judgement on us for having it there.
@Chillmer - I totally agree! When I see things like that it makes me crazy too. When we were registering, I found this really cool set of coasters that were absolutely beautiful. But when I went to scan the tag, I saw they were on sale for $130 (on sale!). They went right back on the shelf because there is just no way we need $130 coasters in our lives - no matter who's paying for them!
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