Post # 1

Member
182 posts
Blushing bee
Hello, Bees! I am wondering, did you get close to everything on your registry? I am curious because my Fiance and I will be registering in a few months, and both of us still live with our parents because we’re young. As such, neither of us have any household items to speak of, except for some tools and towels. We will be keeping our registries pretty small, just getting what we need and a few extras because we will be living in an apartment.
Do you think if you knew someone was just starting out, you would be more inclined to get them two gifts instead of one or try to help complete the registry? How much did you get off of your registries and how many items were on your lists? Did your store of choice have a registry completion program that you used?
Post # 3

Member
2440 posts
Buzzing bee
I got probably more than half of the items on my registry but my registry was really small (under 100 items) and we had a honeymoon registry. We had 100 guests at our wedding but most of the items from the registry we got at the shower, at the wedding most people gave cash. As far as if the couple was just starting out, I really wouldn’t take that into consideration. I would give the same cost of present (considering I knew the couples equally well) to a couple just starting to fill a house as I would to a couple with two completely filled houses. And yes, BBB has a completion program but I actually saved up 20% off coupons and used them to complete the stuff we really want, it was better than the 10% completion discount.
Post # 4

Member
2193 posts
Buzzing bee
Most brides will not get every item on their registry unless they register for very few items. Most of our registry gifts came from our shower and out of 175 guests we got 3 non-cash gifts at the wedding. We did get most everything we needed by registering for all the needs and none of the wants. Skip utensils and towels(cheap and goes on sale) and go for pots, dinnerware, fine china and small electrics.
Post # 5

Member
3195 posts
Sugar bee
We got quite a few things on the registry, maybe 2/3, and bought most of the others with giftcards. I just checked it and I’m glad we didn’t get everything….some things I’m glad people didn’t get us because it would have been money better spent elsewhere…rather than on matchy matchy bath accessories 🙂
We registered for almost all the usual kitchen appliances, everyday dishes, bedding, towels and a few household items and got most of them.
Post # 6

Member
678 posts
Busy bee
We only got a few items from our registry; most people gave us money (and then we got the items that we really wanted/needed).
But I’m still glad we had a fully prepared registry in case people needed ideas. When I’m a guest at a wedding, I always appreciate having ideas and choices to choose from.
Post # 7

Member
1474 posts
Bumble bee
We ended up getting most of the things we registered for. We had two registries (Amazon and Target). The Amazon was small (less than 10 things), but between the wedding and the shower was completed. The target registry was about 80 and we got two gifts from two different people and then my grandmother very generously bought everything else we got. There was a Target completion discount (10%), but unfortunately we didn’t make time to go before it expired.
Post # 8

Member
836 posts
Busy bee
We had two items on our registry, with a few of each one. We got two of each (instant camera and 100-each exposures of instant film). They’re to use on the day, and we got just as much as we could ever need.
Post # 9

Member
10634 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
Quite a few guests gave gift cards or cash, so if you factor in what we bought we probably recieved 2/3 of our registry, we probably had over 1/2 before then. I wouldn’t spend more on someone just starting off, but what you’ve registered for is likely different than a couple who has most of the basics. I would be more likely to buy more cheaper gifts than 1 expensive gift if that is the case (but if something feels cheap in quality I won’t).
Post # 10

Member
182 posts
Blushing bee
@redhead46: We have about 80 guests and most of them are family, although some are traveling from far away so I’ll be expecting a lot of money. Haha. Our families are both pretty close so I’m sure they’ll give what they can. :]
@baletrina: Ooh good advice on the utensils and towels! I’m not sure yet if we will register for china. Did you register for china?
@fvsoccer: It’s sounding like it’s best to register for the basics and get the wants later. :] Did that work out well for you?
@Missido: Yes! I love getting gifts from the registry! I’m not much of a money-giving person, and neither is my Fiance, so we like getting people gifts we know they’d like. Not that we’d be disappointed with money… :]
@MsCarabiner: We are registering at Target as well. How long does the discount last after the wedding?
@ellisrobertson: How cute! If I didn’t need the household items I would definitely consider doing something like that. :]
Post # 11

Member
699 posts
Busy bee
I voted that we got everything, because we used the cash we were given to buy out whatever was still unpurchased. We had enough cash to buy everything on our registery.
Post # 12

Member
1736 posts
Bumble bee
Mine are about 3/4 complete (honeymoon registry sold out! wahoo!) We will likely buy what is left with the discounts (FWIW, we registered at Crate and Barrel and Sur la Table).
Post # 13

Member
3695 posts
Sugar bee
We definitely got enough cash to buy everything on our registry, but used it to buy new appliances and flooring instead (the joys of homeownership!). As far as gifts purchased from the registry, we received most things that were on there. Numbers wise it didn’t look like it because we didn’t receive our 12 glasses to match the china, 12 side plates, 12 bowls, and quite a few serving pieces. But just about everything else non-china (and actually all of the place settings and flatware) were purchased from the (one and only, keep it easy) registry. We each already had a household of our own (him a house and me an apartment) so we didn’t need the basics, so we asked for a few upgrades and some nicer things we’d never buy ourselves. Plus a few things that you just “have to have” like a tea kettle. 🙂
Post # 14

Member
182 posts
Blushing bee
@pigzfly: And that’s why money is so awesome! You can get the rest of your items, or decide you need something else. :]
@MsMindle: Did you find the honeymoon registry to be really helpful? We are just driving up to Michigan for ours so it would only cost about 2,000 overall, so maybe not for us? What do you think?
@almostmrsj: Would you recommend registering for china? We’re kind of on the fence about it.
Post # 15

Member
236 posts
Helper bee
@pigzfly: +1
We had a little over 200 guests, and we got almost everything on our registry. We even had to add items to our registry in certain price ranges, because they were getting low and we got those items from last minute wedding gift shoppers.
Post # 16

Member
3622 posts
Sugar bee
We put a lot on the registry because we wanted to give people a lot of things to choose from, at a range of price points. We didn’t get everything, maybe we got more than half? We also got a lot of money, which I prefer.