Registering For Gifts – What’s In, What’s Out!

Ask any bride and they will tell you that registering for gifts is one of the most fun parts of planning the wedding. You can shop ’til you drop without spending a dime! Plus, you can let all of your guests know what you need, want or wish for and everyone is happy! So, whats in for 2012?

Pricier items that you would never buy for yourself; expensive cookware, unique serving pieces, designer china, crystal and flatware.

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Group gifts are also very popular. Co-workers, siblings and other groups of friends and family are pooling their resources to buy big ticket items like Kitchenaid Mixers,  Electrolux vacuums and other trusted name brand products.

Luggage is hotter than ever. Good luggage will last a long time and a cheap suitcase is a waste of money. Register for all the pieces you want in various sizes allowing for short trips, long tips, business trips and family vacations.

Bedding  – Luxurious sheets, luscious comforters, and fluffy pillows are the another thing newlyweds can never get enough of. When it is time to go to sleep, everyone should feel like they are in a 5 star hotel!

 

The most important thing to remember is to have a wide range of gifts in every price range. Don’t forget that not everyone will be able or willing to spend hundreds of dollars on one vase. But, don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone –  this is the one time you can register for something extravagant without feeling guilty!

Happy Shopping!

 

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

Bridal Registry Wish List – Most Wanted Items

The most wanted items on Bridal Registries everywhere in 2011 deviated from previous years since the former top choices of dishes moved to higher end  kitchen pieces and bath panels. For couples who have either co-habitated or lived on their own for a period of time, getting an upgrade to nicer kitchen items is a wonderful way to begin your lives together as a married couple.

The most popular kitchen items include premium cutlery,  gourmet appliances, Le Creuset cookware and top shelf bar items. According to the Wall Street Journal, men are becoming more involved in the registry process which explains the switch from plates and forks to knives and Kitchen Aid Mixers. Which also might explain grill items cracking the top ten registry list for the first time as well.

More top items for the home include bedding, unusual serving pieces and monogrammed towels. The top towel color? Brown – go figure!

And rounding out the top ten is gift cards. No surprise here – gift cards can be used in combination with coupons and other gift cards to buy higher end items you wouldn’t normally purchase for yourself. Like  Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville frozen drink mixer or a set of Egyptian cotton sheets!

If you don’t  like registering for gifts or merely feel like the cash would be of more help you could always bypass traditional gift registries and opt for one of the dozens of cash gift registries. Be careful before telling your loved ones to put stock in anything you haven’t checked out completely since for every reputable company there is a fraudulent one lurking behind fancy websites and phony customer referrals.

Anyway you look at it, the easiest part of wedding planning is registering for gifts. Personally, the  margarita machine sounds like a lot of fun to me!

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago