There are plenty of reasons why organising a wedding list far in advance of the wedding itself is a good idea. Far from being rude or grasping, guests will find a list of what the bride and groom need for their married life together very useful. When planning a wedding, it can be hard to juggle the organisation of so many different things, so the gift list can be a good place to start. Everyone attending a wedding will want to bring a gift and will be grateful if their choice is made easier by a clear, concise and easy to use wedding list.
The wedding list will need to be ready before wedding invitations are sent out, so that details can be included in the invitations. For this reason, many couples decide to plan their wedding list early on as one of the first things they organise, along with the venue. The most important thing when compiling a wedding list is careful planning to ensure that guests know precisely which items the couple require, and it is down to the couple to think carefully about what they need. A clever way to select which items to pick is to brainstorm separately and then combine the different ideas as a couple to see which things have cropped up on both lists. The list should be a mixture of some extravagant items and cheaper, smaller items, so guests can choose something that suits their wedding budget.
There are many different ways to go about organising a wedding list. Whilst some couples may choose to put together a list themselves, it is far more common to use a ready-made service. Many department stores have their own list service, so that couples can request gifts through a store that reflects their personal tastes. This can be a good system as it makes the administration side of things a lot easier, but there are other options too. Online services, websites that specialise in arranging wedding lists that combine many different online stores, can be a more flexible alternative.
Items included on a wedding list will be dependent on the personal circumstances of the couple. Whilst a young couple may need lots of essential household items that they’ve not yet managed to save for, a more mature, established couple might already have everything they need for the home. In this case, luxury items rather than staples can be given, such as pieces of art, fine china or a new glass collection. More established couples could also consider adapting a more traditional wedding list in favour of items for a particular purpose, for example if they are thinking of redecorating a room or landscaping their garden.
Whilst traditionally, wedding lists consist of items specifically for the home, this does not necessarily have to be the case. Other items that could be requested include those required for starting a family such as prams or cots, to holiday vouchers and even favours from family and friends.
