Wedding gifts are nearly always a bane when it comes to getting and receiving them. Somehow the bride and groom always end up with too many cutlery sets (with no gift receipt). Where as the guests are totally clueless on the couple’s tastes or what they need.

As a recent wedding guest, I’ve recently had the panic of ‘oh crap, do they want money? Is that tacky? What will they need in their new house? Is this lamp too old fashioned? Should I get a matching one? Oh no, I can’t buy something on sale! Ooooh, look, cupcake makers…..’

Of course, coming out of Debenhams with a 25% off cutlery set, a Breville cupcake maker and a dose of buyer’s remorse isn’t one of my finer moments but, it got me thinking, why don’t people do gift registries more often? Maybe there’s a hidden shame in asking for what you want (and actually getting it) but in the end it really makes both parties happy. The guests don’t have to worry about the gift for weeks on end and the couple doesn’t have to trudge endlessly around shops with a handful of gift receipts and an armful of lamps and dinner piece sets in the other.

I’m not saying this is the answer to everyone’s problems or that you need to go out and push it out to all your guests in your invitation but it’s a great way to make sure that your closer guests don’t have to struggle with gifts!

Why not include a slip with some invites with a link to your Pinterest or Amazon wishlist? The great thing about Pinterest is that you can comment underneath if someone has messaged you to say they’re getting you that gift. Woo, no duplicate gifts- genius right?

Of course there are plenty of gift registry sites to work from (especially in the US) but if you want to be more subtle about it Pinterest is a friendly option.

Bonus Round

Here are some quick tips for those who hate getting gifts they don’t want (but are too nice to say anything!):

• Try not to mention that you want cash out right in your invites (it’s perfectly fine to mention to closer friends and family)- just sounds tacky
• Choose items in all price ranges for closer friends and people just attending the reception to choose from.
• If you have a large guest list, register at a few different stores or use a combination of the suggestions above in art, activities, honeymoon and charities.
• Make it easy for your guests to buy for you. Choose a store (or chain of stores) that is mainly in your guest’s locality or that has a website that they can purchase from.
• Ask your parents to spread the word on what you want. If you want them to go to the gift register website/profile or if your saving up for something special get them to mention it at an engagement or bridal party.

What’s the worst gift you’ve ever given at a wedding? We want to know! 

{Image from Eli}