If you’ve already registered for all your perfect items and linked them in your wedding website and invites have gone out, likely you’re seeing things being purchased and maybe even receiving gifts already.
If you haven’t set up your registry yet, check out this post first.
First of all, let’s all admit that is super fun. Not only does it mean the wedding is coming soon, but it also means you finally have matching plates and/or a new vacuum and that’s just plain EXCITING.
Now that we got that confession out of the way, it’s time to take a second look at your registry and how it’s shaping up. I would say this is something you should do once a month from when the registry is posted and people start getting the link until a month from your wedding date.
The reason you would want to do this is so that a) you can monitor the price range options left b) you can make sure there are options for late sifters and c) you can manipulate the list to make sure you get the things you need first and then the things you want.
Hopefully, when you set it up you already decided what’s most important and necessary and what are just “would love to have” items. What I mean by this is that you probably need a few forks but probably want that Yeti cooler. Keep in mind those priorities when reviewing your registry.
What to do if the want items are getting purchased before the need items
If you’re noticing that people are going for all the fun stuff and leaving your bed linen-less… well, maybe it warrants removing some of the want items for a bit until the need items get purchased. You can always add them back as the registry starts to look barren.
Some registries also allow you to mark items as “must-have,” which is a great way to draw attention to the items you’ll have to buy if they don’t get gifted.
Finally, don’t stress about this too much. Inevitably you’re going to get cash and checks that can help you with purchasing the need items after the registry is closed.
What to do if the items left are only in one price range
If you notice that there aren’t different tiers for your items remaining, it’s nice to add in some different price points so that every budget has options. This is where you can add in those fun “want” items. I’d say as a general rule of thumb try to keep options available in these price ranges:
- under $50
- $50- $100
- $100+
You can also see if the same items you added can be split up into individual items or smaller sets so that guests have the option of purchasing part of a set rather than the full $350 set.
BUT if doing that adds in a bunch of unnecessary items that you think will get picked off leaving the remaining pricey, but necessary items, one way to add price points is to add the option of purchasing gift cards to the stores the necessary items are sold at.
For example, if you’re wanting a $200 West Elm duvet cover, but seeing that there aren’t any lower price point options left, add the option of purchasing West Elm gift cards so that they can pick their price point and maybe only spend $50 instead of $200. Then, if that duvet cover is still on your registry after the wedding you can purchase it yourself with the different gift cards. Another amazing thing is that some stores give you a “registry discount” to purchase the remaining items on your list at a discounted rate!
