100 Ideas: Gift Registry

34 Saying Thanks
Don’t take a honeymoon from the thank-you notes. You have four weeks after you arrive home from your honeymoon to send them out.

35 Try Something Different
What do guests get for the couple who has everything (or at least plenty of towels and barware)? As the average age of brides and grooms continues to creep up, and couples are setting up house long before saying “I do,” many are asking guests to chip in for the honeymoon in lieu of traditional wedding gifts. Sites like paradiseregistry.com, HoneyLuna.com, thebigday.com, honeymoonwishes.com, and sendusoff.com allow couples to register for the honeymoon of their dreams, and guests can opt to pay for anything from airfare to massages. Many of the sites also offer travel coordination and booking services through preferred vendors.

Beware before you buy: Most honeymoon registry sites charge couples, gift-givers, or both a processing fee—read the fine print.

36 Registry Etiquette
It’s considered poor form to include registry reminder cards with wedding invitations, but the bridal shower host can feel free to include a note about where the couple is registered in shower invites.

37 Online’s Just Fine
Local shops Ampersand, Bed Bath & Beyond, Bloomingdale’s, Crate & Barrel, Herberger’s, and Macy’s are among the many stores that have websites where guests can purchase gifts online.

38 Home Style
It’s up to you to decide the degree of formality for your tableware—and your lifestyle. To create a wedding registry you’ll cherish, ask yourself:

Are you casual or formal?
What colors do you like?
How do you like to spend your time together?

39 Fabulous Flutes
Give guests an unforgettable experience by serving wine in these Juliska flutes on an elegant silver tray. Don’t worry about choosing just one style; start an eclectic collection. Ampersand, Galleria, Edina, 952-920-2118

Photo by Michael Hendrickson

{ Gifts From You } 40 Get Creative Have fun with your bridesmaid’s gifts. Personalize a bracelet or necklace, or splurge on embroidered knit robes and sleep therapy bath products. Send them packing with bright-colored cotton canvas bags—perfect for toiletries.

41 A Girl’s Best Friend
Give your bridesmaids a gift that can be worn postwedding. Diamonds glam up evening wear but can also transition to conservative daywear.

42 Think Outside the Box
Looking for a special and memorable gift to give your groom? Try to come up with a twist that appeals to one of his interests. The fiancé of one local bride was a budding cigar connoisseur, so the bride hired a torcedora to come to the reception and hand roll custom cigars for the groom and groomsmen. To top it off, she gave her hubby a personalized humidor to store his growing collection.

Photo by Stephanie Colgan

43 Personal Touch Looking for a unique gift for the wedding party or something created for your own home? Check out the personalized cups, bowls, plates, and platters from local artist Jessica Rust, featuring delicate, casual black-and-white renderings. The tableware has captured the attention of O at Home and Real Simple and can be found at Letterbox in Minneapolis. Letterbox, 2741 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-870-4529