Creative Wedding Registries

In today’s society, more and more couples are deciding to tie the knot at an older age after they’ve established themselves financially, career-wise and experienced life. With that said, 65% of couples have already lived together before getting married and have already gone through the process of merging their households and building a home together. So when faced with the idea of registering for a wedding, many couples have to decide whether to upgrade items they already have but don’t necessarily want/need/will collect dust or just asking for cash. Though asking for money as a wedding gift is no longer as taboo as it once was, many couples still find it difficult to let go of the dated notion that requesting a cash gift is “tacky”.

So, what’s an engaged couple to do? Bred out of this new-found need, many creative wedding registries are popping up to cater to a new generation of engaged couples looking for something different to put on their registry. Whether it be travel, fun date nights, lifestyle products or contributing towards a down payment on a house, these new registries cover everything under the sun and are introducing a whole new way to invest in a couples’ life beyond material items. Helping a young married couple create memories and experiences as opposed to adding to a home that they’ve already spent years establishing is a refreshing change to the landscape of wedding registries, don’t you think? Take a peek at the list below for some innovative options.

Upon Our Star / Wedding Republic / Simple Registry
Upon Our Star, Wedding Republic and Simple Registry are all based on the same concept: a creative wedding registry that allows users to register for anything from anywhere to allow for a fully customizable registry experience totally personalized to each couple. The idea behind these registries is that what couples want is largely different and can’t all be found in an online catalogue. It also opens up the option for group gift giving allowing multiple people to contribute towards a big ticket item they wouldn’t necessarily be able to afford on their own.  The point is for the couple to gather things and experiences that aren’t limited to material items for the household. For example, couples may want a table from Pottery Barn, money towards a house cleaning service, a couples cooking class at an upscale restaurant, etc. What’s nice about this option is nothing in restricted to time. Say a couple registers for a weekend getaway in addition to a honeymoon. Though the honeymoon will most likely be used soon after the wedding, the weekend getaway can be used years down the road for an anniversary or to get a break from being new parents. The gift will be just as appreciated years later and is contributing to the lasting success of the relationship instead of simply celebrating a new marriage.

Deposit A Gift
Deposit A Gift is similar to the registries above but is a crowdfunding website that can be used beyond your wedding and honeymoon. Deposit A Gift isn’t wedding specific and can also be used to raise money for charity, entrepreneurial projects, education funds, etc. Guests can make cash contributions on the website towards an online account that is designed to be used for large scale purchases at a later date (though it can be accessed at any time). It’s a social based site allowing you to upload videos and pictures to make your page more interactive which many users find takes the impersonal feeling of giving money out of the equation.

Honey Fund
Many of couples find themselves strapped for cash post-wedding and the honeymoon gets put on hold. Why not register for it? Seems pretty simple right? The Honey Fund helps you get that many steps closer to the dream honeymoon you’ve spent your lifetime hoping for by not just allowing guests to gift a portion of the resort or airfare but also fun activities like horseback riding on the beach, a couples day at the spa, a dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant, etc. Always wanted to charter a small yacht for an afternoon of leisure? Add it to your Honey Fund!

Card Avenue
Don’t feel totally comfortable asking for cash but don’t know exactly what you want either? Try Card Avenue, a gift-card registry that offers you the quick and easy option to select stores you’d like to received gift cards to. Saves you the time consuming process of registering for specific items and allows you to do the shopping after the wedding. This way, you can merge your gift cards towards a single, larger purchase or several smaller ones at a time that’s convenient for you or even years down the road.

The Man Registry
Generally speaking, a bride tends to be on the receiving end of most of the wedding gifts especially because a bridal shower is in celebration of, well, the bride! As grooms don’t typically have showers of their own, The Man Registry is a nice way to let your hubby-to-be in on the fun and get some nice man-specific gifts of his own.

I DO Foundation
For the couple with hearts of gold and/or that has everything they already need! A charity registry allows you to choose a charity or cause that is near and dear to you and your future betrothed and asks guests to contribute a donation in lieu of gifts. Or, if you can’t afford to offer up all those wedding gifts but still want to raise money for a good cause, you can register for gifts as well along with your charity of choice. The best of both worlds!

Would you be interested in doing a creative wedding registry or would you rather ask for money? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Let us know in the comment section!