What to Register for When You’re Already Living Together
Wedding registries are hard, especially when you’re living together. I’d say 95% of couples I work with are living together before they’re engaged (okay, I didn’t actually run a statistic but basically everyone is living together)! Couples often buy new sheets, a new bed, and even get a new house/apartment when they move in together. Sometimes they even get a dog together. Also, its become SO easy to buy things (thanks to tik tok and instagram) from ecommerce brands like Parachute, Brooklinen and Away. So, how do you register when you’re living together, have some collective things for the home, and have invested a bit into your home already?
There’s these crazy, old-school registry guides out there to get the basics - bedding, towels, luggage and then everything for the kitchen. If you’re living in an apartment, chances are you don’t need doubles at this point, so don’t bother. So, here’s six points of advice on how to start:
1 . Register for the fun things, pretty things you wouldn’t buy yourself. And then, once you start adding these things on, the list will grow from there.
2. Over the course of engagement, as things come up that you need, add it onto the registry. Oh, I really wish we had a small sauce pan or a nonstick griddle (add it onto your registry). I remember making cocktails for friends over one night and I was using a terrible, cheap shaker I got for free at an event. I realized I wanted a nice, pretty cocktail shaker for my bar cart and registered for it right away (with the matching accessories and ice bucket of course).
3. Register for the decor - vases, picture frames, serving bowls, fruit bowls, serving utensils, platters, etc. Its so nice to entertain and use these gifts in front of your guests (bonus if your guests gifted them to you). These are things you do not buy for yourself and really elevate a dining experience.
4. Don’t follow the rules. Do want you want, order what you want, take some of the pressure off. If you don’t want a fancy set of china and an everyday set, don’t bother. If you do, great. Its not the 1950s, you can follow your own set of rules. But DO, register for bedding if you don’t already have nice bedding. Best way to start your marriage, is to get some good sleep!
5. Listen to your partner and let your partner make some decisions here. So often, one person sort of owns the wedding plans, let your partner get involved - if they want something random, let them register for it!!
6. Reach out to spennie, we can get to know you, your lifestyle, your needs and make some solid recommendations. We’ll even work on your registry for you and let you hop in there to make changes / adjustments before sharing it!