6 Reasons To Not Have A Wedding Registry And Other Better Options

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While I do think that for some people, a wedding registry does make sense! However, for my husband and me, it just didn’t and there are several reasons to not have a wedding registry that you may want to consider.

After leaving the first date I had with my now-husband, I came back to my apartment and told all my friends that I had just met the man I was going to marry. They certainly thought I was crazy, as that was the first time, I had ever met him!

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But, for us, it was something we instantly knew. When you know, you know! And, because we knew almost instantly, we decided to not wait and get married as soon as possible.

We had the most gorgeous, intimate wedding after we only dated for 2.5 months and were engaged for 2.5 months. Because we got married so quickly, we definitely did some things untraditionally. And, we have zero regrets about all of it!

One thing that we didn’t have was a wedding registry. Part of the reason was that we were getting married so quickly and wedding registries take quite a bit of time to set up and pick out all your items.

But, there were even more important reasons to not have a wedding registry for us!

Let’s check them out…

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You Don’t Need More Stuff

My husband already owned a house when we got married. It was furnished and he had all the basic household items we could need. And I, as well, had almost everything I needed to live comfortably.

I had been out of college for two years, working in the corporate field, and sharing an apartment with a roommate. I still remember the day I went to Ikea and spend $300 on everything I needed to live on my own, from kitchen utensils to duvet covers!

Yes, it certainly would have been nice to update some of our items. But, we really wouldn’t know exactly what we needed to update until we moved in together after we got married.

I remember purchasing some new pillows and towels after we got married, but I certainly would not have chosen those items in advance for a wedding registry because I didn’t know how I was going to redecorate our house at that point.

If you’re in the same boat, then it’s best to skip the wedding registry! You’ll likely end up getting a good amount of cash instead. You can then take a portion of that money and later use it to purchase the items you need to update!

Plus, in our culture, we simply don’t need more stuff! We need to declutter and simplify our lives. You may not realize it now, but a wedding registry will simply bring in more things that you don’t end up using and pile up.

You Thrift Unique Items For Your Home

I notice this with so many people that get married, especially those that get married young. They register for so many items, some that are very important, but then in a few years, they realize those items never fit their style!

The trendy items that you want to add to your registry now may not be what you actually like and enjoy in the future. Things fall out of style and as you age and move into a new place, you discover your style!

For me, I really enjoy unique, vintage pieces. You can’t find these in your big box store! I love thrifting for items that make my house unique and reflect our personality as a family.

It’s extremely hard to register for unique pieces or your unique style. It usually takes years of hunting and digging to find the items that make your house feel like your home.

But, if you enjoy the style that’s trendy now and now you will for years to come, then maybe a wedding registry is for you! It’s those of us that like a certain style that should consider this as one of the reasons to not have a wedding registry.

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You Need Help To Accomplish A Specific Goal

If you don’t have a wedding registry, like us, then you will likely be gifted cash instead! And who doesn’t like a lot of cash?

We used a good portion of the cash we received to purchase our two brand new puppies and pay for all their vet visits. It was one of the best decisions. Our dogs have brought us more joy than any gift on any wedding registry could!

If you are saving for a particular goal, maybe buying your first house or a vehicle, then request money towards that fund instead of a wedding registry! We didn’t specifically request money for our puppies because it was a spontaneous decision on our honeymoon, but if we were saving for something larger I certainly would have done this.

Tell your guests on your wedding website or invitations that you need $7,000 to reach your goal of saving for a down payment, or whatever it is, and that you would love their help to reach that goal instead of any wedding gifts. And be specific with your goal!

Guests are usually much more ready to help you accomplish that goal than buy you more things they aren’t even sure if you will still be using in the next two years.

This is one of my favorite reasons to not have a wedding registry! It worked out so well for us.

You Need Financial Help

Do you need help paying for the wedding? Or even for the honeymoon? If you’ve been waiting for money to afford a wedding, first of all, think of how you can easily afford it (ours was only $2,000!) and get married!

Then, ask your guests for money to afford whatever you are in need of as their gift! I’m sure they would love to help! There is no shame in this. People want to help and all it takes most of the time is simply asking.

Instead of wasting time, energy, and money on a wedding registry, ask for financial help instead. There are so many websites that make it easy for people to contribute to a goal, or just leave them your Venmo handle and mailing address!

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You Want To Do Something Unique At Your Wedding

Instead of a gifts table at the reception of your wedding, why not some fun games that require guests to pay up? I’m talking about paying $5 every time they want to see you kiss or $50 for a dance with the bride!

There are so many fun things you can do at your wedding! Just give your guests a heads up beforehand to bring cash for games instead of wedding gifts.

Or, how about some guessing games and it costs $10 per guess? Of even a honeymoon fund jar instead of the gifts table?

Get creative! It’s your wedding and this is a wonderful way to make it fun and rewarding at the same time! If you want something instead of a traditional wedding registry, don’t be afraid to go for it!

You Don’t Need Anything At All

And, perhaps you are really well off. You have everything you need and you know times are hard in the economy. Maybe you know that most guests are making large sacrifices to make it your wedding, traveling far distances, or hiring babysitters.

One loving gift you can give to your guests is to not require gifts at all! Some may still bring gifts but leave a simple note on your invitations saying that you are blessed beyond measure and your presence at our wedding is enough and no gifts are required.

This is such a loving, humble, and kind way to relieve some pressure off your guests and enjoy the day! And perhaps, many of them will pitch in with helping with other needs instead, like creating the invitations, picking up the flowers for you, or paying for the wedding cake.

All in all, it is certainly not necessary to have a wedding registry and we loved not having one at our wedding! Let me know in the comments below which of these reasons to not have a wedding registry is your favorite!

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Kelsey at GoodPointGrandma

Hey there, I'm Kelsey! I'm so glad you are here. I'm a 20-something helping you live your most fulfilling life. I hope you'll join me in this old-fashioned & simple lifestyle!