Preparing For the Big Day: The Registry Setup

This is the first (in an ongoing series) of posts in preparation for our wedding next year.

As a writer, I felt it was the right time to start “experience blogging” my stories and highlights in wedding planning.

Enjoy!

 Today’s Date: Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Event Date: Saturday, June 15, 2019

T-minus: 409 days

The venue is booked.  I’ve set up an appointment for a dress pickout and try on (July 14, 2018).  I spend time looking for ideas, I have a co-worker who wants to make my centerpieces, and I chose a theme. Entertainment?  Covered!  So the natural next step in all of this wedding planning would have to be setting up a registry, right?

Right!

Enter the beyond…actually, Bed Bath and BEYOND!

I registered for an appointment to set up our registry in mid-March, when my bestie/matron of honor Amie and I attended a bridal expo.  It was the first of two expos I’ve attended, the other being early April at a local winery.  And they probably won’t be my last either.

Now, I’ve never been huge on visiting Bed Bath and Beyond, but that was because I didn’t have my own place to decorate and buy things for.  Now that I’ve been living with James since September, my attitude toward home shopping has completely changed.  As the budget has allowed, I pick out things here and there.  My kitchen is vintage tin signs, my living room will be California and New Jersey.  But, as I’ve come to find out, people want to buy stuff for you when you get engaged and married.  They also like to send cards.  Some people like to give engagement gifts.  I’ve gotten a few of those.

But how do people know what to get you for your marriage/life?  Why, you make a registry!  And that’s what we did this past Saturday!

We met with the Bridal Manager, Ray, at our local Bed Bath and Beyond store.  He set up our account, sat and talked wedding stuff (and computer building – turns out he and James have that in common), and then took us into the wilds of kitchen gadgets and home goods. Things we need, things we want, things we had no clue we wanted, and things that are alleged to change your life (like Hot Hands, the oven mit/pot holder hybrid of the Gods).  That’s a whole separate category in itself, friends (perhaps the “beyond” part?).  By the time we finished, 160-plus items populated our now jam-packed registry.  Everything from sheets, to duvet, dust cover, duvet cover, bath mats, kitchen goodies, dishes, glasses, and even – spoiler alert! – corn holders.

See, things you never thought you’d need!

By the time we finished (six hours later) our feet were sore, my right achilles tendon (I’m still somewhat in recovery mode from rupturing it last year, it makes itself known) ached, we made a new friend in Ray AND created a huge list of hopes, dreams, and kitchen gadgetry.  We wrapped up our visit, but not before receiving a free gift:

20180501_072741929555775.jpg

Actually, there was a second gift in there too…

20180501_0727482118634383.jpg

And took some photos to show the world that we are registered…

Registry Setup 4-28-18 Nice Photo

…our day ended.

And it was fun!

But, what we left everyone with was variety.  Lots of little things, a few bigger things, and several things that probably will come off the list that we would like to have sooner and can buy for ourselves.

Another spoiler alert – we did not add a gravy boat.  James does not like gravy.

Don’t ask.

So how do you sum up a day of adulting and preparing for the married life?

Registry Setup 4-28-18 Outtake 1

By not adulting.

 

 

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