When it comes to planning your wedding day, things look a little different in 2023.
With the cost of living going up (and up, and up!), couples getting married at different stages of life, and the overall goals of couples changing, it makes sense that a shift in wedding behaviours is present. Instead of a big, lavish wedding, many couples are opting for a more intimate event, which may be more in line with their life stage – and budget – or perhaps aligns with their values.Â
That’s not to say that big, lavish weddings don’t have their place. Many people love to celebrate with everyone they know and love – and that’s amazing too! The element that has changed is the sense of purposefully thinking about how your guests might be able to help you in your post-wedding stage of life by making them a part of the journey with the use of transparency – not just saying, ‘here’s a wishing well, please give us a gift.’
So, what are the unique options you can look into for your wedding gift registry?
1. Ask for people to pay for their seat, instead of a gift.
This may seem a little left of field, but in fact quantifying what each seat costs at a wedding by listing each of the inclusions that go into a wedding guest seat. Therefore, guests understand exactly what they receive for their money, and can therefore see the value of their money, instead of simply putting cash into an envelope and not knowing where it ends up!
2. Create a unique gift registry for things that you’d never normally purchase yourself.
…like a meal subscription, museum membership or an option that allows your guests to donate to a charity on your behalf. This way, guests can choose a gift that means something to them, to pass on to you, and you get to experience things that your guests have carefully chosen for you, and that you might not consider if you were just given a lump sum. Let’s be honest – it’d just go to bills anyway!
3. Create an end goal for the money.
This could be something like a travel adventure, a new home, a renovation, a new pool – or even to go towards having a baby! Giving the money a purpose means that your guests can truly feel like they are gifting something that will make a big difference!
We love the concept that self confessed ‘queer mums’ Jessi and Millie came up with, where instead of having a regular wishing well, they created signage that read ‘Help us make a baby!’, and charged their guests for drinks, arcade games, and tattoos to go towards helping them become parents.
4. Go back to actual gifting (instead of a wishing well) but make it practical
This means forgoing David Jones or Peters of Kensington and instead creating a digital gift registry, with everything you need for your stage of life. For instance, many couples getting married already have a family, and instead of bone china plates, may need help with Christmas gifts, or items that would upgrade their already established home.
How about an upgrade for your tired beds, with new sheets to match? Or something the whole family could benefit from, like a trampoline, or a BBQ? Maybe you’ve been wanting to update your basic cookware and appliances? While they may not be the usual items on a David Jones gift registry – they’re aligned with your stage of life!
5. Get your guests to pay with their time.
Seriously. The idea came from Gravy Gift Registry, and it’s pretty genius. Why not fill your gift registry with good deeds? Like help painting the house? A weekly lasagne-drop for new parents. Or an awesome playlist for the happy couple? You can also choose from hundreds of different gift cards, as well as set up a ‘fund’, similar to what we described in point 3. However, at Gravy gift registry you can do this all in the one place, making it easier for your guests to navigate and choose the perfect gift for you!
This isn’t even sponsored by Gravy, we just love the concept.
