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11 Tech Items to Consider For Your Wedding Registry

Laura Marie Given — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:55:12 PDT

Technology may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of your wedding registry, but the gifting possibilities go beyond traditional fine china, fancy flatware, and bedding. If you depend on geeky gadgets on a day-to-day basis, feel free to add a few to your list. This isn't to say that you should go nuts at Best Buy scanning each and every dream gift, but it's important to include items that you genuinely want and need.

A good place to start: learn the proper registry protocol. Etiquette experts at Emily Post offer smart wedding registry rules to help you navigate the formalities. Anna Post confirms that it's perfectly OK to create a more unconventional registry with camping or tech items, but you should also provide guests with a more traditional list, too. Hoping to include some technology, but not sure where to start? Here are a few basic items to consider:

DSLR camera, like the Nikon D800
Laptop computer
iPad
Flatscreen TV
Record player, like this affordable Wood Turntable
iPod speakers
Blu-Ray player
Gaming system
Stereo system with surround sound
The Nest Thermostat
High-tech washer/dryer

Current and former brides-to-be: Did you include any technology on your registry? If so, which items? Share your suggestions in the comments below!

How to Select Glassware For Your Registry

Sara Yoo — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:55:23 PDT

We've plated up some tips on selecting dinnerware for your wedding registry, but what about cocktail hour? Whether you prefer cocktails, wine, beer, or juicing, glassware is an important category to fill in your registry. Sure, you can go with the selection that your registry consultant recommends, but each couple has individual libation habits that don't always fit the standard mold. Thankfully, it's easy to concoct your ideal blend of glasses so long as you keep a few tips and considerations in mind. Ready to drink up? Just read on.

How to Select Dinnerware For Your Registry

Sara Yoo — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:30:01 PDT

The scanner gun is unholstered and a store full of kitchen delights spreads out in front of you. But before you pull that trigger, have you done your research? While wedding registries may seem like a green light to sign up for every dish, appliance, and throw pillow of your dreams, making smart list choices will help ensure that your generous guests buy the items you can really use . . . and eliminate the need to rent a storage locker to stockpile your new stuff.

First up, we're serving up some tips on how to select the best dinnerware for your needs and lifestyle. Those plates, bowls, and coffee cups may seem awfully plain next to that shiny chrome espresso machine, but you'll end up using them more frequently than virtually any other item in your kitchen cabinets, so you'd better love them for the long haul. Ready to dish on dinnerware? Just read on.

5 Things I Wish I Registered For (and 5 I Wish I Hadn't!)

Sara Yoo — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:15:01 PDT

Though we may be loathe to admit it, one of the most exciting - and frenzied - moments of wedding planning is setting up a registry. While deep down I knew that marrying the man of my dreams was the best present of all, other visions, like that of a perfectly appointed home, turned me into Dirty Harry with the scanner gun. A fondue set? I'll take two. The enormous countertop convection oven? We'll make room. Salt and pepper shakers shaped like mated doves? You get the picture.

It's easy to go crazy when registering for wedding gifts, but ending up with a pile of things you'll never use results in annoying trips back to the store for returns or very full storage closets. Eight years after my perfect wedding, I can't help but think that I should have provided my generous guests with better direction as I watch the dust collect on the paella pan I've never used. Every bride's needs are different, but I've come up with a list of five items from my registry that are highly underutilized and five items for which that money would have been better spent. Tell us: what are your must-have registry items, and what do you wish you left off your list?

Five Things I Could Have Done Without

Preassembled cookware sets. Those 10- or 12-piece cookware sets may seem like a great deal with many stores advertising "deep" discounts vs. buying individual pieces, but I found that I ended up with pots and pans in sizes I've never used. Take the time to register for individual pieces (you may even find that you like pieces from a few different cookware lines) in standard sizes that make sense for your frying, sautéing, and simmering needs.
Cooking utensils. Basic utensils like rubber spatulas and wooden spoons are a wedding-registry must have. But I've found that many of the specialized tools I thought I would need have gone untouched. There are so many variations of potato mashers, strainers, ladles, and whisks that you ought to take your time finding the perfect one for you.
High-ticket single-use tools. Cookware companies would love to sell you pasta cookers, egg poachers, asparagus pots, and butter warmers, often at a few hundred dollars a pop. My pasta pot rarely sees the light of day, because I opt instead for a standard stockpot and colander (which drains much better, IMO). By investing in the right standard pots and pans, you still can cook any of these items and save room in your kitchen cabinets while you're at it.

For the rest of the list as well as a list of items I'd register for instead, just keep reading.

Getting Hitched? Then Download Our Registry Checklist

YumSugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:06:35 PDT

While getting engaged can be the happiest moment of your life, it's also somewhat overwhelming! In the upcoming months, when you're planning your wedding and making arrangements to marry the man you love, there's a lot of decisions to think over. One thing you won't have to worry about is your registry. We've created the ultimate wedding registry checklist! All you have to do is download it, print it, fold it up, and place it in your purse, then use it as a guide when you go shopping for your registry. What are you waiting for? Get it now!

Keep or Toss These 7 Registry Rules

Emily Co — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:57:31 PDT

Wedding season can get a bit pricey if you're attending a couple this Summer. After all, each event requires yet another gift for the happy bride and groom. There are plenty of gift registry rules out there that seem a bit dated and unreasonable for post-recession survivors. Read on to have your say in which rule is still appropriate in this frugal day and age.

Ask a Savvy Bride: Is It OK to Register When There's No Wedding?

SavvySugar — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:35:11 PDT

Wedding etiquette can be tricky, like this question below, which Carmen1983 shared in our Ask Savvy group. If you have a sticky situation be sure to ask our Savvy Bride for support.

Dear Savvy,
My fiancé and I will be getting married next Spring and have chosen to save the money and time that it would take to have a wedding. He recently went through a foreclosure and we really would rather begin saving for our future. Instead, we will have his father marry us in front of 10 family members and will most likely go out to dinner afterward. Here is the problem - many of my friends have asked me if I'm registered. I am not, and have no idea if it is really a good idea since hardly anyone will be invited to the actual wedding. What is the etiquette in this kind of situation? I wouldn't want people guessing on a present if they choose to get us one, but I also think it would come of as rude to send an announcement for the registry but nothing about the wedding. Do we have to explain to everyone that we have just chosen to skip the wedding? Is there some tasteful way of announcing that there is no wedding but there is a registry? Please help.

To see the Savvy Bride's advice, read on.

Get the Dish on Different Kinds of Dinnerware

Susannah Chen — Mon, 23 May 2011 03:35:52 PDT

Future newlyweds, are you thinking of investing in a full set of china? It's a big, big porcelain world out there, and there are a few things you should probably know before settling on the perfect set of china. First things first: not all ceramic dinnerware is the same! The quality of china depends on a number of variables, from firing temperatures to clay content - but familiarize yourself with these four categories, and you'll be one step ahead of the game. Learn more when you keep reading.

How Much to Give a Newlywed Couple? Readers Say From $50 to $100

SavvySugar — Mon, 23 May 2011 03:05:53 PDT

Although there are many that think cold hard cash is a very impersonal gift, you have to admit that it is practical - you know the couple will undoubtedly use it. I'm always discussing with friends what the right amount is to give during a wedding, and the most common answer is $100. Turns out, readers think along the same lines and 45 percent say they spend between $51 to $100.

The next popular choice is spending $101 to $150 with 20 percent of readers saying they give that much to the wedded couple. Then there is the surprisingly generous minority, 11 percent, who say they usually give over $200.

There are of course certain factors you might take into account, such as your relationship with the bride and groom and your budget, but do you think the number sounds about right?

Wedding Registry Tip: Only Register For What You Really Need

SavvySugar — Sat, 21 May 2011 02:00:57 PDT

Building a wedding registry is one of the most fun parts of wedding planning. It’s a great bonding experience with your intended, and let’s be honest, it’s pretty exciting to pick out tons of new stuff. But it’s also easy to get carried away. Some people - those who aren’t planning a wedding, in my experience! - feel that you should register for as much as possible, to give your guests plenty of options and ensure you don’t run out of registry items. I received that advice from several well-meaning relatives, and did end up adding a bit to my registry - and wished I hadn’t! Not only did I receive a few superfluous items, I also ended up with incomplete sets of the things I really needed. So when you venture into Pottery Barn, registry gun (or mouse) in hand, channel your savvy side and show some restraint; you won’t regret it.

Help future brides out by posting your tips and ideas in our How Do You Save? group or leaving a comment below. Your own precious tips could be featured on the site and help tons of other savvy brides plan their own dream weddings!