What Should I Register For?

What gifts you should add to your list is pretty much up to you. However, experts in etiquette advise that you create a list that includes a mix of low, moderate, and high-priced items. Remember that everyone’s budget is different; by having some low-priced items on your list, you’re simply being sensitive to that fact.

As you choose specific items, you should include your significant other in your decisions. You’re both going to be using most of the items, after all, so it makes sense to agree on patterns and colors. Especially when you’re selecting appliances, it makes sense to consult with each other regarding features and technical details. Two heads truly are better than one!

Many items that people register for come in matching sets: towels, bed linens, nursery furnishings, and so on. The problem is that sets of items can be expensive. For example, a single place setting of formal china can be well over $100. Such gifts can be beyond the means of many of your guests. Furthermore, imagine yourselves receiving just one or two place settings of an item like formal china: Are you ready to buy yourselves the remaining six or seven place settings? (Of course, once your friends and family know what patterns or colors you’ve got, they can always give you more of the same on subsequent gift-giving occasions.) However, some experts say that at least some of what you request should be "stand-alone" items that are not part of a set.

Finally, think about what items you will actually use. Unless you have immense amounts of storage space, don’t request things that you don’t expect to at least use occasionally. Rarely used items will make your living space cluttered, cramped, and ultimately unusable.