13 Unconventional Registry Ideas For The Modern Wedding

While everyone obviously wants a quesadilla maker, it might not actually take you that far in life.

1. You can register ANYTHING with SimpleRegistry.com.

Don’t need another blender? Would you rather have a vintage camera or an out-of-print Beastie Boys 7” instead? Use SimpleRegistry.com and you can register anything and everything all in one place, including obscure eBay and Etsy items or experiential things like guitar lessons. MyRegistry.com also does a similar thing, so you can choose which interface you’d prefer.

Source: cloughridge

2. You can also use it to crowdsource gifts.

Like a new car.

3. Ask your guests to buy activities on your honeymoon, via HoneyFund.com.

With HoneyFund.com or Wanderable.com, you can register things like a dinner out, a night of hotel, or surf lessons to enjoy during the honeymoon (and you can fill out your own descriptions and get all cute and specific about it). Your friends and family feel like they’re gifting you a meaningful experience rather than just a gravy boat (even though they are essentially just giving you cash).

Source: chanelslegacy.tumblr.com

4. Instead of having a registry, ask each guest to gift you a book, album, or movie that is meaningful to them.

This probably only works if you have friends with similarly impeccable tastes. But it’s a great way to build up a library of books or a burgeoning vinyl collection.

Source: beanbagtales.blogspot.com

5. Ask your guests to contribute cash to your home downpayment.

Giving cash is a hotly contested wedding etiquette issue, but sometimes practicality overrides social rules. You can use a registry like Upon Our Star or Feather Our Nest.

Source: fanaticforjesus.blogspot.com

6. Similarly, you could ask people to contribute to your future child’s college fund.

If you’re the type that really likes to plan ahead.

7. Or a tote bag filled with puppies.

You can ask people to give you a cash gift towards a future pet(s) on DepositAGift.com.

Source: digdang.com

8. Instead of kitchen stuff, ask for the tools you need to remodel your home.

Home Depot has a registry.

Source: diylife.com

9. Instead of registering a bunch of random “stuff,” go the ecological route.

More stuff just means more waste. Instead, ask for things like gift cards to environmentally-conscious companies, experiences like cooking lessons, or a monthly CSA box.

Source: thedailygreen.com

10. Sign up with a gift card registry.

Card Avenue allows you to do just that. You get to pick what you want, and since the gift cards don’t expire, you can use them as an emergency fund down the line, which is slightly more practical than a purple KitchenAid mixer.

Source: orbablog.com

11. Register with a modern registry like Newlyish, where they only sell nice, pretty, design-y things.

Who needs a crockpot when you can have an ikat-print tea pot?? Also, did you know that MOMA has a wedding registry now?

Source: newlywish.com

12. You never know — that little boutique you love might just be registry-capable.

Read about how this blogger was able to create a wedding registry with a small mid-century furniture store that her and her fiancé had stumbled upon serendipitously one day.

Source: theborrowedabode.com

13. Ask for charitable donations.

You can register with the charities of your choice at a site like I Do Foundation.

Some other fun pieces of advice before you start running around Macy’s with a scanner:
- Include things that are in the $20-$50 price range.
- Don’t get high-end cookware if you don’t cook.
- Read the reviews before you put something on your registry.
- Consider making your wedding gift-optional if people have to spend money to travel from afar.
- Keep it diverse. Some people prefer to give certain kinds of gifts.
- Consider return policies. Macy’s, Amazon, and Bed Bath and Beyond have more lenient return policies, while Target and Crate and Barrel have tougher ones.
- If you live in an urban area, chances are, you don’t have a ton of space to put all of your crap. Consider an alternative registry idea, or ask for stuff you can consume, like a wine subscription.
- Your tastes will change so go classic. Goodbye, cute ikat teapot. :(
- Put some quirky things on your registry. Someone will buy you that weird board game or funny Zazzle t-shirt and feel great about it.