To Register or Not? Wedding Registries for Indian Weddings by Raj Shah

Posted on: September 1, 2017 by: Deshvidesh

Wedding Registry

In 1988, the Oldsmobile car company launched an ad campaign “Not your father’s Oldsmobile.” This successful campaign told car buyers that a completely new car was on the market that all generations could love it. The campaign was effective several other companies copied the same concept for their ads.

Why am I am telling you this when I am supposed to discuss wedding registries? Well, trends in Indian weddings held in the United States are quite similar. What your parents did or did not do at their wedding or your older siblings did or did not do at their weddings is not applicable any more.

The same goes with wedding registries at Indian Weddings. At one time, it was considered “rude” to even mention anything about gifts on an invitation card or in casual conversation. But soon newlyweds realized they had no use for three toasters, eight photo frames, and four alarm clocks. The next thing you know, their first event as a couple is to host a garage sale.

The next trend was that couples would list “no box gifts” on the wedding invitation. Yes it conveyed your message. But was bluntly putting that on the invitation rude or out of etiquette? In my opinion you may as well ask your guest to “Hand over your wallet.”

Wedding Registry For obvious reasons that stopped.

In the last few years, a new trend emerged, one that looks to stay around a while – the wedding Registry.

Newly engaged Indian couples are always looking for new ideas and aren’t afraid of borrowing ideas from American culture. Just as destination weddings are the latest in borrowed trends, so are wedding registries. Why? Because it makes sense! Both for the engaged couples and the guests.

So, now the question is whether to list the registries on the invitation. Obviously the smartphone generation has an answer. Go digital. Create your own personal website like www.sitawedsrama.com. Problem solved.

Here you can list all your registries including links, making it helpful for your guests. And yes you do want to register at more than one company – because you want to furnish your bedroom or kitchen, but he wants the latest electronic gadgets.

Advantages of a Registry

You get exactly what you want and need for your new home.
Reduce the likelihood of receiving the same item many times.
Guests can ship the gifts directly to the shipping address specified by you.
Guests don’t have to guess what you might like – it’s easier to choose a gift.
If a guest can’t make it to the wedding, they can still send a thoughtful gift.

So, how should you go about creating a wedding registry? First, determine the places where you would like register. Ideally, these companies have a wide range of items you may need to furnish your new home together.

Next, visit the store to look at items in person. It can be time consuming and for guys possibly frustrating unless the store you are going is Best Buy or a sporting goods store.

You may choose to create a registry for an online only retailer, like Amazon.com. You can easily create this registry from the comfort of your own couch!

Or, you can opt for a registry at a brick-and-mortar store as well as an online retailer. Combine both to get the best of both worlds.

Where should you register? Here’s a list of popular companies who provide in person and online services:

About Raj Shah

A software engineer by profession, Indian culture enthusiast, ardent promoter of Hinduism, and a cancer survivor, Raj Shah is a managing editor or Desh Videsh Magazine and co-founder of Desh Videsh Media Group. Promoting the rich culture and heritage of India and Hinduism has been his motto ever since he arrived in the US. Raj has written two books on Hinduism titled Chronology of Hinduism in which he has documented the rich history of the world’s oldest religion, and Understanding Hinduism – The Basic Facts about Hinduism and Frequently Asked Questions. He has also written two children books, We love Diwali and Holi Hai.