Your wedding is one of the biggest events of your life and is probably the most memorable. It’s also the event that requires the greatest amount of preparation, which can lead to quite a lot of tears as you approach your big day. Much of the frustration comes from the awkwardness that often surrounds gift-giving; after all, you know what you want, but you can’t seem to find a way around getting something that you know you’ll never use. Luckily, with a cash wedding registry the stress of asking for and receiving gifts doesn’t have to be a problem.

Tell Them Your Story: Most couples these days create wedding websites, which offer plenty of opportunities for personalization. Your guests were invited  for a reason; they care and want to wish you well on your big day. They want to know all about how it happened. How did you meet, what happened on the first date, who popped the question? Throw in some fun anecdotes from your relationship for good measure. Let your well-wishers experience your love story and get to know how the two people standing at the altar got to where they are.

Make a Registry: A cash wedding registry is the perfect opportunity not only to get what you want, but also to get what a couple embarking on a new life together needs. So don’t forget to include things like money for down payments and kitchen appliances for your new home, along with that evening gown and cruise tickets you’d like for your honeymoon.

Keep In Touch: Stay in touch even after you send the thank you cards! Make sure to send frequent updates with pictures of what you and your partner are getting up to. When you start your life together, keep all the people that helped make it possible in the loop. There’s nothing more satisfying than knowing that you helped a couple start out on a long and happy life together!

If you’re looking for some inspiration, check out the registry that Ben and Daniela made, or this one by Rachel and Adam.

Weddings are all about helping a couple celebrate the start of their new life together. What’s more important to a new life than a home to live it in? I’ve met a lot of couples who don’t place table settings and blenders at the top of their priorities, but rather, they want to buy their first home. For them, I always recommend a home down payment registry. Perfect for the couple who needs a little help with the down payment and for the guest looking to give a truly meaningful gift.

1. Share Your Story: Most online home registries come with options to personalize. No detail is insignificant! Your loved ones want to know everything about your new home and the life you’ll build in it. Your loved ones want to hear your story’s past, and know how they’ll contribute to its future.

2. Create a Gift List: Using an alternative registry doesn’t have to mean forgoing the gift-giving experience. Rather than setting up a general Home Fund for friends to donate to, add all the different items that will be a part of your new home so guests can contribute to something specific. With many options, they can choose the gift that they think you’ll love most.

3. Don’t Forget to Personalize: Your registry will likely come with many options to personalize. Add pictures and videos, tell them your story and your plans, and make sure they know exactly how important your new home is to you. They want to know that they couple they love is behind the registry.

For the gift that truly keeps on giving, a new home can’t be beat! With a home down payment registry, give your guests the option to give you a gift that lasts a lifetime.

As someone involved in the wedding industry, it’s a question I’ve given a lot of thought to: Why do we give wedding gifts? A wedding celebrates a couple embarking on a life together – certainly something worth marking with a gift! This is a huge occasion to celebrate, and it might seem that some of the standard wedding gifts – think china and toasters – just don’t quite make sense for couples today. The honeymoon, on the other hand, is a hugely exciting experience that truly marks a wedding in the biggest way. What guest wouldn’t want to use their gift to send the couple on their first big experience together? If you think a honeymoon registry is right for you, we’ve got the scoop on setting it up!

1. Share Your Story: Your guests include all your closest loved ones – friends, family, and more – they want to know how your story started and where the future will take you. Most online honeymoon registries come with options to personalize. Use this space to fill them in on your story and all the fun your future life as a married couple holds – especially the travel part! People love living vicariously!

2. Create a Gift List: Your friends and family want to give you something special that you’ll always remember them for. Rather than a honeymoon fund that accepts generic donations, setup a registry with all the exciting details of your honeymoon. Think plane tickets, nights in the hotel, scuba diving, and any other memories you plan to make – this way they can contribute to, and be responsible for, something specific.

3. Get Personal: Gift giving is a very personal experience – picking out that perfect gift that you know will put a smile on the recipients’ face is very gratifying! Make sure your loved ones can achieve that intimate experience by personalizing your wedding site as much as you can. Write a registry note to fill them in on every detail and add descriptions to your gifts so they feel a part of the plan.

A wedding is all about starting a new life together. And for memories that will truly last a lifetime, the honeymoon experience can’t be beat!

Before you begin registering, it’s important to think about your home decorating style so that everything you register for – from your dinnerware to your bed linens – has a consistent theme and personality. Macy’s Registry Guide has several “instant registries” to use as a starting point; check out a few of our favorite items – and some fun extras that we love:

Classic Elegance
Decorate your home like Audrey Hepburn chose clothing – by picking classics that will look gorgeous now and 20 years down the road.

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Bath Towels, Greenwich Collection, macys.com Read Full Article

Given that the Fourth of July is tomorrow, we’re full of patriotic pride, and celebrating all things American – and that includes items for your wedding registry. We’ve compiled red, white, and blue items from some of Macy’s Wedding Registry’s favorite American brands. Happy registering and Happy Fourth!

Waring

Waring SCM100 Snow Cone Maker, macys.com Read Full Article

Summer is officially here (finally!) and that means ‘tis the season for barbeques, picnics, even just enjoying a drink poolside. If you’re a fan of outdoor entertaining (and let’s be honest, who isn’t?), be sure to register for some of these items from our friends at Macy’s Wedding Registry to make your summer much more stylish.

Outdoor Dinnerware

Durable dinnerware is ideal for keeping things festive while dining al fresco. Pick super-bright colors for pure summery style.

Fiesta Dinnerware, macys.com

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For the most part, it’s pretty widely known which items go on a standard wedding registry (china, flatware, pots and pans, etc.). But, there are other, less-obvious, gifts that you might not automatically think of, but are just as important to completing your home.

We went straight to our friends at Macy’s Wedding Registry for their expert opinion on registry must-haves. Check these out, and then update your registry, stat!

Table Linens

While you might not be adorning your table with tablecloths and cloth napkins every day, it’s important to have these on hand for special occasions.

Lauren Ralph Lauren Table Linens, Harrison Collection, macys.com

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We all know the thrill of shopping – it’s fun to find that perfect item and bring it home. But when you’re shopping for someone else, say for a wedding, gift givers should reconsider the shopping process. Guests might be tempted to get something special – artwork or goodies that caught their eyes, maybe. But wait! Before you start playing fast and loose with the registry guidelines, there are a few things to consider – especially if they’ve gone the route of a cash gift registry.

Your Tastes are Different. You might love that zebra print throw rug, but it has no place in their colonial style house. Stick to what the couple wants, not what you want.

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Guest Post By: Susan Bertelsen, GVP of Macy’s Wedding & Gift Registry

Registering for gifts can be a daunting task – but knowing what’s in style can help narrow down the array of options. We’ve compiled a list of the hottest trends in registry items – housewares that are fashionable, but will still look gorgeous years down the road.

Prints

This season, it’s all about modern twists on classic prints, to create a fresh and young aesthetic and bring excitement to the everyday.

Bands of gold add richness to navy-and-white, paisley-adorned bone china.
Lauren Ralph Lauren Dinnerware, Round Hill Collection 5-piece place setting, Find It Here

Create a beachside getaway in your bedroom with this soothing coral bedding.
Trina Turk Bedding, Coral Trellis Collection comforter set, Find It Here

Create a retro design statement with these dishwasher-safe place settings.
Echo Design Dinnerware, That 70’s Floral Collection 4-piece place setting, Find It Here

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What do you and your fiancé really need? Something BIG, perhaps? Wedding registries often include items at price points within the budget of friends and family members, but this leaves no place on the registry for the big-ticket items you really need. So how can you get the big stuff you want? A cash gift registry let’s guests contribute to gifts in a simple way. No one has to collect funds, organize money, or make the actual purchase. So what are some of those big items that finally have a place on your registry? Here are a few ideas…

1. Electronic Gadgets: Computers, televisions, and tablets will run at least a couple hundred dollars and are often out of the price range of one guest. But these days, they’re much more important to married life than dishes or linens and they certainly deserve a place on the registry.

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