How to Buy from a Wedding Registry

Last Updated: May 6, 2021 References

Engaged couples often set up wedding registries to help guests choose gifts that the couple will enjoy using. Knowing how to buy from a wedding registry of the couple will help you and other guests avoid purchasing duplicate gifts or avoid buying gifts that the couple really does not want or need. Before you buy a wedding gift, make sure you know where the couple is registered and how to access their wedding registry.

Steps

1
Find out where the couple is registered. You may need to ask the bride's or groom's parents or a member of the wedding party. Some couples include this information in the wedding invitation, but it is generally considered impolite to do so. If the couple has a wedding website, they may include the registry information on the site.
- Typically, a couple will register at more than 1 store. Some couples may choose to register at physical retailers or at online stores. Usually, 1 store is more expensive while the other is more moderately priced. If the couple registers at a third location, it may be something more unusual, such as a charity or honeymoon savings registry.^{[1]
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2
Choose a store to visit if there is a physical location near you, and seek out the registry.
- Some retailers have kiosks that allow you to type in the name of the bride or groom to find the wedding wish list and print it out from the kiosk.
- You may need to inquire at a customer service counter about the wedding registry.
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3
Head to a store's website and look up the couple's registry if it is an online-only company or there isn't a physical store near you.^{[2]
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4
Read over either the printed-out wedding registry or the online version to see what the couple has requested.
5
Determine your budget for the wedding gift. For example, you may want to spend no more than $50 on a gift.
- Look for items on the list that match your budget. Also look on the wedding registry to make sure no one else has purchased those items. Usually, the wish list will note how many of an item the couple wants and how many they've received from other guests so far.^{[3]
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6
Browse around the store until you find the gift you'd like to purchase.
- If you are having difficulty finding the gift on the shelves, ask a store employee to help you. The store may be out of the item, and you may need to order it.
7
Click on the item you'd like to buy from the registry online. The website should direct you to the information page for that item, where you can place it in your cart.^{[4]
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8
Buy the items you'd like from the wedding wish list at the store or online.
- When you buy items at a physical store, be sure to present the printed registry to the cashier so that he or she can scan it and your purchase will be noted on the registry. This can prevent duplicate gifts.
- If you're ordering the item online, it should automatically note that it is from the registry. Be sure to click on the item through the registry and not search for it separately.
- Some registries allow you to reserve an item so that no one else will purchase it, even if you are buying it from another location or plan to come back and order it later.
9
Send the gift to the couple's home address instead of shipping it to your house and presenting it to them on the day of the wedding.

Community Q&A

Question

How does the couple know from whom the gift came?

Anna

Community Answer

If the store is delivering the present to the couple directly, it will list your name on the delivery slip. Depending on the retailer, there often is an option to include a personal message from you.
Question

If I order online, can I still pick up the gift at the store?

Community Answer

It depends on where you're buying the gift, but you can usually find that information before you finish your purchase online.
Question

What does "contribute to a gift" mean?

Tom De Backer

Top Answerer

Let's say an item on the list costs 3,000$. An electric bicycle, for example. Unless someone is very generous, the odds are low that any one person will buy this entire gift. But if you were planning on spending 100$, and can't find anything in that price ranger on the list, you could choose to indicate that you contribute your 100$ to this gift. You're basically giving them 100$ cash, saying, if you get the full 3,000$, I want you to spend my 100$ on this gift; only if you fall short can you choose what to spend it on.