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Bridal
Registries Reflect Our Casual Lifestyles
(ARA)
- Brides building their bridal registries today are
thinking twice about china cabinet classics, turning
instead to home items in which the luxury is a bit
more casual.
“Five-piece place settings are for my
mother’s generation,” says new bride Julie Mathers,
31. “We wanted gifts that would work with our
lifestyle and help make our home more inviting and
luxurious -- and luxury for me is a home where my
husband and I can escape from the world.”
Like
many brides, Mathers is finding her own definition
of luxury in home décor items that she says are
embraceable, such as handmade pottery serving pieces
and Egyptian cotton bath towels. Absent from her
registry were more formal items including fine
china, sterling flatware and silver serving dishes.
“Silver is fine for some people, but
we wanted gifts we knew we would use,” says the
North Carolina native.
And since Mathers and her fiancé had
separate homes before they married -- today’s
average bride is 27 and her groom is 29 -- they
already had many of the essential items needed to
set up a household. They used their bridal registry
to embellish their home, asking for patio furniture
and a gas grill for casual entertaining and choosing
high-end linens and towels and an oversized
showerhead to make their bathroom a home spa.
“Bridal registries are becoming less
utilitarian and more personalized,” says Leslie
Gillock from Wamsutta home fashions, which recently
launched wamsuttabridal.com to help brides organize
their bridal registry thoughts. “Brides are still
using registries to outfit their kitchens and build
their linen closets, but they’re also adding an
eclectic mix of home décor items that are fun,
functional and luxurious.”
That’s the case for bride-to-be Lani
Britten. “How often would I use fine china? In my
lifestyle, it’s impractical, and my taste will
probably change over the years,” says the
28-year-old South Florida bride. “I will put luxury
in my bedroom though,” says Britten, who registered
for high-thread count, 100 percent cotton sheets, a
silk comforter and even a bedskirt and throw
pillows. “Nice sheets will never go out of style,”
she says. “Plus, they’re something my fiancé and I
can both enjoy.”
Along with hopes of possibly getting
her first set of Court of Versailles 500-Thread
Count sheets, Britten is excited about adding soft
chenille rugs, a spa bath pillow and a CD player to
her home -- items she defines as indulgent yet
practical. They will allow her to create the bedroom
retreat she’s always imagined.
And since Britten and her fiancé like
to entertain, they’re hoping their bridal registry
will allow them to add finishing decorating touches
to their home with artwork, outdoor games and
barbecue tools.
“We want a nice home, but we want it
to be comfortable for us and welcoming to our
friends,” she says. “Some day, we may decide we need
fine china, but right now, our lifestyle is casual,
and our luxuries unpretentious.”
Bridal Registry Tips
Keep these guidelines in mind when
creating a bridal registry:
* Select items from two categories:
What you really need -- such as utensils and dishes
-- and what you really want -- such as that set of
indulgent Court of Versailles 500-Thread Count
sheets.
* Give gift givers choices: Men might
like to buy their buddies a gas grill from a
Wal-Mart, and girlfriends will enjoy the decorative
selections at home stores such as Linens’n Things
and Bed Bath and Beyond.
* Stock Up: You’ll want at least
eight to 12 dinnerware place settings and utensils,
three sets of sheets for the master bedroom and
enough towels for you and your first guests.
* Check Up: Review your registries
periodically to take off items that you’ve already
received and add new items as you better plan your
new home.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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