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The 21st Century Bridal Registry:
How Will Your Registry Be Different From Your
Mother's?
By
Sharon Naylor,
Contributing Writer To
NJWedding.com
Welcome to the New World of 21st
century bridal registries! Today's bride and groom
are completely unique compared to wedding couples
from 10, 20, or 30 years ago. Unlike them, you might
not be furnishing your first home, wishing for
blenders, toasters, coffee makers, and just the
right kind of china and crystal to make a 'proper'
home after your wedding. If you're like most couples
in the here and now, you already have a fully
stocked kitchen, you own your home already (perhaps
you even live with your intended) and you're more
interested in registering for backyard deck
furniture than bagel cutters and butter spreaders.
In the world of wedding registries,
we've seen some interesting new trends emerge, and
we'd like to share them with you now so that you can
register like a forward-moving 21st century couple
-- not like your parents!
Wedding couples are looking to UPGRADE their
existing kitchen appliances and gadgets.
Still using the coffee maker you
bought back in college? Fighting your way through
butter-soft filet mignon with an old set of knives?
Today's fully-stocked couples want to unload their
old supplies and upgrade to the best
machines, gadgets, and linens on the market.
Wedding couples watch home redecoration shows,
and they can't get enough of making over their new
homes from paint to new furniture to slipcovers to
décor. Nesting is the 21st-century wedding couples'
second favorite pastime.
Wedding couples are combining TWO fully stocked
homes.
If
you have your own fully-stocked place, and your
intended has his or her own fully- stocked place,
then moving in together as husband and wife means
combining and coordinating all of your stuff. So
registering for you might be finding just the right
items to coordinate both of your styles in every
room of the house.
Wedding couples are taking it outside.
The backyard, patio, terrace, and pool areas are now
extensions of the home. Couples entertain in the
great outdoors now more than ever, and home
designers are even installing fully working kitchens
and stoves on backyard terraces. So patio furniture,
hammocks, lighting, and everything outdoor
entertainment is a new hot focus for bridal
registries.
Wedding couples can cook.
At no other time in history have wedding couples
shared more of an interest and expertise in the
culinary arts. As a whole, we're more traveled,
we've been exposed to a wider variety of cultures,
and since we're marrying later in age, we know how
to do more than just microwave and toast. So the
emphasis on high-quality cooking appliances and
accessories is stronger than ever. It's only going
to be the top-rated pots and pans, plus specialty
items like ceramic garlic roasters.
Wedding couples call their homes their havens.
In
these post- September 11th times, couples want their
homes to be a welcome oasis in a harried world, a
place where they can celebrate their top priorities:
family and health. So creating a wedding registry
now centers on the oasis aspects of a home: a
spa-worthy bathroom, a family room that holds a
fireplace as its focal point, comfy couches for
family movie night, and a bedroom that's almost too
comfortable to leave.
The key trend in the new world of
wedding registries is painting your image of the
home you'd both like to share together: how it's
going to look, feel, and smell. Instead of thinking,
"How can this lemon zester save me time?" you're
thinking, "Imagine us cooking a wonderful, exotic
meal together in our sage-green kitchen, drinking a
glass of Merlot, and entertaining friends on the
back terrace"
In other registry areas:
Wedding couples are charity-minded.
They want to register at a source where a percentage
of their registry gift purchases will go to a good
cause. Check out
www.idofoundation.org for more information.
Wedding couples are big travelers.
Registering for honeymoon trips and special
activities like snorkeling, scuba diving, massages
on the beach, or a champagne sunset dinner cruise
are very attractive to today's couples. Check out
honeymoon registries for the experiences you
can sign up for.
The new registry gives you these dreams to look
forward to.
Best of luck to you in your future
together. May all of your selections bring you great
happiness!
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