Wedding gifts are an exciting part of any wedding, especially for the young bridal couple that is leaving the homes of their parents to build their own household. Traditional wedding gifts have always included items for the household or money to help the young couple begin their lives together.

Should You Register Or Should You Not?

The wedding gift registry has become somewhat of a double edge sword. Depending upon the area in which you live or your financial status, there are many different opinions regarding the necessity and use of a wedding gift registry.

In traditional wedding circles, it is considered poor manners to use a wedding gift registry or even suggest that you have registered for different gift ideas. The belief is that the wedding gift is not an expected item for the bride and groom but rather a generous offering by the guests. In addition, the fact that the bride and groom would try to direct or choose the wedding gift for the bride and groom prior to the wedding is also considered tasteless and selfish.

Etiquette Does Not Always Control the Behavior of Society

While traditional wedding gift etiquette does not accept the use of a wedding registry, the majority of brides and grooms use them daily to highlight the gifts of their choice. The wedding gift registry is designed to allow the bride and groom to shop in various stores or online to create wedding gift wish lists so that the wedding guests will be able to find "just the right gift". Bridal magazines and wedding planning books write articles and chapters that focus on how to use a gift registry to the benefit of the wedding couple.

While many different traditionalist view the wedding registry as a tacky method created to force the wedding guest to not only bring a gift but to buy only the wedding gifts for which the bridal couple has registered. The traditionalist argument is that the wedding gift is just that, a gift, not a requirement for attendance.

However, the popularity of the gift registry has virtually eradicated a large majority of traditionalists and created a whole new perspective on the gift registry. If you are a bridal pair that is planning to utilize the wedding gift registry, remember to have a wide variety of price ranged items listed on your registry. Providing a number of different items and price ranges will allow everyone to be able to purchase a gift that is within their budget.