In January, Washingtonian Bride & Groom hosted Unveiled, a showcase of the area’s top wedding vendors with a fabulous Oscar de la Renta bridal fashion show. Representatives from Macy’s registering team joined us at the event, providing couples with the chance to talk to some of the store’s registering pros.
What’s a necessity? What’s a good price point for gifts? How many items should be on a registry? Erin Gannon, events manager for Macy’s Wedding & Gift Registry, shares her top tips for couples putting together their wish list of a lifetime.
How has Macy’s changed its approach to wedding registry with the popularity of online shopping and wedding websites?
Today’s bride is always on the go and convenience is key in the registry process. We offer a registry manager through our mobile app that allows couples to add gifts to the list and track purchases; it also features a thank you card manager. Additionally, Macy’s has introduced kiosks and tablets into our gift registry departments to accommodate the tech-savvy bride during her registry process.
What are five things every couple needs on their registry?
Dining necessities, like our Kate Spade Charlotte Street China and Lenox Tuscany Stemware; kitchen essentials, like our Macy’s exclusive KitchenAid Architect Stand Mixer and Analon Advanced Bronze Nonstick Cookware Set; luggage, like our Delsey Helium Shadow Luggage; bedding and bath items, such as luxurious high thread-count sheets and like our Hotel Collection Egyptian Cotton Sheets and MicroCotton Luxe Bath Towel Collection; and cleaning tools, like our Dyson V6 Motorhead Cordless Vacuum.
What’s a good gifts-on-the-registry to guests ratio?
Our magic rule of thumb is to have twice as many gifts on your registry as you do gift-givers.
What’s the hardest part of registering, and how can couples make it easier?
Couples that are not sure where they may move next (small apartment or new home?) or couples that have already been living together are sometimes unsure of where to start. Our advice? More is better! Register for anything you think you may need or want in the future. You can always store gifts you are not quite ready to use yet. Macy’s also offers Dream Fund–essentially a group gift card where your wedding guests can add funds to be spent on anything you may have forgotten to register for after your wedding!
What’s a good price point to stick around when registering?
Be sure to register for items in a wide range of price points: under $50, under $100, under $200, and beyond! This allows your guests to easily find affordable gifts and also allows for group gifting. Include kitchen essentials in the under $50 range that would make for great shower gifts, but don’t forget to register for the stand mixer that your bridesmaids can collectively gift you!
What’s something couples often forget to register for?
Couples often know to register for the standard kitchen and dining items, but may not think to register for a new sectional to upgrade from the futon they have had in their apartment. Macy’s has a wide of array of big tickets items (think sofas, love-seats, rugs, mattresses, and more) that couples can add to their registry.
What’s a good insider tip for couples starting their registry?
The registry process continues even after your big day. Macy’s offers a registry completion where registered couples receive a 15 percent discount on gifts remaining on their registry, as well as new home items they choose to add (receive ten percent on furniture, mattresses, and rugs or floor coverings) for 180 days after their wedding. And last but not least, have fun! Registering should be an exciting couple experience where you merge your styles to make the home of your dreams as you start your happily ever after.
Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.
