Wedding Lists For The Modern Day

The tradition of giving wedding gifts to the newlyweds originates from a time when the couple would have spent their lives, prior to marriage, in their parental homes. Marriage was - and occasionally still is - a time of setting up the new marital home from scratch. It was usual for friends and relatives to contribute items of kitchenware, furniture or money to give the couple a helping hand.

Today, however, the reality is that very few couples start from scratch, often having lived independently for a number of years. The idea of gift lists or registries was introduced to prevent duplication of the same gift. The couple compile their list of required items and then make that list available to anyone who intends to give a gift. This usually includes all guests, friends and family and saves guests wasting money and time by giving a gift which is either unsuitable or a duplication.


Having a Gift List saves the embarrassment of having to exchanged or return unwanted gifts.

Most recently, the trend is for couples to compile a gift list comprised of a mixture of items, contributions and experiences which will go toward building their new life together. Modern gift lists are no longer limited to cutlery and towels; today they might contain anything from house wares to honeymoons; spa pampering days, charity contributions or even a loft extension.

It is up to a couple to define what will really make the perfect gift.

Occasionally couples feel that sending out gift list details can seem presumptuous -- that it will come across as if they're assuming all their guests will want to buy them something. But the reality is that most of them will.

Most wedding guests find it much easier to purchase items from a list than trying to guess what a couple wants.

There's nothing worse than getting it wrong.

When creating the list, it is advisable to select gifts from a range of different prices. This will be helpful for the guests, as their budgets will surely vary. It is a good idea to include registry cards with wedding or civil union invitations so that guests know where to find your gift list. This way you will ensure that you receive the items you really want.

After the gifts have been received, it is customary to reply with a thank you note. Just the Thing Gift Registries also provides customers with a tasteful "Thank You Album" where you can post messages and pictures for guests to see just how meaningful their contributions toward your honeymoon or future home have been.