Wedding Registry 101

This post is in collaboration with Bed Bath & Beyond. All opinions are my own.

If you’ve followed along our wedding journey (read about our engagement here), then you know that it hasn’t exactly been the easist process for me since we got engaged in October. Finding a venue is NO JOKE you guys. It took us months to find one that fit all of our requirements and non-negotiables. There were days where I could have honestly cried after looking at what felt like 100’s of venues that didn’t quite fit the bill (or the bill was just too dang high).

THANKFULLY I can now say that though it was stressful at times (most times) it was definitely worth it. Knowing that we have finally found our dream venue just makes this process that much more exciting, and now the fun can really begin!

First up, let’s talk WEDDING REGISTRIES!

Since Brennan and I have already lived together for 2 years, and I lived on my own the year before that, it felt like we already had the items we “needed” in our life.

Going into our wedding registry appointment at Bed Bath & Beyond was exciting, but I truthfully didn’t know what to expect.

A few initial things to note that I love about Bed Bath & Beyond:

1. The price-point is incredible; and if there’s an item that’s out of your price range, you can bet that you’ll receive a 20% off coupon in the mail every few weeks so that it’ll make it that much more attainable. LOVE a good discount.
2. They have locations everywhere. It feels very accessible, open, and fully stocked. There’s also always parking at their locations, which, in LA, is very valuable.
3. The staff is knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly.

It’s so fun checking things off the wedding planning list that you’ve thought about doing for a while, even prior to being engaged. Movies always make the registering process look so fun, and now that we’ve gone through it ourselves I can fully vouch for that! It really is so much fun to wander around the store with a scanner in hand, dreaming about what your future as a married couple will be like.

Upon arriving, we were immediately greeted by our registry consultant, Susan. She sat us down and happily walked us through what the next hour would look like. After discussing the process, she walked us through setting up our Bed Bath & Beyond online account. Once that was done, it was time to shop!

Susan was great about asking us about our current lifestyle and what we may be missing. We explained to her that we have a lot of the basics, but were mostly interested in registering for the fun things! You know…like a sparkling water maker. Who doesn’t want that?!

We started in the kitchen appliance section, which I was very excited about. I’d had my eye on a juicer for a few weeks at that point, so I was eager to learn more about my options in person.

Susan walked us through every appliance we were interested in with great attention to detail. An important fact to note is that when you schedule an in-person appointment with a registry consultant, you have the opportunity to touch, see, feel, and ask any questions you may have on an item as opposed to guessing and researching by yourself if you choose to register online. Susan knew SO MUCH about every item we showed interest in, which really took out the guess work for us.

A great example of this is definitely in regards to items like a pots & pans set. My instinct says to go with what was most visually attractive (*copper everything*) but Susan informed me that certain pots and pans cook differently than others. The copper set may be the most visually appealing, however as someone that cooks a wide range of foods and still has a lot to learn in the kitchen, there were better alternatives for me to choose from. Which inevitably lead me to the set we registered for.

After we chose some kitchen appliances, we got to check out Bed Bath & Beyond’s exclusive brand Olivia & Oliver. Their dishes are SO cute, and catered more to our non-traditional sides. Brennan and I both agreed that instead of your traditional china set, these were a more accurate depiction of how we view our home decor right now!

Another room we decided to focus on was our bedroom! When we moved into our apartment, our focus really fell on our living room since that is where we’d be spending the most time – alone & with friends. This meant that our bedroom and guest room got the “leftover” furniture from our past apartments.

Being able to register for big ticket items that we’ve been holding off on was so exciting! Like this gorgeous bed. SWOON.

TOP REGISTRY PICKS

I’m so excited that we’ve already gotten some of our registry faves in so that we could style them for you guys (thanks Bed Bath & Beyond!) so here are the items that are already playing a huge part in our day-to-day life!

This juicer has been a game-changer for my morning routine! I’ve been wanting to try juicing for a while now, and as soon as the buzz on celery juice started circulating I knew it was time to try it out for myself. This juicer has been just what I need! As an amateur juicer, I didn’t need anything fancy; this gets the job done, is compact, attractive, and under $100. I’m obsessed!

Like I mentioned above, we were super excited to grab some new items for our bedroom! We’re so in love with our new bed, and can’t believe we’ve gone so long without these pillows! They’re so comfortable and catered to our sleep-styles (did you know there was such a thing?! Yet another thing Susan taught us in our appointment).

We also replaced the sheets with linen sheets, pillowcases and duvet cover. You can only imagine how excited I get to jump into bed every night!

As soon as we moved into our apartment, we started hosting our friends and family as much as we possibly could. I quickly realized how much I LOVE to display the appetizers and dinner items as aesthetically pleasing as possible! Bed Bath & Beyond has an endless amount of items that will up your hostess game to a whole other level. This cheese board is not only a combo of two of my favorite things ( wood + marble ) but it also has a hidden knife drawer underneath! How cute is that?!

And don’t get me started on these long-stemmed, gold rim wine glasses from Olivia & Oliver. When I saw them in-store I knew I had to have them!

Last but not least, this marble cheese slicer is one of those things that you never knew you needed until it makes its way into your life. Cheese will never be the same!

Another item we didn’t know we’d love so much is our Google Home Mini. The version we got comes with a Google Home Mini and a GE C-Life smart bulb. It’s so cool to be able to turn a light on simply by saying “Hey Google, turn the light on.” Again, we didn’t know we needed it until we got it haha.

After experiencing the in-store wedding registry appointment first-hand I can honestly say it’s the best option. The team is so incredibly helpful in the (somewhat daunting) task, and sets you up for success with your online registry! They show you how to add items at home in case you spot something you missed in-store or that is an online exclusive, and so much more.

You can even go online and create an idea board (which is what I did prior to our appointment) so you can virtually design your bedroom, living room, kitchen etc. It helps with the initial process of elimination, and then your in-store consultant will help you nail down your final selection with information on each product.

One of the best features is that anything left un-purchased on your registry after your wedding can be purchased for 20% off! So even if you decided to register for that copper mixer and no one chooses to buy, you can get a whopping 20% discount anyways. WIN-WIN!

Read more about all of the benefits registering with Bed Bath & Beyond comes with here!

Last but not least, if you want to make your in-store registry experience that much better, you can join Bed Bath & Beyond for a night of Rock Your Registry, an event for couples to come in to register, chat with other couples, learn from consultants, and enjoy some food and beverages while they’re at it!

Finishing up this registry process has got me feeling ALL the feels; I cannot wait to take you guys through the next few months of planning, and share as much as possible with you!

PLEASE let me know if you have any questions regarding registering with Bed Bath & Beyond 🙂

Happy registering!

In-store Photography by Hope Kindred

Post is in collaboration with Bed Bath & Beyond; all opinions are my own.