Wedding Registry Missteps To Avoid

There’s no doubt about it. Creating a wedding registry is one of the most fun steps of wedding planning. It’s a little like making a Christmas wishlist when you were a kid, or pinning everything you find cute on Pinterest… right? Well, sort of. There are also some basic rules of thumb.

When it comes time for creating your own wedding registry, you have nearly bottomless options. From universal wedding registries that let you choose items from any online store, to honeymoon funds, to charity donations… your wedding registry can look and be whatever you want it to be. So, as you dive into thinking about exactly what you want to register for, we’ll help make sure you don’t make any of these mistakes (oh, and we’ll make sure you know exactly how to get the info out to your friends and family.) Big wedding, or small—with Squarespace, your wedding website can highlight exactly what you’re wishing for as wedding gifts.

Misstep 1: Not Registering

It’s a theory of days gone by that registering for wedding gifts is taboo. It’s certainly not. In fact, you can think of it as a sort of a gift to your guests. No one really wants to stress out over what the heck to gift you when all your wedding website says is “gifts not necessary.” Especially in this season of uncertainty, small weddings, elopements… folks really want to be able to celebrate your love with a gift that you’ll actually love. They really do.

Instead of leaving things up to interpretation, your registry will tell folks exactly what would bring you and your new spouse the most joy. And trust us, that’s true no matter the size of your wedding, or if you eloped last year but are hosting a party next year… whatever it is, the registry will save you and your guests tons of trouble.

Misstep 2: Not Registering For What You Really Need

It’s way too easy to just start adding things willy-nilly to your wedding registry, and before you know it, you’ll have hundreds of items listed and still won’t have registered for new towels (even though yours are tattered and from college). So one of your first steps is to slow down and take stock of what you already own, what you really need, and what might be due for an update. Nobody needs 3 toasters, even if they’re different styles… so slow down, take inventory, and then start your registry list.

Misstep 3: Not Registering For What You Really Want

When I started to create our wedding registry, I found myself googling ‘what to register for’ and clicking on every link and list I could find. I asked around… I honestly lost sleep over it all. The internet kept telling me that I needed to register for fancy china and silver and Waterford vases. That’s just not really who we are, though. When it comes to creating a wishlist of items for your family and friends to gift you in celebration of your love, you should most certainly register for things that will actually bring you joy and go to use in your life. So if you want to scrap the crystal glassware and instead register for a double sleeping bag… do it.

Misstep 4: Not Putting Your Wedding Registry On Your Wedding Website

This is the big mistake. The one you don’t want to make. If you’re going to put the effort into creating a wedding registry full of all the things you want and need the most, you darn well better make sure people can find it. Most etiquette guidelines will tell you that you shouldn’t put the link to your registry on your invitations, so our best advice? Create a wedding website… if only to share your wedding registry and a place for folks to find the ceremony address when they’re on the way to your wedding… is the way to go.

How To Make A Wedding Registry on Squarespace

Now that I’ve convinced you to create a registry, make sure it’s full of things you actually need and want, and share it with your family and friends via a website… the next question is… how? Have no fear.  With the help of Squarespace, it will be one of the easiest (and most fun) parts of your wedding planning journey. Let’s walk through all the different ways you can build out your wedding registry in no time at all.

Universal Registry

If you want to keep it super easy, but also be able to register for gifts from multiple places, Squarespace has a partnership with Zola that’s just for you. This is a universal wedding registry option that makes it pretty darn simple to register for whatever from wherever, and then include your registry right on your Squarespace site.

First, head over to Zola.com and create a wedding registry (it’s pretty darn simple), then in the Squarespace backend, all you have to do is add a Zola block to your page. You’ll type in your registry name (the last part of your Zola registry URL), and Squarespace will automatically load your registry right there, shoppable, on your site. Boom. Done.

Multiple Store Registries

If you are, instead, looking for a way to send folks directly to other registries you’ve created… Squarespace has an answer for that too. You can use their image blocks to upload a logo for the store or registry site of your choice, and then link it out directly to that registry. This is a great option if you have used a different universal registry option (there are tons of options out there), or have registries at multiple stores.

You’ll want to have images ready (think: store logos for each place you’ve registered), as well as the URL links directly to your other registries. Add an image block, upload the image of choice, and set the image link to the registry URL. Repeat for each of the store registries you’ve set up, and folks will be able to click right over and shop for your gifts. Perfect.

DIY Registry

Another totally custom option would be to put together your own registry. This seems like a good fit if you’re only registering for a few things, or wanting to direct your family and friends to some smaller businesses or experiences.

Similar to the last option, you’ll want to have images and links ready for each item you’re sharing. Utilizing the image blocks, you’ll just upload each of the photos and link the image out to wherever folks can buy the item. Just make sure you share your address for shipping… you know, so you actually get the gifts.

Cash or Honeymoon Registry

If you’re looking to have a simple cash registry, but want to avoid going through a third-party provider, you can just add a cash registry right to your Squarespace site. Utilize their donation blocks and folks will be able to contribute directly from your wedding website.

To use donation blocks on your wedding site, you will need a Business or Commerce plan (worth it), and connect a payment processor to your Squarespace account (easy). Then, you’ll just set up the page, or section, to look the way you’d like—maybe share a description of the ask (is it a simple cash registry, is it for your honeymoon, or will the money be donated to a charity). Then, add a donation block, where your friends and family will be able to make contributions directly. You can even repurpose the customer notification emails that send after a donation as automated thank-you notes. Win.

This post was sponsored by Squarespace. Squarespace makes beautiful wedding websites happen in a matter of minutes, thanks to their user-friendly software and modern, minimal template designs (don’t miss their perfect wedding website templates). Every yearly Squarespace purchase also comes with a custom URL, seemingly endless features, and of course, their award-winning customer service (just in case you get stuck). Click here to start a free 14-day trial and make your wedding website today. APW readers get 10% off your first Squarespace purchase when you use the code APW at checkout. Happy planning, friends.