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1. If you're the outdoorsy types, then don't forget to plan
events like horseback riding, snorkeling, boating,
parasailing and swimming with the dolphins. Put them on your
registry because guests love these. Be specific about them
too: "We'll boat to Molokini Crater for an afternoon of
snorkeling!" is better than just "Snorkeling".
2. Like to eat? Don't we all, but your honeymoon is a time
to really do it up, so let that show. Mention restaurants by
name or the type of cuisine in the title: "Dinner by
candlelight at Gramercy Tavern" is better than just
"Dinner." You probably won't want to plan all your meals in
advance, so you'll have to be a little more general with
some. Try "We'll Dine on the Beach" and mention the sand
between your toes in the description. Or name whose choice
it'll be for a dinner on a whim.
3. Nightlife is another big honeymoon expense and your
guests who enjoy a bit of nightlife themselves will just
love these. Do a little research and find out where you'll
go out and what people drink there: Is there a house
specialty? Some of these are easier than others. If you're
in Cancun, then "Margaritas at Laguna Grill" is a winner
rather than "Drinks". You can also specify times, like "A
Bottle of Wine at Sunset" will do the trick for a great
add-on gift.
4. Airfare may be your biggest expense. It is usually close
family members that make a dent in this one, mainly because
it's hard to personalize. Rather than "Contribution to
Airfare", it's a good idea to break up the trip into time or
miles in the air. So "400 Miles in the Air" might cost $125.
If you want to get even more personal and you know your
guests will like it, try something like "One Inglenook and
one in-flight magazine in the sky" as a description (you may
not have room in the title.) You probably don't want to have
a quantity of 8 or 10 for that, lest your guests picture you
arriving at your honeymoon destination loaded. You can also
put a Getting to… as an item near the beginning of your
registry and a Getting Home… at the end. That way you can
break this big expense in half.
5. Your hotel is another big budget category. Usually you'll
want to break this down into one-night stays. "A night in
our Ocean-Front Villa", followed by a personal description
like "We're staying at Nirvana on the Beach in Negril with
the ocean nearly at our door! The sun sets directly across
the water!" If you're staying in luxury accommodations, then
it's ok to break it up into two categories, like the "One
night in New York" and an "Upgrade to the Suite" type items,
each for half the cost of a night's stay, especially if
you're having a relatively small wedding. Expecting to sell
out of 14 $400 hotel room items with just 80 guests might
mean you haven't put enough meals and activities on your
registry.
6. There are plenty of miscellaneous items to remember too.
Rather than "Suntan Lotion and other beach stuff", go with
"Save our Skin!" and mention sunglasses in the description
if you want a cheap pair for out on the sand. If you have to
kennel a pooch, then go with a variation of "The B&B for
Dino" and upload a photo of Dino for that item. Don't forget
gas for the rental, maps and tour guides. Try these under a
Necessities type title, and mention, "We don't want to get
lost!" What about taking a limousine to the airport and
back? It may be a luxury you wouldn't do for yourselves, but
you may have a cousin who thinks it's time you were
pampered. Don't forget the spa trips. These are usually one
of the first items off the registry, so plan on a massage or
two. You'll find other suggestions for this category when
you're creating your registry.
7. Pricing is important. Make sure there is a full range of
prices for your items. Make sure you have enough small items
on your registry that can accommodate all budgets, but also
so that your guests can put together a group of items as
well. You'll have guests who will give you a night stay and
a bottle of wine at sunset, to be helpful and personal at
the same time. But don't shy away from the big-ticket items
too. Think of what you're spending per head for the wedding.
Some guests may try to match this as a guideline. You may
have some close friends who really want to shower you as
well, and will find a way.
8. For a cruise and all-inclusive resorts where nearly
everything is paid for, don't just put two items – airfare
and hotel (or cruise.) Most importantly, remember that those
meals and drinks aren't free; you're paying for them with
the cost of the hotel. Price your hotel item like you would
if you weren't staying at an all-inclusive. This is
especially easy if you're lucky enough that the resort gives
you the option of going all-inclusive or not. If they don't,
then look at the cost of neighboring resorts and their
restaurants. It's a little more work but you want to get it
as close as you can. Then check the prices for a snorkeling
trip from a non-all-inclusive and include that as an item.
Then you can put in the extras like you would normally as in
the "miscellaneous" listed above. If you've included enough
dinners and drinks, then you'll find that the total is
larger than what you're spending for your all-inclusive,
that it's inflating your registry. That's because you're
getting a discount for your all-inclusive dollar. You can
then reduce your hotel item by that amount so that it
matches what you're actually paying, or you can reduce each
item's cost to reflect your discount (if you're saving 10%,
then reduce each item that's included by 10% in your
registry.) Even at nearly all "pay as you go" resorts, you
can charge everything to your room. At the end, it's
"all-included" in your bill. You're just buying a little
freedom to have lunch at the great spot at the other end of
the beach and not feel guilty about the free lunch you just
missed. No reason to feel like you can't break out those
included items for your all-inclusive registry. Same goes
for a cruise. Your guests will usually want to connect with
a particular memory, so break out particular days or
ports-of-call. If you're familiar with the cruise ship, you
might try breaking out a particular restaurant or lounge
where you'll spend some time. "We'll live it up in the
Palladium Lounge!" is more personal than "Cruise Donation"
any day.
9. Upload your own photos. We've included plenty for you to
find what you need for most items, but a few of your own
will really help. The web is an endless source of photos,
but don't forget ones you've taken yourself. You can upload
your own photos after you've saved your registry.
10. Getting the word out gracefully is a challenge. If you
have a wedding website, you can link straight to your
registry from there. After you create a registry, we'll send
you the link to your registry to include in emails if you
want to let close friends and family know. They can help
spread the word. We'll also send you the code for a "Smart
Button" that you can put into your own website that will
take your guests to your registry when they click on it! If
you don't have a website, another great way to tactfully get
the word out is to mention it on Facebook or MySpace. Think
about setting up a wedding Facebook and MySpace too! You can
then upload honeymoon photos so your guests who shared in
your wedding and honeymoon can follow along.
To sum up: Personalize, personalize, personalize!!! Let your
humor through too. Being a little tongue-in-cheek is great,
if it's you. That goes for being a little risque too, so
long as you have your guests in mind. If they expect it from
you, great! They'll want to see it.
Good luck and happy registering!
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