Over on OneWed, we’ve been talking a lot about different gift registries, including Amazon’s new gift registry, which allows you to register for practically anything from traditional household items, to books, to personal care items. Since people all over the world can access your registry with the click of a button, it’s very convenient.
People have always given wedding gifts. Traditional wedding gifts ranged from household items to fertility symbols. Then, in 1924 Marshall Field’s department store in Chicago introduced the idea of a gift registry, where brides could indicate their preferred china and silver patterns.
The idea took off and couples began thinking of their ability to choose their own wedding gifts as a time-honored right. In 1993, Target introduced the idea of self-service gift registry, and people suddenly began registering for items well outside the traditional ideas.
Today, you’ll often hear brides and grooms discuss (complain?) that they don’t really need any household items, and what they’d really like to do is ask people to help fund their honeymoon, or the down payment on a house, or the wedding itself.
It has me wondering, has the concept of the gift registry gone too far? Do people see wedding gifts as a right, instead of a gift? Should you be able to ask for whatever you want, or should you only register for things related to setting up your new life together?
