Expat wedding gift registry - Alternatives?

May 2, 2010 6:59 AM

The wedding is in Europe. Most of the guests are coming from the US. What to do about a registry? Alternative registry ideas?

Some friends are American expats in Prague. They are getting married in Prague and most of the guests are friends and family from the US. People have asked them about a registry and they aren't sure what to do.

They haven't found any 'good' wedding registries locally and dont want to have to ship items from a US based registry. Additionally, they are already set up and dont really want traditional gifts like china or towels anyway.

But, since they dont want to ask for cash, and some of their guests have asked for registry information, they are looking for some alternative ideas.

I figured the hive would have some good ideas.

posted by meantime to human relations (10 answers total)

Can they just tell guests not to get them gifts at all, especially since the guests will be incurring the expense of international travel to go to the wedding?
posted by ishotjr at 7:11 AM on May 2, 2010 [3 favorites]

Just because people ask for registry information doesn't mean they have to register for gifts. Guests are capable of buying gifts without a registry, it's just that registries are so common, they don't want to offend by not buying via a registry, so they ask about them. If as you say the couple is "already set up and don't really want traditional gifts like china or towels anyway," they don't need a registry. Sometimes people ask for cash, sometimes they ask for a donation to a charity ... but there's a nice old-school charm to the idea of not asking for anything at all.
posted by headnsouth at 7:27 AM on May 2, 2010 [2 favorites]

The guests are all close family and friends? What about asking for good portrait photographs, not snapshots, of themselves (friends, family). I imagine the expats would appreciate having some reminders of home.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:46 AM on May 2, 2010

Re portrait photographs - I'd much rather have snapshots of my friends and family in their natural habitat enjoying themselves, but that's just me!

Re registry - tell them that, as they are already set up they don't really want any gifts and that the best gift anybody can give them is the guests' presence at the event, which in itself is going to cost the guests a lot of money!
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:46 AM on May 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

Is there an amazon international that ships to Prague? Their wish list function is so comprehensive and they generally make it easy to buy from abroad.

(And I can see why some guests might be eager for a registry, so they can ship direct rather than trying to bring a present with or deal with international shipping themselves, so it may be courteous to put together a small one.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:59 AM on May 2, 2010

As they're already assuming the expense of flying from the US to Prague, the most gracious thing the couple can say is, "The best gift is having you there on our special day."
posted by inturnaround at 9:03 AM on May 2, 2010 [4 favorites]

Presence not presents please!
posted by honey-barbara at 9:20 AM on May 2, 2010 [5 favorites]

I saw this site the other day and thought it was a lovely way to "register" for things the couple wanted and give friends and family the satisfaction of gifting actual items even though it really is just cash donations. Like your friends, this couple lives in Europe and didn't want to deal with the logistics of a traditional registry, and also wanted the flexibility of asking for things/experiences they really wanted.
posted by judith at 10:57 AM on May 2, 2010

One of my friends is getting married somewhere that most of the guests will have to travel to (awkward sentence construction there). The couple's web site says no presents please, but we know that some of you will insist, so here is our small registry. I think that's the best way to go about it - to all of you saying "no presents!" note that the OP says that some guests have been asking for a registry.

Is there a nearby branch of Amazon? If not in the Czech Republic, maybe a nearby country - Germany must - will have something, and shipping will at least be cheaper.

Setting up a way for guests to give donations to a charitable cause the couple picks in honor of the wedding is another idea.
posted by insectosaurus at 6:03 PM on May 2, 2010

to all of you saying "no presents!" note that the OP says that some guests have been asking for a registry.

At which point you say - thanks, we appreciate the thought but your presence is all we could wish for!
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:10 AM on May 3, 2010 [1 favorite]