Wedding Registry and Home Decor Tips for Your New Life Together
Don’t fill your registry with pieces you’re on the fence about. Focus on what you want to use and see every day.
Here’s our guide to building your wedding registry and combining your styles at home. / Illustration by Chanelle Nibbelink
Much conversation surrounds the wedding itself — the prep and planning for the Big Day and the related festivities are the topics du jour as couples consider the various elements of their union. But the wedding is the start of something new, and there should be some careful consideration of your life at home — whether it’s what items to register for or how to “marry” interior design aesthetics.
Whether you move in together before or after “I do,” you’re bound to have too much of one thing, too little of another — and some items that have to go. “Taking both aesthetics and blending them together is important,” says Maureen Block, of Mason Grey Interiors in Newtown Square. “This is a new space that should reflect both personalities. Everyone should feel comfortable at home.” Here are Block’s tricks for settling in.
If you’re looking for more planning advice, check out our guides to nontraditional bouquets, stocking an N/A wedding bar, managing wedding stress, budgeting, size-inclusive wedding attire, and more.
1. Take inventory of everything. Knowing what you both have helps you see what you may need.
2. Know what the long-term shared goal for each area is. Making and agreeing on a plan to proceed room by room or space by space is key.
3. Set a budget, and don’t be afraid of using a designer. It’s an investment, but it can help save time and money in the long run. But remember, communication in any relationship is key — especially
with your designer.
4. Consider your non-negotiables. Maybe it’s an oversize recliner that one of you must have but the other hates. Rather than arguing, design around it with great pillows or art pieces to draw the eye away.
5. When it comes to your registry, only bring into your home what you really love. Focus on the pieces you want to use and see every day.
What’s the Best Registry For …
COZY-CHIC HOUSEWARES?
Head to Anthropologie in Rittenhouse. The store’s eclectic lineup of bedding and functional but fun cookware often gets overlooked for its clothing selection, but who doesn’t need a cake stand shaped like a lily pad?
CONSCIOUS ART?
Try South Kensington nonprofit InLiquid. The organization’s new registry lets couples curate a selection of pieces from Philly artists at a variety of price points and styles. (Email Sara Zimmerman at saraz@inliquid.org to register.)
GIFTS FROM A GROUP?
Best for a couple that already has a home full of practical items — Ilyan Jewelry in Haverford has plenty of sparkle. Perhaps your wedding party wants to go in on a chic charm to commemorate the day.
Published as “Expert Advice” in the winter/spring 2023 issue of Philadelphia Wedding.
