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C H I C A G O W E D D I N G & P A R T Y R E S O U R C E
W W W . C H I C A G O W E D D I N G R E S O U R C E . C O M
72
R E G I S T R Y & F I R S T H O M E
It depends who you ask, but the
statistics are roughly the same:
about half of all married people
today choose to live together before
they tie the knot. Whether or not
it’s a good idea is beside the point;
making your dwelling new and
exciting post-wedding is fun – and
easy if you use your gift registry
wisely.
Hold different types of showers,
like a holiday-décor party, where
the guests are invited to bring
ornaments or decorations for your
house. Another favorite for young
couples is a ‘stock the bar’ shower,
where guests can bring different
types of glasses, wines or liquors.
This helps the couple get ready
to entertain their guests. But you
don’t have to wait for a party to jazz
up your humble abode. To make
the apartment special after the
reception, you can semi-redecorate;
join all of the new gifts and goodies
with the old favorites. Maybe you
had been hoping for that new four-
slice toaster and you can finally get
rid of the vintage red toaster from
your college days.
One of the nice things about getting
married is that you’ll probably
come away from the event with
at least one or two new pictures.
Nothing says, “Just Married!” like
a picture of the two of you, you
know, getting married. Creating a
cluster of wedding photos on the
mantle or hung up on the wall is
an instant “first-home” touch than
works for couples who have been
living together for a decade or for
those who are brand new roomies.
In either case, it’s the details that
make a home feel new – whether it
is or not.
A fresh coat of paint, new curtains
and new bed linens do wonders.
The gift registry can be a useful
tool in decorating and preparing
for your newlywed home. If you’ve
imagined having a red-and-white,
polka-dotted kitchen since you were
a kid, registering for those red-and-
white, polka-dotted dishes would
be a smart move. Likewise, several
sets of pretty sheets will go a long
way toward creating the bedroom
style of your dreams – and putting
those on your registry will allow the
people who give gifts to contribute
to your soon-to-be fabulous home.
For any wedding guests who may be
reading this right now, take note: If
you choose to eschew the registry,
you’ll help the newlyweds build
their first home together much more
with a “paper gift” than with, say, an
extra blender.
You can’t go wrong with a monetary
donation toward a couple’s new
life and home. After all, the bride
and groom just spent how many
thousands of dollars on the wedding
you just attended.
Maybe they are saving for a new
house, car or wanting to pay off the
credit-card bills from the wedding
or honeymoon. But if you want
something special that isn’t on the
plain registry, you can make an item
– monogramming is a great way to
achieve a personal touch and brides
love it. The sky is the limit with this
– towels, sheets, dishtowels, or even
a doormat for the entryway of their
home. Other special touches include
soaps or decorative additions to
their home.
And home is where the heart is.
Really. No matter what a couple’s
living situation is beforehand, after
the wedding, your home is a new
landscape. Those new curtains,
that new roasting pan, and the set
of incredible French cookbooks
are new now, but they usher in a
lifetime of your very own traditions.
A wedding is about joining two
families together. It isn’t just the
bride and groom; it is parents,
siblings, and traditions of each
family. People forget that this is the
beginning of a lifetime together.
And you can start by sweeping the
living room and unpacking your
boxes of stemware. The rest will take
care of itself.
© CTW Features
WITH A LITTLE CREATIVITY AND
SOME HELP FROM YOUR REGISTRY,
IT’S EASY TO DESIGN A NEW-HOME
LOOK THAT YOU’LL SURELY LOVE
By Mary Fons
First-Home Style