Whenever a couple is planning to get married, chances are they have a very long list of items they are hoping to receive as gifts. Most couples begin planning their lives together immediately following their wedding ceremony and this typically includes renting an apartment or buying a new home together. After they’ve purchased their new home, they will need to fill it with all sorts of supplies and appliances to make it their very own. Or, perhaps you’re going to do away with traditions and pave your own path forward.
The easiest way to make sure all of your wedding guests know which item you want to have in your home without people buying duplicates is to create a gift registry at your favorite department store. Since creating a gift registry usually only happens when you’re getting married or having a baby, we thought it may be useful to create this guide to gift registry terminology so you can easily understand the entire process.
Standard Gift Registry Terminology
- Open Stock Items: When an item is referred to as “open stock”, it means that it is an item that is part of a set or collection that is able to be purchased separately. This can be very handy if you are interested in buying a very large set of cookware or fine china dishes because the entire set can be a little too expensive for the average guest to afford as a wedding gift.
- Place Setting: A “place setting” refers to the entire set of dishes that are required for each guest at a formal dinner. Usually place settings are comprised of 5 fine china dishes; a dinner plate, salad plate, bread plate, and a cup and saucer.
- Completer Set: A “completer set” is an additional package of dishes that are added to a collection of basic place settings to give you everything you need in a matching pattern. Most completer sets will include items such as serving platters, serving dishes, gravy boats, salt and pepper shakers, and other useful accessories. Each completer set is different depending on the brand and pattern, so make sure you look at all the options carefully before putting one on your gift registry.
- Return Policy: though most people are familiar with the concept of a return policy, you need to make sure you know the ins and outs for the store you are creating your wedding gift registry. There is always going to be things to return whether it’s because they are damaged or you simply didn’t receive enough of them to create a complete set. Also, it can be easy to get caught up in other after-wedding activities and let your gifts sit too long, so make sure you know the time frame for the return policy. You can usually exchange them for a store gift card so you can take your time and buy what you really want.
What We Hope You’ve Learned
The terminology listed above for creating your gift registry should help you understand the process and get started choosing your favorite items. Creating your unique gift registry is a lot like regular shopping only you scan your items instead of placing them in a cart and buying them that day. Don’t be afraid to ask the department store sales team to help you if you have questions or run into something that isn’t in our gift registry terminology guide; that’s what they’re there for. If you found this guide to gift registry terminology helpful, please feel free to share it on your favorite social media platform. Good luck and have fun creating your gift registry!
