Wedding of Joe and Elizabeth

[lilith]

Steve must have only gotten a few posts into this thread because the coffee pot is no longer on the registry, but the $100 garbage can remains.

They only have two "fancy" china and silverware place settings so I assume it is for special couples dinners. My husband and I used to put on a movie one night a week for the kids and have a picnic on our bed. Adult food and good china! But now the baby is a toddler who cannot be left along for more than it takes to empty precisely one-fourth of my bladder, so that is put on hold for a while.

Some pepper grinders work really well for spices. You can buy dried red peppers or dried garlic or whole nutmeg and grind them into your recipes, and it tastes so much richer. Of course Elizabeth probably is not familiar with the apocryphal burritos and the role of spices in the downfall of the human soul. I bet the scale is to make sure each child gets precisely the same ration of animal crackers.

There is a lot of expensive stuff on that registry. I hope the Muncks have some wealthy friends, because there is no way Steve and Teri are running with the type of crowd that gives a $140 sugar bowl.

Well she also wants a spice rack that holds 20 different spices. That's downright extravagant by Maxwell standards. I bet Teri doesn't know that 20 different spices exist.

[darkplumaged]

Of course Elizabeth probably is not familiar with the apocryphal burritos and the role of spices in the downfall of the human soul.

[SisiL78]

They don't read, they write. :naughty:

If they registered using the scanner thingy at the store then they wouldn't have had any reviews.

This reminds me that I have a paltry wedding registry. I already bought myself Henckels knives (super deal on clearance at Williams Sonoma!) and I got myself some All-Clad and LE Creuset pieces for less than half price through scratch and dent sales. If you shop around you can get a lot of the "traditional" registry items for a fraction of the price but then you run out of stuff to put on your actual registry! I would put expensive china on the list but honestly don't really want it, especially when you can get nice china at TJMaxx. For the cost of 1 130 dollar place setting you could easily get a nice set of ten place settings at TJMaxx, HomeGoods, and Marshalls. THat's what I'd expect a young couple starting out without a lot of money to do. Shop around and search for the best deal. Hopefully people will just give them cash and hopefully it won't automatically become Joe's decision on how to spend that money.

Elizabeth has a super weird registry for someone who has never lived on her own. I suspect she didn't really choose the stuff herself and I bet she'll wish she just had the cash when she's pining for things she really does need in her new home but Joe cannot provide them for her. Maybe she'll be smart and keep stuff in the boxes and just return them to exchange for the things she really does need. I'd assume that a girl raised to be a homemaker would have a better idea of what it takes to run a home and what the costs of those items are (and how to find a deal) better than the average "worldly" teenager. But, I guess I'm wrong!

[Seven Severn]

Steve must have only gotten a few posts into this thread because the coffee pot is no longer on the registry, but the $100 garbage can remains.

The coffee pot is there this a.m. Maybe there was a change of heart?

Interesting that nothing on the registry has been purchased. I also checked Target and they're not registered there.

[emmiedahl]

The coffee pot is there this a.m. Maybe there was a change of heart?

Interesting that nothing on the registry has been purchased. I also checked Target and they're not registered there.

It's back!!!! Seriously, it was gone and the direct link redirected to their overall registry.

Hi Steve. You were caught, just admit it.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

It seems greed is the order of the day for most weddings today. Not just a coffee maker, but THE COFFEE MAKER OF THE CENTURY! Ditto pans, etc. Everything top of the line gets requested with no thought of what guests are likely willing and able to spend. No on starts out with hand-me-downs anymore---they want THE BEST. Personally our $9 coffee maker does just fine. Course we can't afford to buy individual cups for the super expensive coffee machine. And, before you request that $500 expresso machine, try cleaning one first.

I'm sure Joe put down the nicest stuff to make her feel loved and to hide the fact that he really only cares about getting to go to bed with her!

[MissSeptember]

I want the situation to be that Steve took it off, and Elizabeth added it back on from her home several states away.

Wishful thinking.

But I agree with a PP, I think Joe (+ family) did the registry in KS, with the intent that Elizabeth can modify it when she gets the chance.

[SisiL78]

It seems greed is the order of the day for most weddings today. Not just a coffee maker, but THE COFFEE MAKER OF THE CENTURY! Ditto pans, etc. Everything top of the line gets requested with no thought of what guests are likely willing and able to spend. No on starts out with hand-me-downs anymore---they want THE BEST. Personally our $9 coffee maker does just fine. Course we can't afford to buy individual cups for the super expensive coffee machine. And, before you request that $500 expresso machine, try cleaning one first.

I'm sure Joe put down the nicest stuff to make her feel loved and to hide the fact that he really only cares about getting to go to bed with her!

That is so very true. I've seen truly ludicrous registries. The best china, and several different patterns no less. Stemware where one piece costs as much as 6 pieces of the stuff I'm registering for. Platters and serving dishes and canisters and containers of all kinds. And people who are in their late 20s and early 30s are registering for this sh*t. One can almost excuse 2 stupid kids for registering for a 140 dollar sugar bowl. But when you're 29 and have never once hosted a dinner party and you suddenly are requesting 4 sets of fine china each with a matching tea service you have officially gone off your rocker. At my old job we girls were discussing ridiculous registries and actually started printing them to PDF and sending them out between each other. It was awesome to rag on them. One co-worker couldn't get over a 750 dollar sterling silver turkey carving set her friend had registered for. It was not only gaudy but seemed to only be useful once a year. Fortunately, none of her guests were silly enough to buy it. My personal favorite was a bridezilla friend who registered for like 30 different serving dishes and platters. Some were so specialized, like one just for crackers. She ended up receiving most of them and has yet (in 3 years) to have had a single get together and her cooking is so bad that they just nuke frozen stuff most nights. I guess the platters are keeping the 3 different sets of stemware (about 200 pieces at least) company in her parents basement..... (part of me wants to just burglarize their house so that I can free all those lovely things and use them to entertain, I do it all the time on my thrift store stuff!)

[Mela99]

Dumb/OT question -- is there a rule of etiquette for how much you should register for? I've always been curious about that. Some people register for tens of thousands of dollars worth of stuff. My intended and I are always talking about how much we should register for. We already have a house and a lot of heirloom china -- stuff that came over on the boat with my family -- so we don't plan on asking for much. We like what we have better. Anyway...

I don't understand why they only want two place settings for china. Maybe they don't expect to entertain. Or they're like the Duggars and use nothing but paper and Styrofoam.

[Jessica]

Yeah, when I was getting married (bleh) we registered at Target and only for the stuff we needed. Towels, pots & pans, measuring cups, and a couple blankets. I went to World Market and got a set of forks & knives (for 4 people... we never had anyone over so any more than that was pointless) and plastic plates, bowls, and cups all for about $50. Eventually we worked up to getting Fiesta dishes and REAL silverware when we got money for Christmas or birthdays. But I felt like a heel registering for a basic set of pots and pans that wasn't even $80. $140 sugar bowl? That's just tacky.

[ExCatholic]

Dumb/OT question -- is there a rule of etiquette for how much you should register for? I've always been curious about that. Some people register for tens of thousands of dollars worth of stuff. My intended and I are always talking about how much we should register for. We already have a house and a lot of heirloom china -- stuff that came over on the boat with my family -- so we don't plan on asking for much. We like what we have better. Anyway...

I don't understand why they only want two place settings for china. Maybe they don't expect to entertain. Or they're like the Duggars and use nothing but paper and Styrofoam.

It really depends on your families and friends. In my circles, registering for fine china is almost unheard of - most of my cousins registered at Target. Mr. ExCatholic's family is better off, and wouldn't have batted an eye at a $260 coffeepot. I went middle of the road and chose dishwasher safe china from BBB.

Have there been any weddings in your life recently? Go by those registries. If not, consider what your family spends on birthday gifts or other presents. There is no right number. Just be sure to include a range of prices so every guest can pick what they're comfortable with. Now is the time to get nice serving utensils for just a few bucks a pop!

I have a very wealthy friend, mid-20's, who registered for over 400 items, including two popcorn makers and a cotton candy machine. Ludicrous.

[ncb]

What a bizarre registry. I am sure there must have been some mistakes, i.e. they only asked for one everyday dinner plate. I am sure that if we go back and look at the registry on October 1st almost nothing will have been purchased given that they are asking for such pricy items. They must be registered someplace else as well.

[kpmom]

What a bizarre registry. I am sure there must have been some mistakes, i.e. they only asked for one everyday dinner plate. I am sure that if we go back and look at the registry on October 1st almost nothing will have been purchased given that they are asking for such pricy items. They must be registered someplace else as well.

I checked Wal-Mart's registry (yeah, Wal-mart has a wedding registry), since the Maxwells are Sam's Club/Wal-Mart people, but nada.

[Letgo]

I checked registries at Target, Macy's, and Dillard's. No luck. There are so many things they are missing. They ask for a $260 coffee pot, but there is nothing on the list to actually make the coffee. They only ask for one plate, bowl, and mug for the every day dishes. Could Elizabeth have been stocking up on all this? Maybe the courtship has been going on for some time and she got these things as Christmas and birthdays gifts.

[Mela99]

It really depends on your families and friends. In my circles, registering for fine china is almost unheard of - most of my cousins registered at Target. Mr. ExCatholic's family is better off, and wouldn't have batted an eye at a $260 coffeepot. I went middle of the road and chose dishwasher safe china from BBB.

Have there been any weddings in your life recently? Go by those registries. If not, consider what your family spends on birthday gifts or other presents. There is no right number. Just be sure to include a range of prices so every guest can pick what they're comfortable with. Now is the time to get nice serving utensils for just a few bucks a pop!

I have a very wealthy friend, mid-20's, who registered for over 400 items, including two popcorn makers and a cotton candy machine. Ludicrous.

The last wedding I was invited to was by a former sorority sister, and I nearly DIED when I saw her registries. They were at 4 places, and totaled WELL OVER 25k for all those places -- yes, I did the math (I have too much time on my hands now and then). And there were board games and shot glasses and yard toys and the most expensive electronic kitchen stuff... just... so much random bizarre stuff. And they're not rich people by any standards. She's a teacher and he is a correctional officer.

Like I said, we already have a house, and we got new appliances when we bought it. We have all the furniture and such that we need. I bought myself a Keurig for my birthday, so we don't need any fancy stuff. We're keeping my grandma's Bavarian hand-made china instead of registering for new. I don't even know what we NEED. Some new towels or a new bedding set, or maybe some new pots and pans -- we still have ours from college/reduced clearance racks that have seen better days. I don't even think we're going to register for much, or at more than one place.

The way I see it, people (from my side of the family and friends anyway) are going to be coming from out of state for the wedding, so I don't see why we should ask for expensive stuff. I'd be content with a bottle of wine and a congratulations when I see them at the wedding.

[emmiedahl]

Dumb/OT question -- is there a rule of etiquette for how much you should register for? I've always been curious about that. Some people register for tens of thousands of dollars worth of stuff. My intended and I are always talking about how much we should register for. We already have a house and a lot of heirloom china -- stuff that came over on the boat with my family -- so we don't plan on asking for much. We like what we have better. Anyway...

I don't understand why they only want two place settings for china. Maybe they don't expect to entertain. Or they're like the Duggars and use nothing but paper and Styrofoam.

I personally would register for things that can be bought inexpensively in pieces but cost a lot as a whole set--like dishes and silverware. I put gifts between $10 and $200 on my registry, with most at the $20-30 range. We registered for a lot of stuff, at Macy's and Target, just so people would have options. I have seen people registering for brooms and shit and it confuses me. Didn't Josh and Anna register for candy bars? Anyway, we both had full households of stuff and really did not need anything, so I registered for things that would need replaced soon like toasters and towels. My coworkers pooled money and bought me a very nice Kitchenaid and I seriously cried, they all knew that I baked and was dying for one.

Most people my parents' age have nice housewares, but they did not *start* that way. A typical young couple will have a lot of hand-me-downs and cheap crap that they gradually replace as they get older and more affluent. I don't know when everyone got so picky, but I have certainly noticed the outrageous registry trend. A former school friend recently got married and I looked at her registry because I was considering sending her something. She is a preschool teacher and her husband some blue collar job. There was not a single item under $100 on her registry. Seriously, the blankets were all cashmere, the silverware was real silver, the plates were Kate Spade or something like that. That's when I remembered that she has always been kind of an entitled bitch, so I did not send a gift.

[Wolfie]

A $100 garbage bin??? Are you kidding me? How does that qualify as good "stewardship" of god's provisions?

Granted, I love my plastic version of this simple human bin but even as a 30+ professional woman I drew the line at splashing out that much on something meant for trash. I understand buying nice china since, in theory, it is an heirloom item but $100 on a trash bin? I think young Elizabeth is going to have a brutal awaking to the Maxwell way of life.

I am eagerly looking forward to seeing how much of this list is fulfilled!

I noticed that too. I drool over that garbage can, but it's really too expensive for somebody just starting out, much less most of us who are slightly older. My grandparents had it, though, so I do know how nice it is.

[Witsec7]

I'm a total bitch and never purchase something from a registry. :lol: I buy an interesting gift usually from a local Fair Trade shop or get them something from Heifer.

[gustava]

I'm a total bitch and never purchase something from a registry. :lol: I buy an interesting gift usually from a local Fair Trade shop or get them something from Heifer.

My kinda bitch :dance: :dance:

[YPestis]

For our registry, my SO and I did multiple stores with a range of prices. My SO grew up upper middle class and was used to seeing nice items sent at weddings. I had to remind him our guests also included med students and residents so we had to make sure items were within their range as well. I don't think it's weird to ask for expensive items, but it's rude to not offer guests a range of prices (not to mention coming off snooty!).

From our wedding, it was hit or miss with presents that veered off our registry list. We returned a few items not on our list because they were not to our taste, redundant, or useless for our needs. There were also a few items not on our list that we absolutely loved. From my own experience, I think it's easier on couples to give money or buy something off the registry because it will most likely not be returned! Most people just don't know what couples may need or want and wedding presents is about helping the new couple get a start on their life together.

I agree that young couples are now starting out in life expecting much nicer stuff. I am proud to say I started my post-college life with a lot of cheap crap as did my SO. Even now, we are only starting to replace the cheap stuff with nicer items. We anticipate moving to a nicer house in the next five years so we've been slow with replacing larger items. Why buy nice furniture when it's just going to be crammed into a small, outdated house? I assume Joseph plan on living in his debt-free house for years and years to come? If so, asking for nicer items may be reasonable.

[heinz57]

Dumb/OT question -- is there a rule of etiquette for how much you should register for? I've always been curious about that. Some people register for tens of thousands of dollars worth of stuff. My intended and I are always talking about how much we should register for. We already have a house and a lot of heirloom china -- stuff that came over on the boat with my family -- so we don't plan on asking for much. We like what we have better. Anyway...

I don't understand why they only want two place settings for china. Maybe they don't expect to entertain. Or they're like the Duggars and use nothing but paper and Styrofoam.

If you don't need much stuff for the house you could maybe go another route - I don't know if it's done in the US much but in France it's become quite common to register at a travel agency, since most people live together before getting married and have equipped households.

So the way it usually works here is that people give as much/little money as they want to the travel agency you registered with (it can be €10, it can be €1000), and it pays for a honeymoon trip to a place you maybe couldn't have afforded on your own.

Just a thought, and I don't even know if it exists on your side of the pond.

[Arete]

My one sis owned her own home before she got married, as did her husband. They actually had to pair things done by give aways and Ebay to combine their households. They took crap from both sides of the family for initially not having a registery. :roll:

In order to implement a cease and desist on some of the older folks, she registered for towels, sheets, cloth napkins, and 2 tablecloths (that was it), as those are things that wear out. She advises anyone who will listen to just elope and have a party afterward.

The Maxwell registry is seriously out of whack. She may have been collecting place settings, but I couldn't see them doing that and then registering for the last one. I am unimpressed with fundie SAHD homemaker training when they don't realize things like knives and wooden spoons are pretty crucial to running the kitchen (I don't see them as having the cash or foresight to buy really good knives on clearance and save them). The overpriced garbage can, drawer organizers, etc........This is exactly what a registry of an extremely sheltered 20 year old with no clue about actual household managment would look like.

Hi Steve! Get them to register for more than one plate, and pool the rest of the suggestions on this thread. OK, Thanks!

[E Street Fan]

I've heard of people doing that here, although it's usually considered tacky. :roll: It makes sense to me--why not ask for something you actually need or want? Tacky to me is only registering for expensive stuff when you know people can't really afford that.

[heinz57]

I've heard of people doing that here, although it's usually considered tacky. :roll: It makes sense to me--why not ask for something you actually need or want? Tacky to me is only registering for expensive stuff when you know people can't really afford that.

Why tacky? :shock:

[terranova]

We registered at a book shop and listed a bunch of books from kids books at $15 up to coffee table ones at $150. I think registering is fantastic. You are guarenteed to get stuff you want, and your guests know that what they give you will be wanted and appreciated.