A bridal registry or wedding registry is a service provided by a website or retail store that assists engaged couples in the communication of gift preferences to wedding guests. Selecting items from store stock, the couple lists desired items and files this list with the chosen merchant. The list is then made available to wedding guests, either by the couple's family or by the merchant. Upon the purchase of a listed item, the merchant updates the
gift registry accordingly. In addition to providing valuable information for the buyer, the system helps prevent the receipt of duplicate or unwanted gifts, potentially saving time for both the giver and recipient.
The Chicago-founded department store
Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company (colloquially Marshall Field's) was an American department store chain founded in 1852 by Potter Palmer. It was based in Chicago, Illinois and founded in the 19th century, it grew to become a large chain before Macy's, ...
first instituted the practice of a bridal registry in 1924 at its
Marshall Field and Company Building
The Marshall Field and Company Building is a department store building and National Historic Landmark on State Street (Chicago), State Street in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts and C ...
as a means for the engaged couple to indicate chosen china, silver, and crystal patterns to family and friends. US-based
Target
Target may refer to:
Warfare and shooting
* Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports
** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports
** Aiming point, in field artille ...
stores pioneered the electronic
self-service
Self-service is a system whereby customers acquire (or serve) themselves goods or services, paying for the items at a point-of-sale, as opposed to a shop assistant or clerk acquiring goods or providing services in addition to taking payment. Comm ...
gift registry in 1993, using a service provided by The Gift Certificate Center of
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
. William J. Veeneman (the founder and CEO of The Gift Certificate Center) and others invented and subsequently patented the technology.
[
The United States Patent and Trademark Office Patent No. 5,754,981. (Enter the patent number at: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PT01&Sect2=HITO)
]
Since the turn of the 21st century, the traditional concept of the bridal registry has evolved. there are now more specialized versions such as the
honeymoon registry, baby registry, house registry, and charity registry. Additionally, there are registry services that allow registrants to place items from many stores on a single registry (commonly called universal registries).
In the UK, bridal registries are more commonly known as wedding lists. It is common for couples to send out a copy of their wedding list details with their wedding invitations. There has also been a recent trend towards gift-list services that allow the couple to add almost anything to their gift list—such as contributions to their honeymoon, flights, or experience days, as well as traditional gifts from any store.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridal Registry
Wedding gifts
Pre-wedding