A Word about the Registry

Many of you have been asking whether Jon and I will have a wedding registry, and it’s something we’ve been back and forth on over the last few months, because we do understand it makes things easier for guests who don’t want to guess at what we have or need or want for our household.

The thing is, though, that we are kind of old. And we’ve been living together for five years already. Just those two factors, alone, have resulted in enough towel sets, wine glasses, flatware, throws, salt and pepper dispensers, and pillowcases for a small encampment. Seriously, we are two people, and we have, at last count, 15 towels. When I was 30, I decided to invest in a few sets of very nice Reidel wine glasses because I didn’t know if I’d ever be married and I didn’t want to wait. When Jon was in his early 20s, he invested in a set of pots and pans so precious that I am forbidden from using a metal whisk or spatula while cooking for fear of scratching them. (I’m not kidding. You’d think a restaurant quality set of pots and pans would be able to withstand, like, common kitchen utensils, but apparently this is not the case. Either that, or Jon is just being anal. Either way, you get the point.) It is the amassing of these decisions through the years that has resulted in the accumulation of more stuff than we really know what to do with.

This is not to say that we don’t have items we want to purchase for the house, but they tend to be expensive things that are not appropriate as single items on a wedding registry. I desperately want to purchase a dining room table, for example, before I turn 40. And after the great power surge of 2010 left us without a stereo receiver, it is time to update our sound system. And, wish of all wishes, Jon and I want to take a nice trip together after the wedding. Fact: we have only ever traveled to Baltimore, Chicago, Florida, New York, Vegas in our seven years together as a couple. I will let you guess which trip was not family related.

It goes without saying that the most valuable gift you could give us is coming to our wedding, and we know that many of you are traveling great distances at great expense to be here with us, and, truly, that’s enough. But, since some of you have been asking, the second most valuable gift you could give us would be a donation to our honeymoon fund. And, after some poking around the web as well as discussions with other recent marrieds who have gone this route, we have decided to forego the online middleman (many of whom charge fees) and ask that such gifts be sent directly to us. We have chosen the Dutch Antilles, of the coast of Venezuela, as our destination—specifically Bonaire and Aruba, islands that promise to offer relaxation, scuba diving, and freedom from hurricanes during the months of September and October. We are planning to leave a few days after the wedding, spending five nights in Bonaire and seven nights in Aruba. We are very much looking forward to marking the beginning our marriage with this new adventure, and we are hoping the trip will set the tone for the rest of our years together, years that will be partially drenched in sun, seawater, and rum-based drinks.

Much love,

Liz & Jon