Wedding Registries Make You Greedy

We got our first registry gift recently!  Unfortunately, I bought it for us.  You see, this is the weird thing about registries....

Our (hopefully) new bedding set! (Crate and Barrel) - Need 1, Have 0

Wait, let me start with some back story.  When Math and I got engaged we were all " Oh...we don't need much. maybe we'll just register for a nice set of dishes and a few thing we need (like a pizza cutter and cookie sheet). Maybe a food processor."  We picked Crate and Barrel and Bed, Bath and Beyond as our registry places of choice since they're pretty wide spread. 

The Agave Bowls

One day in June of 2011, I was walking through C&B, not even intending to shop, when I saw The Agave serving Bowl and mini bowls.  It was love...perfect color, artsy shape and food safe!  I was just going to buy it outright, but there was one teeny problem:  It was $70 and the minis were $35 each.  Well shoot.  Then I thought "Hey! I'm getting married, I'll just start my registry!"  I knew it was super early, but I checked with the clerk and they confirmed that there were thousands in the warehouses so it was likely to last for the next 13 months.  So I decided to chance it and I went home and straightaway started a registry online.

Little did I know that this would unleash a monster.  After registering for a few things at C&B online, Math and I were shopping (well I was shopping, he was walking!) downtown Boulder in around September, and we decided to go into Peppercorn which is an independent kitchen and bed supply store that has cutesy things as well as high-end functional kitchenware. Well...they had some cute stuff and I hadn't registered in a store so I wanted to try.  Two hours later, more or less, I came out with a Peppercorn registry and a FREE gift that included some cooking utensils and chocolate.

Our dishes set.  So lovely!! (Crate and Barrel) Need -12, Have - 0

WOW!! That was fun, so next it was off to C&B for my in-store registry process and free gift (small rectangular vase). Then in the subsequent 5 months I had a registry at those two places plus Bed, Bath and Beyond, Sur La Table and Macy's (Sadly, no more free gifts, though I haven't yet gone into Macy's physically...so who knows?).  We also now had around 200+ items on our registries, from the large ($399 food processor) to the small ($3.99 garbage disposal cleaning capsules).  We are also registered for some of the same things on two or more registries (currently just pots and possibly also knives) just in case some of our guests are more Macy's or BB&B shoppers.

I put so much stuff on for 3 reasons:  1) It's really annoying if a couple isn't registered for much at one store thus making it a PITA for last minute shoppers to actually buy a gift in the store. 2) let's face it, there is so much cute/useful stuff that you would totally buy if you had infinite money that would replace your worn/crappy stuff! 3) You get into this mentality that it wouldn't hurt to have extras of some things (slotted spoons) and that you should be allowed to have nicer stuff (fancy serving spoons instead of the plastic ones) now that you're entering into "real adulthood".   And bonus #4) You find all the things that you would really "like to have" but can't bring yourself to buy (note the $399 food processor listed above. That sexy beast).

The Sexy Food Processor - I'm registered for it at Sur La Table, but I think you can get it other places too!

Which leads me to how I got my first registry gift.  I noticed in one of my compulsive registry checks that The Bowl was now in "Limited Quantities" and probably would not last till the wedding. Luck was with me in some respect as it was now only $30 instead of $70.  Since it was the reason I started the blasted registry so dang early,  my (il)logical brain told me that I HAD to have it and wouldn't stop thinkring about it till it was mine.   One of my BrMs did suggest that I tell someone to buy it for me but I found this a little awkward. So I told her and waited 2-3 weeks and when it was still on the registry as "Need - 1, Have - 0" I decided to buy it outright. And I did.

I know it was a pretty rediculous move and I don't need a giant green glass bowl but registries make you greedy.  You go "pretend shopping" with real item and get attached.  And really, it's TOO easy to buy stuff when you're not actually spending money.  Nevermind that you don't actually GET the gift...it's effectively yours.  You're entitled to it.  You must have it, because, don't you already have it anyways?  It's kind of like the feeling you'd get if someone just came into your kitchen, took all your plates, and walked out.

In conclusion, registries = basal consumeristic greed but also = fun!!