Consumerism and the Wedding Registry

So cool. This was soo much better than sky diving.

Of the many struggles one encounters in wedding land, one of the toughest for me has been our wedding registry. By now you may have gathered that I have some issues with consumerism (if you haven’t been a reader all that long, see this post, and that post, and this one too).

Among the many pressures a couple faces during the planning process, it turns out, there's a whole other set of expectations for wedding registries too. Monogrammed china, five million thread count organic cotton hand towels imported from Borneo, silver china that will gather dust in the attic for like...ever, and all the expensive kitchen appliances that you'll use once and then retire as counter top decorations. No thanks. Like many wedding options Fiance and I are choosing, we’re not going a traditional route with our registry either.

Fiance and I have lived together for nearly three years, so we have what we need for the most part. I've also been a pretty mindful shopper after I got myself into a bit of a financial pickle from which I just crawled out.

For these reasons, we are not doing a traditional housewares registry. Sure, it’d be nice to upgrade all our towels, but I can’t shake the angel on my shoulder who keeps screaming about how wasteful it is. What happens to our perfectly good old towels? I don’t have space for everything, and I’ll be damned if I throw perfectly good items in a dumpster. Okay – maybe, another pair of sheets would be handy for our king bed and perhaps we could put a new pair of kitchen tongs to use. Aside from that, I am drawing a blank. The aforementioned items would make a pitiful registry, and they’re simple enough for us to buy on our own.

This article on apartment therapy (which is quickly becoming a fave blog of mine) expresses my struggle with the want/need aspect of a wedding registry to a T.

What our generation wants are experiences. I want to see the world. This NPR article explains so much about my values and what I want for my life, and I don’t think I’m out of line for expecting my registry to reflect that.

So, Fiance and I are opting for a honeymoon registry. Experiences are the best gifts and you always have a fond memory to look back on. For those that prefer to purchase a non-experience gift, we have a gift card registry. That way, we can save the gift card for when we actually need something, or for when we buy a house. No wasteful spending here!

But more than that, we’re not getting married to get gifts. I’m getting married because my fiance is the love of my life and I want to hang out with him until one of us dies (to put it frankly). If you’re invited, it’s because we want you to celebrate with us (and feed you and make you drink beer so somebody’s out there dancing with us).

However tacky or non-traditional you deem it, just know that every wedding is unique to the couple getting married. At the end of the day, what matters is that they are kicking off their marriage as happy as they can be. And history has proven that you don't need a Keurig to do it.

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but I’d rather go swim with some mother effing dolphins than stay at home watching my Kitchen Aid attachment make ground beef.

What's Up



One of three photos I took on my whole Vegas trip. We were too busy sinning.

I’m back, kids! I must apologize for my hiatus. This year has proven to be difficult in maintaining my blog, but rest assured, I’m not abandoning you. We’ve had something going on every weekend since I don’t know when, and we’re pretty much crazy busy until after our honeymoon. So bear with me – I promise after October I’ll have some juicy posts for you to enjoy.

Here’s an update on life:

VEGAS: We just got back from celebrating Fiance’s dirty 30 in Vegas! We had an awesome time and met seven other friends in Sin City to celebrate (two of which were also turning 30) so you can imagine that we had so much fun, that we would like to not return to Vegas ever again (okay maybe just for a few years). Oh – and I won Best Future Wife of the Year award by surprising Fiance with a Ferrari driving experience. I told him we were driving Go Karts so he wouldn’t get wasted beforehand ;) Seeing how happy he was after getting out of that Ferrari made me not feel so bad that I lost nearly $200 playing slots.

WEDDING PLANNING: Well, it’s mostly done. Now I’m starting to look at all the shitty details I don’t really want to contend with, like logistics. Okay I’m done thinking about this now. Next!

HOT YOGA: I’ve been getting my zen on. I’m in love! This has been keeping me balanced and sane, and in shape. I’ve been trying to slim down before my dress fitting next month. I’ve lost 15 lbs since the holidays and I’m nearly at the weight I was when I was running half marathons – granted I’m not as muscular or toned as I was, but I’m trying to get there one asana at a time ;)

5K: I signed up for a 5k! Don’t get so excited – I’m not running it. But I am walking it with my pups and fiance!

SHOWS: I’ve seen some pretty sweet shows since May – Radiohead (my absolute fave band!), Black Keys, and I’ll be seeing Fiona Apple next week! Speaking of Ms. Apple, what the hell is up with her new stuff? I absolutely love everything else she’s put out, but I don’t think I’m tortured enough to appreciate the wailing and screaming that assaults my ear drums on her new album. It has gotten rave reviews and I’m just listening to it with a confused look on my face. Maybe if I listen to it while slitting my wrists with a pink bic razor I would finally understand it. There are a handful of tracks I can get into, but I sure hope next week’s show delivers. I ruined the last Fiona Apple show I went to by getting so drunk that I almost got kicked out of the Chateau St. Michelle winery. Moving on… I’ve also seen Anjelah Johnson and Aziz Ansari live. I swear I’ve never laughed so hard in my life. It’s been an amazing year for entertainment so far!

BABY SHOWERS: This Sunday will mark my third shower this year and I know a few others who are preggers. Eerbody’s makin’ babies. I’ve been playing that celebrity baby name game so much that I will ban whoever throws my baby shower (if I decide to have kids – don’t excited, Mom) from playing it. (BTW, did you know Mike Myers named his kid Spike? And some actress I’ve never heard of named her baby Audio Science? And I thought I was screwed having to correct people on pronouncing my name.)

READING: I’ve been reading some amazing books lately. Right now, I’m enthralled with Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (or really anything by Barbara Kingsolver). She’s quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. This book has been getting me in touch with my inner hippy, and making me realize how disconnected we are from the source of our food. So I’ve been inspired to purchase organic, local, in-season foods, and eat healthier as well. I went to our local co-op with a new eye and appreciation for produce. My mom likes to tell people I once brought home a zucchini for her when she asked me to pick up a cucumber, and that I put cabbage on my sandwich instead of lettuce by accident. I’m learning, and this book is helping. And this is why Fiance does most of the cooking in our house. You can check out Barbara’s message by visiting the book’s website, although I highly encourage you to just read the book. The stories she tells are simply beautiful.

SAD NEWS: Poor Chika is getting spayed tomorrow :( I’m dreading it for her. Bowser was so miserable after he got neutered and was crying all night. I stayed up with him like a good mama and just cuddled with him. I hope Chika isn’t hurting that bad tomorrow. It makes me upset just thinking about it.

That's all for now. I have more blog posts pending...if I ever get around to editing them...