The practical side of me loves wedding registries, and the values-driven side of me has grown to loathe them as brides and grooms seem ever bossier. Registries are nothing new, of course. We registered for gifts in 1973, and as a result received two lovely sets of china and ten place-settings of silver. Beyond that, it was open season: we received all sorts of gifts we had not designated. Most we used, a few we actively hated, and many we came to appreciate and even love over time. (Regifting hadn't been “invented” back then.). From the point of view of the brides and grooms, wedding registries have many upsides. But let's look at it from the perspective of the gift-giver.

Pros and Cons

The pros of a gift registry are:

• Efficiency. You can order the gift and you're done. The store ships it and you don't have to wrap it, schlep it, or even buy a card.
• The couple picks what they want, and you know your gift is to their taste, which is especially helpful if you hate shopping or don't know the couple well enough to key in to their life style. Easy. Done.

From my point of view, the negative list is more extensive: