Bed sheets.

Kitchen Aid mixer.

Grills.

Honeymoons.

These are just some items one might find on a couples’ wedding registry.

Some items are needed, some items are wanted. Beth Anne Ages, director of The Registry at Boscov’s, tells her brides and grooms to put a mix of both on their registry.

“This is the last time they can get what they want and have someone buy it for them,” Ages said.

A 2011 survey from TheKnot.com found that the most popular registry items were bakeware, kitchenware and appliances, kitchen accessories, cookware, bath items and bedding. Ages agrees but says that gift cards are becoming more popular. Boscov’s even allows registrants to put their honeymoon on a registry.

For some almost married couples, ordering everything is essential.

“We just bought a house,” Renee Philips’ said. So for her wedding registry: “I ordered in every category.”

Melissa Bailey, of Avoca, said she and her husband needed everything as well.

They “did the wedding ordeal the old fashioned way by not living together till we were married,” Bailey said.

On the contrary, when Jennifer Bish-Murley, married her husband, Nick, they had been together for “a little over five and a half years” but they had lived together before they were married.

“We had all of the basic things such as dishware, kitchen appliances, bedding and such so we used our registry for things we really didn’t need but wanted: camping equipment.” Bish said in an email to Weekender.

Ages said groups — like the bridal party or coworkers — will get together and buy bigger items for the couple.

Bailey said a few of her cousins bought six to seven items on the list and just put them in one big box. The larger gifts on Bailey’s registry were purchased by other people within the family.

“My most expensive item was a sewing machine at $100.99. Bought by my mother-in-law,” Bailey said.

Ages said that trends show men like to have a 50-50 split in the registry, which is why Boscov’s has seen an uptick of stoves on registries. Also, the “kitchen isn’t the center of the home anymore” and more husbands and wives do the registry together instead of the bride and her mother or the bride and her wedding party.

Bailey and Bish-Murley agreed with Ages’ sentiment.

“We had a lot of fun doing it too. Since (my husband) likes red so much, he decided to pick up every single red item that we needed,” Bailey said. “So my family was very confused as to ‘why the red motif?’

“Nick and I had many and long conversions on how to do our registry,” Bish-Murley said.

TheKnot.com states that the average couple registers for 153 items.

“We put general housing items such as sheets, bed sets, living room appliances, kitchen appliances,” Bailey said. “A whole slew of bathroom essentials since we didn’t have anything to start off with.”

Bish-Murley did something Bailey and Philips didn’t do, they used Amazon.com as their registry site.

“We figured with most of our guest being computer savvy and family coming from as far as Texas and California it was the best way to go,” Bish-Murley said.

Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko

Wedding registries are changing with the times, couples’ personal needs

By Melanie Mizenko

mmizenko@timesleader.com

Bethann Ages checks out new dishes coming into Boscov’s bridal registry.
http://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_registry.jpg.optimal.jpgBethann Ages checks out new dishes coming into Boscov’s bridal registry. Submitted photo

Bethann Ages checks out new dishes coming into Boscov’s bridal registry.
http://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_register.jpg.optimal.jpgBethann Ages checks out new dishes coming into Boscov’s bridal registry. Submitted photo