Real Brides Share the Unconventional Things They Put on Their Wedding Registries

Take some inspiration from the surprising items these brides asked for.

By: Jen Glantz

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Unique Wedding Registry Ideas

One of the most exciting moments of wedding planning is when you and your partner decide what to add to your wedding registry. Picking out the gifts you want for your home, honeymoon, or even hobbies can be a fun process. As more couples find themselves living together before getting married, the days of solely including traditional household items on the registry are fading. Instead, couples are adding items they want and need, even if those items seem odd.

Read on to hear about the unique items these real brides put on their registry and why they felt inspired to put those items on their gift list.

Running Shoes

Occasionally, guests will give you something you didn’t even think to put on your registry. They might give you something related to your favorite hobby, just like Kim Brown’s guests did.

"While we didn't actually put this on our registry list, we received some high-end, matching running shoes. My husband and I are both serious runners, and some of our running friends got us racing shoes," says Brown.

Doorbell for Security System

As you and your partner plan your life together, you might find yourself adding practical things to your registry. Cait Lohman and her partner decided to add a doorbell security system, even though it was a bit out of the box for a traditional wedding registry.

"I’ve wanted this for a while and we’ve had our house for a long time," says Lohman. "I added things to our registry that we didn’t get for our house yet."

Canoe Paddles

If there’s something you really want, it might be worth putting it on your registry — even if it seems odd to your guests. That’s why Rachel Featherston put canoe paddles on her wedding registry.

"Canoeing is an outdoor activity we really wanted to get into and it’s something we didn’t want to buy for ourselves, like the china dishes people add to their registries," says Featherston.

Portable Monitors

After a year and a half of working from home, Brianna Jones decided to add something practical to her registry.

"We asked for portable monitors because we both work from home and wanted the ability to travel together and go on a working vacation," says Jones.

Emergency Preparedness Kit

For Kirsten Haines, a wedding registry was a chance to ask for useful items that her and her partner needed. That’s why she added items for an emergency preparedness kit.

"In 2014, my husband and I were hit with the worst hurricane in over 100 years in Cabo," says Haines. "Ever since, we have been on top of being prepared for disaster. We had many of the everyday wedding registry items already, so we asked for items that would help us really prepare for the future and whatever life may throw at us."

Workout Equipment

When Samantha Mlotkiewicz got married, she realized that she and her partner already had the home essentials they needed. Instead, she decided to put workout equipment on her registry.

"I put a Bosu ball on the registry," says Mlotkiewicz. "We already had lived in our home for a year, so I went with functional over the typical items, like glassware."

Dog Toys

There’s no rule that says that the items on your registry are only for the two people getting married. This is why Tory Martinez added dog toys to her gift list.

"We added toys for our dog with endless energy," says Martinez. "We wanted to see what would happen by adding something silly and useful."

Camping Equipment

When trying to figure out what to put on your registry, it’s a great idea to add items that enhance a hobby you and your partner share. That’s why Becca Yurkovich added camping gear.

"We knew that camping equipment can be fairly expensive, but it was something we wanted to use as we attempted to visit all 400+ National Park sites over our marriage," says Yurkovich. "While these items may be unconventional in terms of a registry, they are something we cherish and use as we follow what we are truly passionate about."

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