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Melvin's blog
Nshima & Curry
Melvin's Blog
Nshima & Curry
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BRIDAL REGISTRIES SAVE TIME AND HASSLE
Some years ago, I was invited to a wedding
and heard that the couple had registered for
gifts at a department store. I was appalled.
"You mean they’re actually telling us what
gifts to bring to their wedding?" I asked a
friend. "Well, can we tell them what food to
serve at their reception? I’d really like to
have some prime rib. And maybe some
caviar, too."
A bridal registry seemed so presumptuous,
so tacky. It was like saying to your guests,
"We’re glad you’re coming to our wedding.
We assume you’ll bring a nice gift, as all
good guests do. We’ve made a list of items
we’d like to receive, items you can buy at
the store of our choice. We’ve done this for
two reasons: (1) You have no idea what we
need. (2) You have no idea what’s in style.
You’d better hurry to the store. The cheap
gifts are going fast."
I couldn’t imagine my future bride and I
registering for gifts. I was sure it would ruin
the suspense. I wanted to have a few
surprises after the wedding and not just on
the wedding night. I was looking forward to
unwrapping gifts with my bride and saying,
"Sweetheart, look at this great gift my friend
Ted bought us! An electric can opener! We
could really use that, especially if we break
the other two we own. And what about this
great gift your friend Sarah gave us! An
electric can opener! We could really use
that, especially when we have a yard sale."
I knew we’d end up with a few gifts we
didn’t like, from all those people who are
gift-challenged. And if we didn’t want to lie,
we’d have to be really creative in our
thank-you cards. "Dear Aunt Rachel, thank
you so much for that incomparable music
collection ‘The Best of Shaquille O'Neal.’
We’ve never heard anything quite like it. It’s
so touching, it makes us want to cry. In fact,
we cried as soon as we opened the
package."
My initial opposition to bridal registries
subsided as soon as I bought something
from a registry. It was so easy, so
convenient. In less than 10 minutes, I had
selected a nice gift. And when a store
employee offered to wrap the gift for free, I
was suddenly in love with bridal registries.
"What a great idea," I thought. "I get to
spend less time shopping, they get the gift
they want, and someone else gets to do the
wrapping. I wonder if I can get someone else
to attend the wedding."
Now that my wedding is approaching, I’m
eager to offer the same convenience to my
guests. That’s why my fiancee, Malathi, and
I registered for gifts at two stores. We would
have registered at three, but Malathi didn’t
think I should register for food. Not even
caviar.
Malathi was so excited about selecting gifts,
you’d think she had won a shopping spree.
She didn't stop smiling, even when her
future husband, being a typical man,
selected a kitchen appliance that was the
WRONG COLOR.
I was excited, too, knowing that Malathi would
select some great gifts. I didn’t want to spend
my first year of marriage at the returns counter.
The idea of registering gifts has grown on
me so much, I’m thinking of registering all
my birthday gifts. Perhaps even my
Christmas gifts. I’ll just send a polite note to
my friends: "I’ve registered for a set of great
gifts I've always wanted, gifts that are
guaranteed to make me happy. You can
find them all at Victoria’s Secret. No, I
haven’t turned into a cross-dresser. Any
lingerie you buy will be worn only by my
bride. I promise. But trust me -- they’re gifts
for me. It took a lot of effort to decide what I
want. But you know me -- I’d do anything to
make life easier for you. That’s why I didn’t
complain about spending 12 hours scanning
the Victoria’s Secret catalogue. That’s the
kind of unselfish guy I am. A guy who
deserves lots of gifts. Remember: It is
better to give than to receive."
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