I am a small business, yes, I am a Seattle area local, and brides who focus on having a local, sustainable, and green wedding are near and dear to my heart. 'Keeping it Local' with Your Wedding Registry is a really cool resource for brides, and is a wonderful new trend that is here to stay. Gina Grappone, Nearby Registry is my amazing guest star on the blog this week, and she has some really amazing points on keeping it local.
Buying local is a trend that’s here to stay. As more people learn about the benefits local shopping brings to the economy, the more we turn to these shops and services to meet our retail and service needs. Couples planning weddings are great supporters of these independent businesses. They hire local photographers, caterers, DJ, and other professionals from their own cities and towns. But there’s an additional way to get your local fix while planning your wedding—through your gift registry.
Newlyweds Chelsea and Yoon express what many couples feel when creating their wedding registries:
The thought of getting gifts meant to help you launch your life together as a couple is exciting, but then you find yourself roaming the aisles of a big box store using one of those scanner devices to tag a set of crème brulée ramekins you never before imagined using.
Chelsea and Yoon created their registry on Nearby Registry, www.nearbyregistry.com, a free gift registry service that includes only independent businesses: “It was so nice to have a place where we could list items that we really wanted from stores we knew and loved, on one personalized registry page.”
Building your gift registry with items from independent retailers, services and non-profits is good for the local economy, and it’s great for you! Instead of those ramekins, you can pick out products and experiences that are meaningful, useful and unique. Here are five great ideas for your personalized local registry:
1. Exercise classes for couples (yoga, taekwando, kickboxing, etc.)
2. Annual museum pass for two
3. Cookware and cooking classes from a local kitchen shop
4. Organic produce delivery
5. Donations to your favorite local charities
Sound fun? With a local registry, the sky’s the limit. Just think about what you love and what matters to you! Take it from Sarah and Ryan, who are using a local registry for their upcoming wedding: "It's so much more about who we are than just a set of plates from a big box store. This is about what we do and what we value."
For information about creating your own local registry, contact Gina at (206) 450-2766 or happytohelp@nearbyregistry.com