Wedding lists are back in fashion! They are the best way to offer a hassle-free way of allowing your guests to choose the right gift for you without feeling like they are being dictated to! So your wedding venue is booked, your dress is almost ready and the honeymoon suite is bagged. Your dad is getting nervous about the amount of drinks and food ordered and the wedding planning's in full flow.
Finally it’s time to do that bit which every bride (and groom, given that it’s stress-free shopping at its best!) enjoys the most – planning your wedding list. Is there anything more appealing than the thought of going on a major shopping spree which someone else has to pay for? So relax and start planning. The most obvious thing to take into account first of all is what to include and where to leave your list. You need to decide whether you will be focusing on something particular or on a more wide-ranging list. Would you like to do up a particular room or will you be happy with items to cover the whole house? Do you have your eye on a particularly expensive item or would you rather have more affordable selection?
It is always wise to leave your list at an outlet which offers an extensive selection of homeware and accessories. I like to advise the bride-to-be to include items from several different collections that span from tableware to accessories and decorative items.
In order to give your guests more diversity of choice and a budget, you can include a couple of good pieces that guests can contribute towards – let’s say that if you’ve set your heart on it we can point your guests in the right direction to that Philippe Starck Louis XV Ghost Chair. Or towards that funky Fatboy beanbag, of course, if your tastes are more casual!
Nowadays a number of brides and grooms are also including smaller items of furniture in their wedding lists. By giving your guests the opportunity to contribute towards certain essential items in the home - such as a coffee-table, a TV unit or even a sofa – you might be able to complete your home in a much shorter time than you would have envisaged.
Every wedding list should also include a range of smaller items. I always advise couples to opt for a place where you can compare different styles of décor to see which suit your tastes more. For those who love the sleek, clean look, for example, I would recommend including tableware collections as they are simply stunning.
It’s a good idea to remember your outdoor spaces when doing up your wedding list. Some people make the mistake of viewing their roof, terrace or garden area as an afterthought.
Francesca Cassar is a director at Domestica Ltd.