My Bridal Registry Advice

1. Make sure you are both well-fed before, during, and after your registry trip.

2. In general, I suggest registering for “mid-grade” items—not the cheapest, not the most expensive, somewhere in the middle. However, with items that you plan to use daily and wash a lot, I suggest registering for the highest quality possible. This includes (especially) towels and sheets. You might want to add pillows to this list as well.

3. Finish registering online. Most stores offer this option and it will save you a trip back when you’ve realized what you forgot.

4. Only register in two places for a specific reason. If you can find everything you need at one store, just do that. Don’t double-up on items at different stores.

5. Don’t register for any glass baking ware (like Pyrex). You’ll get plenty anyway! Ask friends that had weddings/receptions in the same areas that your events are (or extended family who received gifts from the same people you will) what they got extras of and adjust your registry to that information.

6. Make a list before you go and keep one after of what you need to add online.

7. Take this task seriously and don’t be stupid. This is a chance to help people pick nice gifts that you can really use. While joke items (like toilet paper or Mountain Dew) may seem funny at the time, wouldn’t you rather have a nicer gift and a meaningful one that you will use frequently?

Book Review: Wisdom of the Prophets—Temple Worship, The Perfect Gift

Wisdom of the Prophets: Temple Worship, design by Andy Goddard, printed by Leatherwood Press, 2006. Retail price: $14.95. ISBN: 978-1-59992-008-5.

Wisdom of the Prophets: Temple Worship is a beautiful, inspiring, and inviting gift book. The design of the book is so appealing that I wish it were available in a larger coffee-table sized version. The quotations throughout the beautiful pages are not just by modern prophets, also modern apostles and quotations from the Doctrine and Covenants. The photographs throughout the book are wonderful, but I wish there were more temples and less just generic nature pictures. I also wish I knew who took the photographs. Overall, the beauty of the book and inspiring selection of quotes makes Wisdom of the Prophets: Temple Worship the perfect gift for pretty much anybody—yourself, a spouse, parents, siblings, newlyweds, children, current and prospective missionaries, and nonmember friends and family.

As usual, this summer has been a busy time for weddings. Are you at a loss for original gift ideas? Here are some fresh, unique, and fun wedding gift ideas for the last of the summer months to help your favorite couple enjoy the outdoors, celebrate the remaining summer holidays and sunny Saturdays, cool off, strengthen their relationship, and just plain have fun together. There’s a fun and unique summer wedding gift for every personality and every gift-giver budget!

Picnic blanket/basket
Any gift that is related to a park is an instant outdoor date! A lot of stores have picnic basket gift sets. Some of Target’s include a matching picnic blanket. Bed Bath & Beyond picnic baskets come with built-in insulation and picnic dishes. If you’re looking for a great picnic blanket, look for one that has a waterproof bottom, or whip up a quite large-patch quilt out of scrap fabric as a very thoughtful gift.

Kite
You’ll probably want a nylon kite rather than a cheap kids’ plastic one, but you can find suitable nylon kites for under $20 at most stores or at Amazon.com.

American flag
A medium-sized flag for hanging on holidays is an excellent unique gift for newlyweds. You can find flags that include hanging devices for an outside wall or that stick in a lawn. This will help the wedding couple build a great patriotic family tradition from the start!

Two-player games
You can’t go wrong with any game as a wedding gift, but selecting something that works well for two players makes an especially fun and thoughtful wedding gift. My personal favorite is Connect-4. Card games like Uno can work well too, as can puzzles.

Sports equipment
A lot of stores sell sports packs with a net and equipment for badminton and other games. Sports balls make great gifts, like a volleyball or basketball. A good Frisbee is another favorite sports gift. For an even more unique sports gift, buy the couple a Bocce ball set.

Barbecue
We’re not talking about anything with propane, but a small charcoal barbecue is a great under $50 gift. Make the gift set complete by adding a bag of charcoal, a cleaning brush, or tongs.

Fan
A small box fan is a great summer wedding gift, very practical and essential. You can choose a basic box fan, or on a bigger budget look for one that is quiet and can be pre-set.

Cooler
The best selection of a cooler would be not too small and not too large. In other words, pick something that is easy enough to carry for one person but large enough for food (or road trip drinks!) for two.

Ice cream maker
There are a lot of different types of ice cream makers available in the summertime. Large bucket-type ice cream makers that require a layer of ice on the outside are great for parties, but other designs are better for two if you just freeze the inner bucket yourself, no outside ice required.

Beach towels
Great wedding gift ideas, like the ideas above, can be fun, unique, and also very meaningful. Games and tools that will help the wedding couple enjoy summer will also help strengthen their brand-new family. Take the time to enjoy selecting fun and meaningful wedding gifts for the rest of this summer!