My friend (and co-worker) Annie is getting married in just a few short days. I’ve heard all about this wedding; I helped pick out the invites, looked at multiple color samples for bridesmaid dresses, discussed what appetizers should or shouldn’t be served, and have drooled over details of donuts for desserts. We’ve also talked about the ever-disputed wedding registry.
What can you register for? How much is too much when it comes to a wedding registry item? Where should you register? And good gracious, do you actually NEED a registry? Can’t you just ask for money?
But there are always those few old-school guests you wonder if you will offend. Not that you should let that affect your decision. It is your day after all. But still, there are those of us that just can’t get ourselves to look past it. And (maybe unfortunately), I never could.
For Annie and her fiance, this will be their second weddings. They have a home and a child. They’re slightly older and certainly more established than what you might consider the “typical” bride and groom. They have things. Their kitchen cabinets are full. Their bath towels match. A vacuum sits snugly in a closet with extra sheets for their beds. What on earth do you register for when you feel like you have what you need?
Of course, Annie did find a few things to throw on a registry. Some practical items like a Kitchen Aid mixer and measuring spoons, as well as some fun things like board games, yard games, and bag chairs.
But when it came time for me to buy a gift for a shower we were throwing for her at work, I knew I wanted to get them more than just “things.” I wanted to get them an experience. So with a little thought and a little research, that’s exactly what I did:
11:30am – Bread & Pickle: Grab lunch at Bread & Pickle, a local concession/restaurant at Lake Harriet Park that serves sandwiches, salads, burgers, a variety of treats, and local craft beer and wine.
1:00pm – Streetcar Ride: Take a trip back in time! Purchase two all-day passes for the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line and climb aboard this “museum on wheels” at Linden Hills Station. This ride will take you back to the first half of the 1900s, the era of electric
mass transit. Reservations are not required. Cars arrive every 15 minutes.
1:30pm – Tandem for Two: Hand-in-hand, you will stroll down the path along the lake until you reach Lake Calhoun Park. Locate Wheel Fun Rentals, rent a tandem bicycle for one hour, and cruise around the lake. When you are finished, head back to Lake Calhoun Platform and take the streetcar back to Linden Hills Station
3:00pm – Sebastian Joe’s: A 10-minute walk is all that
stands between you and some delicious ice cream at Sebastian Joe’s! Check out the local shops like Poppy, The Wild Rumpus, and Bibelot.
4:00pm – Shout House: Return to your parked car and drive downtown to The Shout House for dinner & dueling pianos! Doors open at 5pm, pianos begin at 6pm.
I broke each section of the date down by time and then created 4×6 envelopes featuring the time and details on the outside. Inside, I enclosed fun things like maps, menus, photos, and either cash or gift cards to pay for each activity. The final product was adorable – I took each envelope, stacked in time order, and tied them with a teal and silver ribbon.
Annie absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to see the photos of her and her (soon to be) husband enjoying lunch, sitting together on the streetcar, being silly on the tandem bike, eating their Sebastian Joe’s ice cream, checking out the Wild Rumpus bookstore (seriously, you should go too), and singing along to the dueling pianos in downtown.
Heck, I can’t even wait to take photos with my hubby when we go on this date, because seriously, I’m stealing this for myself.