As much as I can tell from 20 minutes 'work' on google and e-mail with ex-pat New Zealanders living there, they don't really have wedding registries in Britain.*
It would be nice for me if they did, since it would save some time and effort, but my question to you, dear readers (Sharon? anyone?) is "Why?" Or, better yet, please tell me that I'm wrong and point me to British sites where I can type in the first three letters of the bride and groom's names and the date of the nuptials ...
UPDATE: Always define your terms. A "wedding registry," as the term is used in the U.S. means a registry of the gifts the couple would be happy to receive from guests. Social etiquette prescribes that the couple not inform the guests of where they are registered, but the brides mother is often a helpful source of the information. Nowadays with the magic internet the wedding registry business has moved online, so that you can go to Amazon or home goods stores, type in the name of the bride and groom, and find what they want.
Indeed, the UK Amazon site has no "Wedding Registry" link, while the American one does.
*Not sure if they do in NZ. Before I left I had been to just one wedding. Such are the social realities of a median age at first marriage racing towards 28 (F) and 30 (M).
Posted by robe0419 at December 17, 2004 12:18 PM | TrackBackI don't really know what you mean by wedding registries. Some kind of central online service where you could book a wedding? I've never heard of one. I think it's extremely unlikely.
Weddings are arranged locally, whether in church or at a registry office. (And I suspect that you still have to go in person to book.) So, sorry, I'm pretty sure that you need to know first where you want to get married and then find your registry office/church (although I'm tending to assume that you don't want a church wedding). But you should at least be able to get basic information about how to book, legal requirements etc online. (And I forget whether you still have to either reside in a place for a minimum period of time or get a special licence. Probably. After all, it's tradition.)
Posted by: Sharon at December 17, 2004 12:44 PMAahh. Boy, was I way off the mark there. Yes, I think something like that is quite common, but it's not called that. Is it just a wedding list? gift list? Something like that. And I've no idea if it's moved online yet. (Used to be that the couple would register their list with a local department store. Or leave it with the parents.)
Don't ya just love the confusion and embarrassments caused by different British and American words for the same things...
Posted by: Sharon at December 17, 2004 05:41 PM