![]() Lee received cash at her own wedding in lieu of gifts, something she regrets “It went to taxis,” she says. In 2018 she launched Slowdance-an online platform that helps couples curate registry selections befitting the Fête name. It was a brilliant gambit-and a bit of a scam. One New Yorker recalls a friend who registered at a now defunct department store, returned the gifts for store credit, and spent the lump sum on new clothes. The caveat? Retailers don’t have ethics clauses. One benefit of the new way is that it lets loved ones feel that their gift is contributing to something more substantial than an extravagant Seamless balance. Online platforms like Zola and the Knot let users list no-limit “funds” next to their preferred stand mixers, replacing the envelope-of-cash-at-the-wedding handoff with a frictionless alternative. In 2022 couples register not just for $490 four-wick Le Labo candles but for home renovations. These were the 1950s: Self-sufficient nuclear families with modern appliances, Wedgwood china, and true blue American values were a national imperative. During the Cold War registries went from being a perk of department store shopping to a widespread norm, which served both the practical and political needs of the nation. The gifts that accompanied them had to match. Over time weddings came to be understood as personal expressions of couples’ love. ![]() ![]() To streamline the process, department stores invited brides to keep standardized inventories so that no bride received a glut of fish forks on her doorstep. In the 1910s and ’20s, wedding guests gave the standard presents-silver, dishes, linen-but with no one keeping track of who had purchased what, couples were getting multiples of the same items. The precise moment the wedding registry was invented is a subject of debate, although most histories credit the retailers for it. Monique Lhuillier Jacket ($2,500), Gown ($8,900), and Cummerbund ($495) Ritque Earrings ($4,690) EMILIO MADRID Registries are an answer to the question, “What is the most expensive thing we can pass off as an investment in our shared future?” The results are an odd combination of intimate and shameless. The lists are a window into desires and tax brackets, and they include not just sheets or glassware but also, in one in memorable case, a Tesla. Wedding registries are at once utilitarian, aspirational, passive-aggressive, and transactional. These are new problems, but our interest in other people’s stuff is a time-honored tradition. Patrick acknowledges that some found it frustrating, but she was resolute: “That was not something I was willing to sacrifice.” She didn’t like the idea that perfect strangers would be able to see inside her dining room with a simple Google search. To access her selections at Bergdorf Goodman, guests had to call the store’s wedding honcho, Ellen Klein, and either make an appointment to see the pieces in person or request a PDF via email. When Arielle Patrick planned her own wedding in 2021, she went analog. Marchesa Gown ($8,995) Cornelia James Gloves ($193) Croghan’s jewel box bracelets (from $6,325) and ring ($53,150) EMILIO MADRID Page Six reported that Paris Hilton registered for $60,000 worth of merchandise for her 2021 wedding E! aggregated her picks. How else can she find out whose “table settings scream college dorm” or which acquaintances are rich? When New York Times columnist David Brooks married in 2017, Deadspin unearthed his Zola profile. Ashley Niedringhaus, 35, takes an anthropological view. She was charmed to find that her local weatherman registered for the same casserole dishes that her mom owns. Natalia Barber, 21, has also made a habit of looking up the registries of the semifamous. If I’ve read your New York Times wedding announcement, chances are I’ve done some sleuthing and found your registry-to look at salt and pepper mills, to find out whether I think a bride who got married at the Plaza has taste or just a good planner, to assess whether I too need Schott Zwiesel glassware (I do). I have Googled the registries of people I haven’t seen since high school. I have browsed the registries of Bravo TV stars and TikTok influencers. Lee at least can claim a professional interest in appraising registries. Chanel Jacket, Skirt ($3,900), and Handbag ($5,300) Maison Michel Beret with Veil ($684) Croghan’s jewel box elizabeth locke earrings ($7,450) croghan's jewel box necklace ($9,675), bracelets (from $6,500), and ring ($83,100) EMILIO MADRID
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |