A lot of my friends have been getting engaged recently. And I am very happy for them. This is the first huge wave of weddings I’ve experienced. I’ve had friends get married – but mostly friends from home, or from college, that I’m not in constant contact with. This is the first wave of good friends to get married. I don’t do that well with change, so it takes me a little while to actually accept the fact that my friend is getting married after she gets engaged. Or he for that matter. It has nothing to do with my excitement – it has to do with my brain having a hard time catching up with the events of the real world. Like I have a hard time putting it all together. Like this –
1. Jennifer is marrying Matt.
2. Matt lives and works in Columbia.
therefore –
Jennifer is moving to Columbia. To live with Matt. Her husband.
It takes me a little while to wrap my head around what all this engagement stuff means. But one thing that jolts me into having to accept some of these obviously consequences of engagements and marriage is looking at people’s wedding registry. For some reason they freak me out. I think part of it is that it makes me feel grown up and old. My relatives made me pick out a silver pattern years ago because they didn’t know what to give me for christmas. But all my random pieces of silver are all mixed up my mom’s and my grandmother’s silver because I picked out the same pattern.
And there just seems to be a lot of china and stuff floating around that never gets used. I’m sure I can come up with a set from somewhere in my parents house – or maybe my husband’s family will have an extra set. China scares me and I would worry about breaking it, so I think I would be happy with an old set. Especially since you don’t use it that often. Since you can’t put it in the dishwasher. How sad would I be if I broke a piece of my wedding china? I guess not as sad as I would be if I broke a piece of my grandmother’s wedding china.
So I think I’d like to register somewhere like REI. I already have a coffee maker. I could use a kayak. Or something else I could tie to the top of my car. Then someone could buy me a rack for my car as well, and I’d look cool. If I have a party we can eat off of paper plates and I won’t have any dishes to wash.
p.s. I’m obviously being ridiculous, and I’m sure when and if I ever do get engaged I’ll be salivating over new china and crystal. This is mostly me just being silly. But I’m serious about wanting a marching band at my wedding.
the thin line between optimism and delusion... 
Well even if you were being “ridiculous” I don’t think that a registy at REI is that bad of an idea. I mean I could always use more outdoor gear.
You’ll find that weddings come in waves. Usually right after school (undergrad and grad), a few years after school (3-5), and everyone’s second crack at marriage after they failed in their starter marriages or the old time stragglers who get married 10 years after everyone else.
I love the idea of an REI registry. The gifts are what the couple will use and sometimes you need a kayak, tent, and backpack to keep the romantic flames going!!!
You are not alone. I think china and silver is stupid. Caleb is deeply disappointed that I’m not as pumped as he is about our Fairfax silver pattern. “Isn’t it cool?”, he asks. I groan and embarrass him in the store. I just don’t think it’s all that exciting. As for your china comment, we have some old chinas, so we only registered for one pattern and it’s super fun. It’s crazy and brown and has birds on it (see Spode Woodlands with birds). We tried to register at BestBuy and were told that they don’t do registries. I was embarrassed. So much for watching TV at the Connor household.
A woman I worked with registered at Blue Ridge Mt Sports and REI. They went canoe camping on their honeymoon. They said it was a blast. I don’t blame them– canoes and all that gear is expensive, you mineaswell get it for free at a wedding.
But seriously, a marching band?
[…] as close as I can get for 2007 – https://charlsiekate.com/2007/02/12/wedding-registries/ […]