From Start to Finish #27

1. Eat more than one grilled cheese sandwich before you go.
Seriously, walking around for four hours with a scan gun, contemplating your future, and trying to exercise patience with your fiance should not be done on an empty stomach. Enough said.

2. Let him hold the gun.
It’s a guy thing. Not only will he find it much more fun, he just likes knowing that you trust him to be in the lead.

3. Don’t take a crowd unless you want to go crazy.
Go with one person (your fiance is probably best) or go alone. Taking a crowd will be overwhelming because each person will share a piece of their minds. Brett and I made it something very private for the two of us to do together because we were making a wish list for our life together.

4. Wear comfy shoes.
Seriously, one time I wore heels and that was bad news.

5. Give yourself heaps of time.
I booked two registry appointments in one afternoon thinking that we would finish all the rooms at both places in the allotted time. NOT. We completed the bathroom and the dining room at one place in one afternoon. Give yourself tons and tons of time, don’t rush yourselves, and enjoy it! You only get to do this once!

6. Get a variety of high and low ticket items.
Not all of your guests will be able to afford to buy you overly expensive items so be sure to register for a range of prices. Brett and I pre-determined which rooms mattered to us the most and we registered for “splurge” items there.

7. Be patient and honest with each other.
This tip was learnt along the way. With registering comes countless opportunities to argue...you are two different people with two different sets of tastes choosing what your home will have in it. Compromise in areas that don’t matter to you as much as they do to him, take a deep breath when you feel unnecessary frustration bubbling up, and be honest with each other before and during about your expectations, wants, and needs for your home. When Brett and I were deciding which pots and pans to scan, we just couldn’t come to a decision together. We both had our eye on different sets for very different reasons. I realized that it mattered so much more to him so I eventually just went to a different section and let him pick whatever pots and pans he wanted. Compromising is your friend :)

Hope those helped! You only get to stroll through stores and make a wish list with your fiance once in your life, so soak it up and enjoy every moment!

From a bride-to-be dreaming of her first home,