I also used Giftpile and have no regrets. We’re both in our 30′s and I’ve been steadily employed since before I turned 18. Between us we had 3 sofas, 3 beds, formal China, three sets of flatware, professional grade cookware and kitchen knives, a slow cooker, a roaster, a toaster, two microwaves, a Cuisinart, two blenders, a head start on stemware, untold sets of linen and towels, two HDTV-ready televisions, a rental property — you get the picture. About the only thing we don’t own is a car –were we supposed to ask for a convertible? I usually tell folks at Christmas time not to bother — I don’t need or want much and can’t store much else. At this point in our lives, if we really needed something, we’d already have it.

Only in the West are people hung up about giving money. My Asian relatives didn’t consider anything else but cash. If people want to give you stuff at a wedding, then you may as well ensure it’s something you want or need. If you’re in our position, then consider using two registries — a standard gift registry and a honeymoon registry. The hand-wringers will go standard, most of your friends will use the honeymoon registry, and a lot of folks will opt out of both and give cash anyway.

We were dead set on doing this but when I mentioned this to my folks they were absolutely horrifed and affronted by the mere idea of it, which I was really taken aback by. It just seems crazy to me to have a giftlist of household stuff we neither need nor have space for…i guess it’s just the generation gap and we’ll probably end up having a giftlist for my parents friends and then a honeymoon one for our friends – anything for an easy life!!