Island Bridal Registries

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September and October are prime months for weddings, and they are also more peaceful times for brides to be planning their big day. To help brides along, and make gift giving easy for their guests, I highly recommend that brides register with a few local stores.

By registering either where you are having your wedding or where you live, you can easily keep an eye on how your registries are doing.

Registering early will also help people who are attending pre-wedding events like engagement parties and bridal showers. Remember to bring along your husband to-be so that he can put in his two cents and feel like a part of the process. To get you started, I have visited a few of the stores that offer bridal registries, in order to give you an idea of what they have to offer.

Past & Presents on Main Street in Edgartown offers two venues across the street from each other to help you fill their handwritten bridal registry. The process is extremely simple: Walk in, list your names with your wedding date on the top of your sheet, and start wishing. With everything from antiques to new arrivals, you will be able to outfit your party provisions cupboard with items like plates, platters, flatware, linens, candles, glasses and more. You can light up your evening with the most gorgeous lamps, while snuggling in on a fabulous new chair next to an antique end table holding your new steaming pot of tea. (I must say the bride-to-be ahead of me in the book did quite well with her registry and should be very happy with her most amazing gifts!)

Bramhall & Dunn, in both Vineyard Haven and Edgartown, offers a complete selection of home furnishings in a very classic style. Registering with them will offer the opportunity to receive wonderful gifts, from the Simon Pearce glass line to a piece from Match — a pewter serving platter made in Italy. Helpful hint: Men love the rustic simplicity of the Match line to show off their grilled offerings! I am looking forward to some fine linens for both our bed and tables, along with some colorful glass bowls and scintillating soaps for the guest bathroom.

Just across the street is the sweetest-smelling store on the island, The Beach House. They have wonderful selections of serving ware, candles, and linens along with spa lines that help produce the store’s distinctive aroma. You may also choose some area rugs for your home and your gift givers will be able to find that perfect card to accompany their gift.

Rainy Day, also on Main Street in Vineyard Haven, has such a wide assortment of choices that it will be hard not to include almost the entire store in your registry. With items for entertaining with and for home décor — includes a large selection of nautical items — you can’t go wrong. While there, your guests might even spoil themselves with something from their bath and body lines or a new piece of jewelry.

Midnight Farm, tucked away between Stop & Shop and Main Street in Vineyard Haven, offers an ever-evolving selection to choose from. Their unique items originate from India, France, and everywhere in between. The expansive range of possible gifts available include stemware, French candles, clocks, and bedspreads. When heading to Midnight Farm to register, bring a sharp pencil and allow ample time to cover every inch of their large store.

Wherever it is you choose to register, remember to settle in and enjoy the journey. Good luck and congratulations!