Couples Who Live Separately: Expert Tips on Registering

Interior Designer and staging expert Taylor Spellman has plenty of experience organizing homes. As the star of Bravo’s Yours, Mine, or Ours she has a keen eye for what works when it comes to piecing one’s personal space together. As many former brides and grooms can attest, combining your whole lives with one another can be a bit of a stressful experience. Not many pairs know much about registering for a wedding before they enter into the process, so they’re often unsure of how to go about noting items they’d like to have in their homes. 

What’s more: couples who have not lived together before marriage might feel especially nervous about the experience. Essentially, these duos have the opportunity to build an entirely new home once they move in. This is an amazing milestone in one's life, but it can also become a bit confusing. Below, Taylor shares her special tips on what you should keep and what you should throw away for those who decided not to cohabitate with one another before the “I dos.” Keep these notions in mind when choosing items for your registry, as well as when you’re packing up your belongings post-honeymoon in preparation of starting your married life with your new spouse!

What to Keep and What to Toss – of Yours and Your Partner’s – to Make Room for Your Registry:

Moving in with another person for the first time can be stressful for any relationship, especially if the couple’s design tastes differ drastically. Brides and grooms looking to live together should be mindful of each other’s personal tastes when conceptualizing a space that fits well for both parties. The most important thing to remember here is to pick your battles. Anything your partner absolutely loves should probably get to stay. Likewise, anything he or she finds utterly atrocious: you may consider leaving it behind if it’s not essential.  

Things to leave behind: 

-   If it isn’t necessary or sentimental, its purpose in your home needs to at least be reviewed – i.e. the pink fuzzy chair that you never sit in.

-   Trendy items are great, but perhaps not the place for your registry.Tthat gold deer head may not be so great in the long run. The registry experience is a chance for you to invest in some nicer décor items, so take advantage!

-   Leave the super expensive stuff off the registry; your guests aren’t going to buy the 70” flat screen, so leave that space for more reasonably prices items that they’ll be willing to purchase.

Read up on Taylor Spellman's other registry tips and discover the ultimate checklist for your wish list.