If you’ve read any of my wedding-related blog posts, you’ve likely picked up on the fact that I’m all about making the wedding planning process as easy and stress-free as possible.  Today I want to chat a bit about wedding registries.  Whether you’re a bride-to-be or a wedding guest, I think this post is going to be super helpful!  And just as a preface, this post is in no way sponsored.  I genuinely LOVE this service and want to share it with you, so let’s jump right in!

My Initial Thoughts on Wedding Registries

Before Michael and I got engaged, my knowledge of wedding registries consisted of my experience as a wedding guest shopping my friends’ registries.  And I had a little bit of insight from watching my sister and friends navigate through the wedding planning experience.  My perception was that creating a registry was a weekend-long (at least) event that happened in-person at the nearest Bed Bath & Beyond.  Not my idea of how I’d like to spend a weekend.

A few months before we got engaged, I started to see brides-to-be talking about Zola, both online and on my Instagram feed.  When we got engaged, I knew I did not want to waste a weekend in-store at Target, Crate & Barrel, West Elm, Bloomingdales … you name it, registering for things I wasn’t even sure we needed.  I hopped on Zola’s website to see what it was all about …

Zola, The Best Wedding Registry

I quickly realized how easy and convenient it is to create and maintain a wedding registry on Zola!  I logged onto Zola’s site, created an account, and clicked through all of the categories … kitchen, tabletop, bed and bath, and furniture.

A few of the reasons that I consider Zola to be the best wedding registry …

Huge Online Inventory //

Not only is it easy to create your own registry online, Zola’s inventory is massive.  They have everything and more than big box stores.  I didn’t feel like I was missing out by registering with Zola instead of bigger, traditional retailers.

It’s incredibly easy to filter items that you’re looking to add to your registry.  For example, one item I knew we were in need of was new glassware.  My acrylic cups from Target have had a good 10 year run, but it’s time for an upgrade.  I found these cute acrylic tumblers with a quick search!

Non-traditional Offerings //

I also love that they offer non-traditional registry options as well like adding an “experiences” or “cash fund” option for your guests to contribute to.  I know the traditionalists are likely choking on their coffee reading this portion, but think of it from this perspective … would you rather gift a spatula or that same amount of money to go towards a trip the couple has always wanted to go on?  When our friends have a cash fund option on their registry, Michael and I always opt for it.  I like the idea of the couple getting to choose what to put the money towards.

It’s All Online //

This is an obvious one, but I love the fact that everything is online and in one spot.  Zola makes it easy to keep track of who bought what gift.  Zola even has a toggle button where I can mark, as a reminder to myself, that I’ve written a thank you note or still need to do so!  I love that I can quickly add an item to my registry if something randomly crosses my mind.  It’s easy to hop online (or on the Zola App!) and add the item.

 I Choose When Items Ship //

One of the biggest perks of using Zola, and one of the main reasons as to why I think it’s the best wedding registry, is that when a friend or family member makes a purchase, I get a notification that the purchase has been made but the item DOESN’T automatically ship!  I get to choose when it ships.

I LOVE this feature for a couple of reasons.  We haven’t quite figured out where our newlywed gifts are going to fit in our current apartment.  It’s nice to have a minute to let Zola hold onto the items until we either do a bit of purging or move into a bigger apartment.  This feature also cuts down on receiving duplicates.  If I know we already received a similar type gift or if I decided we don’t actually need the item I originally registered for, I can “return” the gift online and receive store credit.  Which leads me to another reason as to why I love Zola …

No Hassle of Returns //

There’s absolutely no hassle of returns and store credit with Zola!  Since I get to choose when items ship and what items ship, I never have to worry about returning items through the mail for store credit or exchanges.  Zola makes it easy to return an item before it even ships.  I can choose to virtually return an item and receive store credit.  The store credit is automatically added to my account, and I’m able to use the funds for other purchases on Zola’s website!

Zola has made one aspect of the wedding planning process streamlined, convenient, and user friendly.  I’m a fan!  Have you used Zola as a bride-to-be or as a wedding guest?!