It’s engagement season! Yep! You read that correctly. A very high percentage of couples that get engaged each year do so between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day. It’s so exciting–particularly for us here in San Diego when wedding season lasts much of the year. We’re partnering with our friends over at Zola to provide information on gifts. When should you register for them, how much should you give as a wedding guest, and how to begin your honeymoon registry and honeymoon plans!

So let’s jump right in!

We encourage our couples to register early in the process. Guests are likely to check for registry information once they receive their Save the Date. And sometimes, it’s their only peek at a wedding website! While you might not be quite ready to hone in on a china pattern quite yet, it’s advantageous to put initial information on your wedding website so guests can get insight into wishes.

As a wedding guest, while cash is often king, many couples register for items for their home! Consider a combination of items off their carefully curated list as well as items that give it a personal touch.

We personally like to peek at our loved one’s registries quite early, so if there is a birthday, anniversary, holiday or other gift giving occasion, we have tons of options we know the couple will love! For example, it may not be possible to give oodles of crystal ware to the bride, you may consider a piece as an engagement gift and a second for the big day.

You can even consider a theme of a certain room of the house, or tailor your gift to their interests.

More often than not, wedding season (and gift giving season!) is end of spring through end of fall–which may strain your pocketbook if many friends are getting married in the upcoming year. Consider sending the gifts ahead–one less thing for the couple to deal with at the end of the night, and certainly send the gift by wedding time. Keep in mind that the week of an event is a very popular time to shop a registry. If you have your eye on a certain item or price point, be sure to shop early!

Regardless, most couples will register for a variety of items in a variety of price points. This way, you’ll be able to give what you are comfortable with.

There are many times when a cash or check is most appropriate. You may be pressed for time, or your couple has already lived together for many years! But, if you do opt for a check, be sure to check the names. It tends to be easiest if the check is written out to one person (for ease of cashing and name change reasons). You may certainly also give cash–just make sure it’s in safe hands!

The couple will surely appreciate this if they are scooting out to their honeymoon quickly, and won’t have a ton of time to run around. Then, they’ll be able to use your gift as spending money to create memories!

There’s tons of info and etiquette on the world wide web about how much to spend. Ultimately, this is up to you, your budget and your relationship with the couple. If you hope to spring for a larger item, consider asking friends and family members to chip in. The most important gift you can give to a couple is your presence…everything else is icing on the cake! Go check out www.zola.com to create your registry and wedding website!