Disappointing PC Bridal Shower Wishlist: Any Suggestions?

[PChefRenee]

I have a PC bridal shower at the end of this month. The bride to be wanted a PC shower, so her friend is having one for her. Her friend has been saying how excited the bride is about having a PC shower so I was expecting a big list. I just got the list today and was really disappointed. There are only 24 items on there and 1/2 the list is small stuff. My friend asked her if she was sure that was it and she said "yes". From the looks of the list, I would never would have said the bride was THAT excited. Do you have any suggestions? I have not talked to the bride herself, everything is being coordinated through her friend. Even if I did, I am not sure what to say to her since her friend has already asked her about what was on her list. I don't want to sound pushy or anything.

 

[chefann]

Have you given them the Well-Stocked Kitchen list? Pass it along to them and tell them it's a good starting point of things everyone needs in their kitchen. Are the bride and her friend really young? I've found that, generally speaking, really young women don't have a clue what they truly need in their kitchen. They also don't necessarily "get" that a shower is such a perfect way to start out with good stuff, even if that means they don't get every single thing on the list.

 

[wadesgirl]

When I had my bridal shower (and when registring everywhere else) I was always told to have at least 2-3 items per guest. Find out how many people they are inviting then encourage the bride to select more items. Or maybe a couple higher priced items that people can go in on together. I went through the entire catalog and picked out what seemed like a lot of items. The consultant sent an email back to me suggesting to pick out more items due to the guest list. I ended up putting items that I wasn't really sure I wanted but that seemed cool. Some of those are my favorite items now (prep bowls that I can remember off the top of my head).

And even after I added more I ended up with almost everything I wanted after using the FPV!

 

[crystalscookingnow]

I had to have my SIL add things to her registry 3 times! Sometimes I don't think people want to look like they WANT a lot of stuff. I've got to get with my Bride too for the 12th of April.

 

[dymplz8]

I am also having the same problem. My cousin's shower is on April 6th and she just posted her registry last night and it has only about 25 items. No Stoneware except for the large stone with handles or Forged Cutlery, basically just small items. I am going to group items in price ranges for people at her shower to purchase and I am just going to throw in a few items that she hasn't chosen (such as the bamboo sets & the round woven tray). I'm sure once she gets them she will love and use them.

 

[dianevill]

I had to have my SIL add things to her registry 3 times! Sometimes I don't think people want to look like they WANT a lot of stuff. I've got to get with my Bride too for the 12th of April.

I think Crystal's right. I just did a "shower" for a lady who lost her kitchen in a fire. She only had 9 or 10 things on her wish list. I told her she needed to add to it, but she was embarrassed to do so (her nieces were throwing the shower). When everyone got to the show, they said she needed to add because there wasn't enough products for people to choose, so she hand-wrote a list (I had the other items on index cards). We passed the list around and people crossed off as they purchased. It worked, but the index cards looked a lot nicer!

BTW - she got EVERYTHING on her list plus more!

 

[wadesgirl]

I felt the same way when I got married, I felt like we had a lot on our registries. But we ended up getting most of it between our wedding, my bday and Christmas. Plus it gives people a chance to choose something for you that they think you'll like rather than what ever is left!

Someone on here posted a great suggestion. Maybe try to get together with the bride and have her actually see the products in person before the show. Show her some of the great benefits of products she didn't have on her list (mandoline, food chopper, knives, cookware, etc). Maybe she's unsure of some of the products because she's never seen them. I think I may do this for my next bridal shower.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I felt the same way when I got married, I felt like we had a lot on our registries. But we ended up getting most of it between our wedding, my bday and Christmas. Plus it gives people a chance to choose something for you that they think you'll like rather than what ever is left!Someone on here posted a great suggestion. Maybe try to get together with the bride and have her actually see the products in person before the show. Show her some of the great benefits of products she didn't have on her list (mandoline, food chopper, knives, cookware, etc). Maybe she's unsure of some of the products because she's never seen them. I think I may do this for my next bridal shower.

don't know if I'm the one who suggested it on here, but that is what I do when the list is small. Just had 2 bridal showers like that. I also have the Bride do the demo, while I coach her through it.....and I tell her to shout out while she is doing it if there is something she uses not on her list, but she NEEDS to have it! At the first show, the bride used the knives and NEEDED them - she got them, She also NEEDED the Trifle Bowl - she got it!The 2nd show - the bride hadn't registered for any stoneware - but after hearing me talk about it, and hearing all of the guests talk about how much they love it - she NEEDED the Bar Pan....and got it....plus several other things.I also tell guests (especially Aunts and Grandmas, and older friends) that it is okay to use their wisdom and experience, and if they see things in the catalog that they know she needs, but aren't on her list - to go ahead and get it for her - she'll thank them later!

 

[PChefRenee]

I did give her the Well Stocked Kitchen list. I have no idea how old she is, sounds like she is fairly young. She did pick out a few stoneware pieces but I think I will get with her and find out if she has selected cookware & cutlery from somewhere else. If not, she should add that. I think I will suggest (cross-sell) some other items she didn't have on her list, round woven, spoons, spatulas, etc. Thanks for the great feedback.

 

[chefann]

I like Becky's point to tell the more experienced guests to get her their favorite items, even if they aren't on the list. Chances are good that they'll know the advantage of, say, a really fantastic knife over what the bride already has from Wally World. Sometimes if the bride has a few things (from college or first apartment), she thinks they'll work and don't need to be replaced.

 

[Kitchen Diva]

I had a friend that decorated a large cork board/bulletin board with pretty paper and ribbons, and copied pictures of nearly everything in the catty and cut them into squares and laminated them. She let the bride to be look over them and pick which ones she wanted on her wish list. oh, the prices were listed on the bottom of said square. Then she would pin the squares up on the board- grouping them by price point, and let the guests choose which one they wanted to get the bride, and they brought the little square up with their order form and she would fill everything out for them.

One show I helped her with and we passed the board around, and when all the orders were tallied, the brides mom and aunt chose the remaining items on the board as her free items, and discounted items. It was a very large show!

 

[hperschnick]

I would suggest talking to the bride also and talking up some of the higher priced items. If she is young and hasn't had many friends get married yet they don't know that people are willing to drop some money for gifts for them. They want to be economical and not look like they are asking for super high priced things. Maybe ask her if she would mind if you added some things that you KNOW will she needs in her kitchen and will love once she gets them.

 

[christinaspc]

I just got my 1st wedding registry and she chose alot of the bbq items and a few new ones, all the woven items and she only has 13 items which comes to like 380.00 and i have been toying with the idea on how to get her to put more items on her list.

 

[chefann]

Definitely mention the "investment" pieces that they'll use for years and not have to replace: cookware and forged cutlery! They may not see much use for them now (before she got married, my SIL only ever ate Lean Cuisines), but she'll definitely use them in the future.

 

[christinaspc]

Thanks Ann, i will mention that to her and i was just reviewing it she didn't really get and gadgets as i call them you know whisks and suck which every kitchen needs those... I called her and left her a voice saying i wanna talk with you about registry and see if there is anything else you might need or want to know.

 

[Veevahchef]

Just make sure you give her back her wish list to "Add" to it during the actual shower. Most brides add lots of things to their list as they are watching the demo.
My Bride last Sunday went from 23 items on original wishlist before the shower, to 34 items after seeing the demo.
I made sure that i talked about a lot of things that i feel are needed in a kitchen, but weren't on her list. i am pretty sure most of those things ended up on her list!
It was a $1500 show in the end!

 

[reba515]

some people just don't get it ...its a W-I-S-H list ! This doesn't mean you need it or someone must buy it or feel bad because it costs too much, let them make that choice (the giver) sometimes the wedding party might want to go in together on a big ticket item it seems i am always telling people these things.
Much nicer of course !
good luck !

 

[wadesgirl]

don't know if I'm the one who suggested it on here, but that is what I do when the list is small. Just had 2 bridal showers like that. I also have the Bride do the demo, while I coach her through it.....and I tell her to shout out while she is doing it if there is something she uses not on her list, but she NEEDS to have it! At the first show, the bride used the knives and NEEDED them - she got them, She also NEEDED the Trifle Bowl - she got it!

The 2nd show - the bride hadn't registered for any stoneware - but after hearing me talk about it, and hearing all of the guests talk about how much they love it - she NEEDED the Bar Pan....and got it....plus several other things.

I also tell guests (especially Aunts and Grandmas, and older friends) that it is okay to use their wisdom and experience, and if they see things in the catalog that they know she needs, but aren't on her list - to go ahead and get it for her - she'll thank them later!

Cannot remember who said it but it was a great idea!

 

[cemcam4]

I did a shower for my soon to be aunt last month. She only had 20 items on her list and I couldn't get her to add anything more. I had all of her products on index cards with a punch hole and ribbon to tie them together. I gave the maid of honor blank index cards to write down anything additional at the show and that worked really well.
The nice thing about a small list is that the bride was able to get everything on her list and everyone was excited that she got everything on her list!