How many times have you had to purchase a potholder from a big box registry for a wedding? Do you ever wish you had a little more flexibility to buy the couple something more interesting? You can give your guests that same freedom with an "open-platform" registry.

Open-platform means that you can add items from any store or online retailer, gift cards, museum memberships, experiences, or even charities in an online registry they can use at home. It's a platform to add anything you want from any place you want. Let's talk about why this will make your guests pants-wettingly happy and get you what your little engaged hearts desire.

Open-platform lets you be super specific

When planning for your new life with your hunny bunny, would you be getting all your supplies from one place? Surely not. Do you even need all that actual stuff, or are you looking for less tangible items? This is why sticking with a big box registry, or something similar, can be really stifling. It also really restricts your guest creativity. And seriously, we guests want to get you something fun, or something that represents our connection to you. An open-platform registry allows for so much more flexibility and catering to your actual needs... not just the ones [insert some ol' store here] wants you to have.

Save your guests money

If you've ever been to Bed Bath and Beyond and saw the same thing at Target, Amazon, or your local independent for far less money, you know these feels. Doing a little comparison shopping for your mirror ball gnome lamp is a nice gesture to save your guests money. Open-platform totally allows for that kind of mixed and magical registry.

Support local and indie businesses

Speaking of indie businesses, open-platforms allow you to bypass those big chains entirely for Etsy sellers, Society6 artists, and your local businesses, which always feels good.

You're in like Flynn? Let's find a good one.

Our sponsor Thankful Registry is an all-inclusive, open platform online registry for weddings, babies, and any event where you need to give some gift-y guidance. Plus, it lets you have all the benefits we just listed above in a super efficient and ultra elegant package that serves as your canvas. Check out some real Thankful registries for proof.

The best thing is that Thankful Registry is totally low-pressure. They don't push rules like "couples should add three gifts for every guest on their guest list." A really important part of their job is respecting YOU and not bombarding you with advertising or other noise. Who needs that when you're already stressed with planning?

Hey, this isn't free! Here's why it makes sense and is totally worth it:

A 12-month registry with Thankful costs $30. Why isn't Thankful free? Thankful isn't in the business of selling more stuff to more people, but rather to curate the right things that your guests will love to give. Thankful also doesn't charge extra shipping and service fees. Best of all, they don't have advertising on the site! Premium, ad-free service with no secret promotional ties to sway you? So worth it. Here's more on the philosophy and why it's awesome.

To test the waters and see if it's right for you, check out Thankful's seven-day free trial. Then start planning all the skydiving experiences, Etsy art prints, and charities you'll want to add to your registry.