Journey of a Gift
Ever wondered what would happen if a gift could talk? It would tell you all the tales of being passed on from one home to another, never really getting the love and appreciation it deserved….
In India, gifting is a unique art form. We have mastered the art of regifting, recycling and repurposing to another level, so most gifts we give and receive are never really used. And that is why, the introduction of gift registry in India is a much-needed concept and being heralded by the young millennial generations.
Gift registry is a way of gifting, where the recipient, be it someone getting married, having a baby or any milestone celebration, creates a wishlist of gifts they would like to receive. This is then shared with guests, who can choose to buy or contribute towards any gift on this list. What this means is that the every gift that is given, is one chosen by the person receiving it, ensuring it will be loved and used. On the other hand, it simplifies gifting for the guest, who does not have to stress about what the recipient would like, can get something that fits exactly into their budget and relax knowing the gift will be delivered in time.
Gift registries are most commonly used for weddings and baby showers, two of the biggest gifting occasions in ones life. Couples getting married get hundreds of gifts from clueless guests who have no idea what they would actually like. On the other side, they spend a lot of money on this massive celebration and on starting their new life together. By creating a wedding gift registry, they can add all the things they need to set up their new home, their honeymoon or even do a cash registry, so they can save on those expenses and end up using all their wedding gifts.
Similarly, when one has a baby, it is a huge gifting occasion in India, with loved ones showering the new parents and baby with gifts. However, very rarely do they know what the parents actually need. A newborn comes with a long shopping list, and by adding this to their registry, not only can new parents save a lot of money, but also know that they ended up using and loving every gift they received.
Culturally, while gift registries are a norm in the West, the service is fairly recent to India. Young millennials are becoming fast adopters of this concept, as it eliminates waste—something this generation feels very strongly about. A rough estimate places the wastage created by wedding gifts alone to be in the range of Rs 1 lakh crore annually, an amount more than our health budget!
It also caters to the minimal mindset of the younger generation, where they have neither the space nor the inclination to hoard things they don’t need. And gifts they can’t use comes very high on this list. A gift registry ensures they don’t have any need to store gifts for the purpose of regifting and everything is actually used by them.
So here’s to ending the plight of the poor gift that goes from cupboard to cupboard, never actually being used, just being regifted. To create a free gift registry, sign up on WeddingWishlist.com now!
