This entry is from our Expert Guest series where wedding and honeymoon professionals share their best tips on creating memories that last a lifetime.

If there’s one thing Millennials understand, it’s the power of an unforgettable experience — not to mention the social media photos that go with it. That’s why it comes as no surprise that many young couples today would rather receive money toward a great honeymoon or a fun adventure than countless kitchen items they’ll never use. That’s why so many are opting to think outside the wedding-gift box by establishing an experiential registry.

Rather than registering for a long list of small appliances, towels, and other household equipment, couples who choose to create an experiential registry are asking for contributions they can use to make meaningful memories as they begin their married life together. These experiences can be as traditional as a honeymoon or as creative as a monthly massage subscription. Favorite picks include sailing charters, specialty food subscriptions, workout class subscriptions, boutique hotel stays, skydiving, cooking classes and more. Whatever activity the couple would like to try together, they can put on an experiential registry. This helps friends and family members know what they truly want, while empowering the couple to share all sorts of fun experiences as they begin their wedded lives.

Less Stuff, More Memories – Why Choose An Experiential Wedding Registry

Here are a few of the benefits that come from experiential wedding registries:

• Less unwanted stuff — Millennials belong to a generation that is embracing minimalism and eschewing waste. They understand the emptiness of amassing material objects and put a premium on gifts that offer new experiences versus ones that gather dust in the attic. An experiential registry allows these couples to choose personal growth and adventure over generic stuff.

• More meaningful memories — Anyone can buy a toaster, but not everyone can travel to a faraway destination. Experiential registries enable couples to collect experiences they’ll remember forever, such as hang-gliding, scuba-diving or exploring the food offerings of an exotic new city.
• Something to anticipate after the wedding — It can be a letdown for many couples once their wedding day is behind them. After anticipating their big day for so long, now what? But if they opted for an experiential registry, the amazing experiences are only beginning. Getting trips or classes or hotel stays as gifts means there are many more exciting days to come.
• Getting what you truly want — Millennials understand better than anybody the power of travel as social currency. Today, being able to cross an ocean or enjoy an exciting adventure is often more important than owning an impressive car or house. Plus, it’s something to post on social media and share with friends. If family and friends are going to shop for a present to celebrate a Millennial couple’s nuptials, having an alternative registry makes it possible to get the gifts they will truly love.

When it comes to wedding registries, Millennials are likely to prioritize unforgettable experiences over stuff. Likewise, most wedding guests would rather know what the couple wants than buy items they have to store or return. That’s where an experiential registry is so useful. It makes it possible to collect gifts that pay for a honeymoon, cover a vacation or enable enjoyable monthly experiences in the first year of wedded life.

To learn more about planning the perfect registry and get tips on how to do it well, take a look at the attached resource.

Author bio: Matt Porter is co-founder of The Personalized Gift Company, which manufactures and personalizes gifts for weddings, businesses and holidays. Matt, who started the company with his wife, Michelle, in 2014, manages the business and design of products — their mission is to offer a large variety of personalized and premium-quality gifts with careful attention to detail.