registry

Ohhhh, Gifts

This one can be loaded. We’re not just starting out with the clothes on our backs and a linen closet to fill. In fact, we’re well-launched adults who filled our linen closets the first time around (and a couple times since then, because… entropy).

So why have a registry?

We think it comes down to love, and the various ways it’s expressed within and across groups.

We view this celebration as an opportunity to gather loved ones and provide an experience where each guest can participate in—and really FEEL—love. And we know that different people are built to receive and express love in different ways at different times. Our hope is to provide opportunities for all of it throughout the weekend:

  • Quality time: It’s a whole weekend! Give us your time, and we’ll give you ours. It’s love.

  • Words of affirmation: Our officiant, Arrisa Rench, will lead the way on this one. But toasts, speeches, and opportunities to connect will open up opportunities for you to express affirmation as well. We will have open-mic time during the rehearsal dinner, so please do reflect on anything you might want to share. Whether it’s about the bride and groom, the kiddos, the binuclear family, the friends, or anything befitting our hodgepodge wedding group… do it! We want to hear.

  • Acts of service: The thoughtfulness of our preparation is an act of service on many levels. In fact, Russell taking over familial tasks so Joy can spend countless hours creating the most-extra-wedding-website-ever is an act of service. We’re leaning into our hearts here, and we’re relying on your service as well. For example, since we kept the wedding small, Jerry and Tina Brown (parents of the bride) are throwing a generous and equal-sized engagement party in May to include additional friends and family. Rich and Mary Rhodes (parents of the groom) are hosting the rehearsal dinner, and the Frandz are sponsoring the reflection brunch. Many of you will be accountable for tasks that we’ll rely on to make the weekend successful, and others are sacrificing significantly to take off work, fly here, and pay for lodging. All of this is true love, truly received.

  • Gifts: You guys, are you ready for this? We’re sending you home with Shashibos. Sure, it’s juvenile—but so are we. And we want to give you a token that’s truly “us.”

It is this same spirit that we hope you bring to any gift you choose to give us. We created a registry because some folks prefer to give gifts that they know will be used and treasured. If you love the idea of knowing exactly what to purchase and checking the box, Joy gets it. Here you go! If you balk at the idea and only love gifts when they’re personal and meaningful, do that! Make us art, write us a poem, perform a song, provide an experience, share that one odd item you can’t live without and think will change our lives. Or simply give us the most important gift of your presence. It’s all on the table, and all of it is love.

Details

The Fine Print

Shop:

If you choose to use the registry, simply click “see our full registry” on the Zola widget above, or visit www.zola.com/registry/joyandrussell2025.

Delivery:
We’re 100% open to receiving any gifts (off the registry or otherwise) early, day-of, or late. Ship it to our home, put it in our hands, make a plan to perform it, or bring it to The Edgewater.

If you choose to ship it to us, here is our address:

9116 170th Avenue Northeast
Redmond, Washington 98052

Using the registry:
Zola is a well-known site that enables us to register for items across the web as well as items that ship directly from them. This works for us because we generally reject bullshit limitations.

But there is one catch: when you purchase items outside the Zola environment, you need to follow through with your Zola purchase confirmation so we don’t end up with 20 barbecue covers. You’ll know you purchased outside the Zola environment because the purchase button will say “buy on Heath Ceramics [or similar],” rather than “add to cart.” And of course, you’ll know because you’ll have bought the item directly from the retailer. When you do this, you’ll receive an email from Zola asking you to confirm which and how many items you bought so that they can keep an accurate accounting of our registry. For the love of order and clarity, please do that. It can be your act of service to Joy’s OCD.