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Wedding planner and celebrity stylist team up to reimagine the gift registry

Wedding planner Jung Lee and celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger are teaming up on a new wedding registry collection.
Micaela Erlanger (left) and Jung Lee are pairing their talents to create four suggested wedding registries.
Micaela Erlanger (left) and Jung Lee are pairing their talents to create four suggested wedding registries.Brian Dorsey / Jung Lee x Micaela Erlanger
/ Source: TMRW

Let’s face it, 2020 has been a rough year for wedding planning. For couples postponing or minimizing their wedding celebration, the gift registry is likely the last thing on their minds. But wedding planner Jung Lee and celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger say it's just as important as other aspects of the big day.

The experts are teaming up to create four dream gift lists on Lee's registry website, Slowdance. They hope their combined eye for stylish and unique pieces will help couples cherish the memory of their wedding long past the “I do.”

The wedding planner and celebrity stylist hope their collaboration will help guide couples as they start their registries.
The wedding planner and celebrity stylist hope their collaboration will help guide couples as they start their registries.Jung Lee x Micaela Erlanger

“We brought out expertise to this collaboration for a highly curated, stylized experience for your registry because your life should be just as curated as your special day. It shouldn’t just stop with your wedding celebration,” Erlanger said, adding that she was acquainted with Lee’s gift for gifts while putting together her own wedding registry.

For a soon-to-be married couple, figuring out a combined style can present some challenges. That's where they hope the pre-curated lists will come in handy. “I think women, couples, understand their fashion sensibility because they have shopped for themselves for a long time, so when it comes to their home, they really haven’t. They feel very clumsy about it, and they don’t want to make a mistake,” Lee said.

The collection includes four categories: "classic & timeless," "modern & clean," "gypset" (think boho and eclectic) and "glamorous & chic."
The collection includes four categories: "classic & timeless," "modern & clean," "gypset" (think boho and eclectic) and "glamorous & chic."Brian Dorsey

Lee started Slowdance in 2018 after more than a decade in the wedding-planning business with a specific idea in mind: to make the registry less uniform and more individualized, layering essential affordable pieces with statement investment pieces.

Erlanger brings her years of celebrity and bridal styling to encourage couples to embrace the creative process of planning a wedding. “When you think about a traditional registry, you think about registering for one set, you register for your silverware and your glasses all have to match, so do your tea cups, and all of a sudden, no! That is not the case! You should choose what you love, and you should find a way for it to all work together.”

Couples can start with a carefully designed collection based on four fashion identities: "classic & timeless," "modern & clean," "gypset" (think boho and eclectic) and "glamorous & chic." Erlanger said she hopes the collections serve as inspiration for pieces that will remind couples of the planning process. “So many of these pieces are going to be inspired by your day, used on your day and, of course, used in your home and the home you choose to build after your wedding,” she said.

A place setting from the "glamorous & chic" collection
A place setting from the "glamorous & chic" collectionBrian Dorsey / Jung Lee x Micaela Erlanger

So what’s the biggest trend when it comes to couples and their registries during COVID-19?

“China,” Jung said. “Instead of having random rented pieces, you should be using your wedding china on your wedding day, doesn’t that make sense? It’s like saying, 'No, I love my wedding dress, but I am going to save that.' Save that for what? You have to wear your wedding dress on your wedding day! So why would you have all your wedding china but not use it on your wedding day?"

A place setting and decor from the "modern & clean" collection
A place setting and decor from the "modern & clean" collectionBrian Dorsey / Jung Lee x Micaela Erlanger

For Erlanger, it’s a no-brainer and a method she plans on adopting for her postponed wedding. “It means even more (using) the china you eat from. I mean, on the day of this major commitment, it’s just so special. And it never occurred to me!”

And your wedding registry doesn’t have to break the bank. Lee tells her couples it's all about mixing and matching price points for your home and for your guests. “It’s like a silk blouse with your favorite pair of blue jeans you’ve had for six years," she said. "Mixing your everyday with fine stuff. They should go together! They get along!”

A place setting from the "gypset" collection
A place setting from the "gypset" collectionBrian Dorsey / Jung Lee x Micaela Erlanger

As for adopting a new last name, there are more ways than one to personalize some of your go-to home accessories. Cocktail napkins, flatware and drinkware are just a few examples.

A place setting from the "classic & timeless" collection
A place setting from the "classic & timeless" collectionBrian Dorsey / Jung Lee x Micaela Erlanger

“It’s a small thing but it is so elegant. Sometimes it is just a small engraving on the bottom so you can see it. Practical yet luxurious,” Lee said.