From paper bridal registries in the 1930s to iPhone apps — the story of how the wishlist was born, evolved, and became part of modern gift culture.
It seems so obvious — just tell the people close to you what you'd like to receive as a gift. But this idea didn't appear overnight. First it was paper and pen at a shop counter, then a printed list, then a website. And only very recently — an app in your pocket.
The first organised wish list appeared in the United States in the 1920s — not as an app or a website, but as a notepad on a shop counter.
The idea was simple: a bride would come into the store, walk the aisles and tell the sales assistant: "I'd like this, and that, and that tablecloth over there." The assistant would write it down. Guests could come to the same store and ask: "What does the couple need?" — and they'd be shown the list.
One of the first such wedding registries was launched by Marshall Field's in Chicago in 1924. No more guessing what to buy. Now you could give exactly what was needed.
The wedding registry concept spread to other stores and gradually became the norm in the US and the UK. Then baby registries emerged — new parents would compile lists of everything they'd need: a crib, nappies, bottles.
For a long time, all of this remained on paper and tied to a specific store. If you wanted to buy something from the registry, you had to go to the exact store where it was created. But in the 1990s, everything changed.
In the late 1990s, Amazon launched its Wish List feature — and it was a genuine revolution. Now anyone, anywhere in the world, could create a wish list, save it online and send a link to someone. No store, no sales assistant, no paper.
For the first time, the wishlist broke free from weddings and baby showers. People started making them for birthdays, for Christmas, just because — "for later." The idea was no longer tied to any specific occasion.
In the 2000s, other retailers picked up the online wishlist. Services appeared that let you add items from any website, not just one store. The idea became truly universal.
People started keeping wishlists not just before holidays — but all the time. Saving things "for later." Sharing them with friends not only before a birthday, but just because — "look what I found."
Today a wishlist is no longer just a list of products. It's a way to save wishes of any kind: things, places, events, experiences.
On Bazhannya, you can add not just a book with a specific link, but also a restaurant you've been wanting to visit, a concert ticket or a workshop. The wishlist has transformed from a "pre-wedding list" into a personal diary of desires — always at hand and easy to share with anyone.
In a hundred years, the idea hasn't changed: people want to receive exactly what they need, and those close to them want to give something truly meaningful. You just no longer need to walk into a store and tell the assistant what to write down.
Sign up on Bazhannya — it's free and takes just a few minutes. Add your first wishes and share the link with the people who find it hard to guess what to give you. If you'd like a step-by-step walkthrough, there's a separate guide on how to create a wishlist and share it.
Create your first wishlist on Bazhannya right now — and become part of a tradition that's been around for over a hundred years.
