Registries?

likeadeadstar

The last thread on this topic is two years old, so I thought it fair to ask anew:  what are the registry options in Toronto?  Where are you registered?

My problem I'm having is I loathe most things from The Bay and Sears and we're not fans of... fancy?  Traditional?  Most of our decor is collected from quirky stores, antique markets and Ikea, know what I mean?  Sadly, best I can tell, Ikea's one and only location with a registry will ship to anywhere in the US but not Canada (and US Ikea gift cards don't work here!).  I'm also in the situation of having a lot of US guests in the mix, too, which also makes that factor a shame.  Boo, Ikea.

Either way, throw all options at me and how your experiences have been so far! And if you have quirky suggestions/options, even better!

shaunaceyh

we did the the Bay and Bed Bath and Beyond..... hope that's helpful, we found that between the two stores there were lots of options
happy shopping

gammaykella

I registered at the Bay and Home outfitters and now I am regretting it. Their website is horrible to use, some pics don't show up, very hard to see the product if you plan on adding things to your registry online. Things are not properly organized, I don't get the calls/emails about gifts from the store and have to ask the guests to give me details of what they bought etc, so I can follow up. They must not have been updating items quickly enough because I ended up getting duplicate gifts at my last shower. Also many of the Bay's products are very expensive since they have a lot of designer products which has been limiting my options. If I could go back, i would never have registered at the Bay and would have done so at Sears which has more affordable prices, better selection and a much better website. 

[Deleted User]

We did a registry at Crate and Barrel-love that store-lots of unique items-there are many locations in the US where guests can shop.  We also registered at Macy's as many of my friends and family members shop in the US quite frequently-the only thing is I had to use a friend's US address to register but I was able to do it all online. 

achiduck

I'd go for Bed Bath and Beyond, Crate & Barrel or a store in your area that has dinnerwear, etc.

RowenaD

Create and Barrel all the way and also try the Gift Network.com they are a web site where a lot of local stores are there and you can register for everything they have all kinds of things.

Jewel224

We'll be doing the Bay for sure since you receive a discount while the items are on your registry up to a year after your wedding.  I like the Bay because they have a wide variety of products and when they have sales, they're usually quite good. To GammayKella - you can't just blame the Bay & Home Outfitters for the lack of updating the registry.  If the guest doesn't advise the cashier about the registry, then it doesn't get taken off. 

I'm also debating between Crate and Barrel, as well as Bed, Bath and Beyond.  We have US guests coming as well, so it's between those two but now sjduquette's given me an idea about registering at either Macy's or even Kohl's.

likeadeadstar

Thanks for all the suggestions! We opted to start small registries at The Bay and Home Outfitters, simply because we know our families like to shop there.  Crate and Barrel is... embarrassing, but way too rich for us or our family.  I have a lot of guests for whom a $20 bill in a card is the likely gift, and I just couldn't find a price range that made me comfortable.  We honestly prefer cash, but of course can't ASK, so we're hoping that the small lists will be the hint.  I moved out 13 years ago so I have almost everything already.

I might check out Sears too, though I don't know what else to add to what we already have down.

This is probably my least favourite part of planning by far.  We don't really need anything, and my FI keeps asking ridiculous questions like "Can we put a PS3 on there?  What about a TV?  What about this awesome sword I want?"  The only sensible-ish thing he threw out was a waffle maker.  GRR.  He doesn't seem to grasp this isn't like a birthday wish list.  I added a tea press/pot and he's like, "Well that's something you want.  Isn't that like a gift?"  Well yes, but it's HOUSEWARES. Not video games.  Sigh. 

naomikb

We registered at The Bay because it is common, people from all over Canada have access to a store, and it's well-established.  Also, they had all the items we wanted to register for, even though you can usually get stuff cheaper elsewhere.  Home Outfitters is also closely related to The Bay registries and has similar products.

Sears is good if you want to register for tools, outdoor equipment, etc.  and also has a good registry system.

Crate & Barrel, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Williams-Sonoma also offer good registries.  You might just be limited by their number of locations.

gananoque

If you are actually expecting $20 gifts from most people, they're likely not going to even be thinking about going to a registry, so maybe this won't be a big deal. Keep your registry very small and you'll likely receive mostly non-registry items anyway, from the sounds of it.

Not to doubt you, but have you actually been to Crate & Barrel? I really, really think that it offers some many more affordable options than The Bay. The Bay is not a cheap store. When it comes to things like dishes & glasses, etc., your money can actually go WAY further at Crate & Barrel! Yes, SOME of their stuff is pricey (such as furniture) but other items are very inexpensive. More along the lines of Ikea, really (the store you mentioned in your original post).

Another store that hasn't come up and that seems super fancy is Ashley's. Seems like it will be super expensive, and it's not the most down to earth vibe in there, admittedly, but honestly, most items are way more affordable than the same thing at the Bay. Worth checking it out!

suelen2wed

Check out the life expereinces website, we have started registering there, we need nothing already have two of everything!!