Places to register & tips

Re: Places to register & tips

• tldh member

  

  February 2012

  For registering in general, your and your FI should go through your house (and your FI's house if you aren't living together) and write a list of things that you need or want.  Take that list with you when you register and do not let bridal consultants talk you into getting anything not on your list.  If you needed/wanted it, you would have written it down.

  
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• rlavach member

  

  February 2012

  Also, take it slow. Don't feel that you have to get all of the items on your registry in one shot. You can break it up into multiple visits, or do the larger items that you want to see/feel in the store & then put the rest on it online (what we did). 

  
  

  Check your registry online after to see if it mentions limited availability. That may mean it's a seasonal item or only available in select stores. 

  
  

  I'd only do 1 store per day to not get overwhelmed. It helps to do a walk-through of the store ahead of time, just perusing the aisles. That way you get an idea of what they have to offer & can decide if it's worth your time to register there.

  

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• scarlettc27

  

  February 2012

  I think the OP is asking for advice about WHERE to register...
  
  I think it depends on the people who are invited and where they live, as well as what kind of things you'd like to add to the registry.
  
  If you would like china, nice bedding, and high-end houseware, try Macy's, Bloomingdales, Nieman Marcus, Dillards or a regional department store.  I'm registering at a local store that specializes in china and decor.
  
  Specialty stores like Bed Bath and Beyond, Target (I've heard their registry is terrible!), Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn have a mix of tableware, kitchen items, bath items, and bedding.
  
  What's your favorite store to shop for housewares, tableware, and stuff like that?  See if they have a registry.
  
  Make sure where ever you choose to register is convenient for the guests to access, whether in person or online.  You may need to choose 2 or more stores to make that happen.

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• emswanson613

  

  February 2012

  We registered at 4 places (crazy, I know) but it really worked out the best for us since we have so many relatives scattered throughout the state and country. We really didn't know which stores would be closest to which people.
  
  We registered at Macys, Crate and Barrel, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Williams Sonoma. The greatest experiences were at Macys and Crate and Barrel. It was just so easy and painless. BBB however, was a little weird. We had this registry assistant who literally followed us throughout the store. It was nice when we needed an explanation of something, awkward when we didn't.

  
  
  
  
  

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• rlavach member

  

  February 2012

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_registering-gifts_places-to-register-tips?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:34Discussion:c93e04ae-4e5c-4a4f-b3e2-228d2e0cda75Post:9521681f-1b58-4d44-a5d4-c55d0a66fded">Re: Places to register & tips</a>:
  [QUOTE]We registered at 4 places (crazy, I know) but it really worked out the best for us since we have so many relatives scattered throughout the state and country. We really didn't know which stores would be closest to which people. We registered at Macys, Crate and Barrel, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Williams Sonoma. The greatest experiences were at Macys and Crate and Barrel. It was just so easy and painless. BBB however, was a little weird. <strong>We had this registry assistant who literally followed us throughout the store.</strong> It was nice when we needed an explanation of something, awkward when we didn't.
  Posted by emswanson613[/QUOTE]
  Yeah, that's why I asked the consultant to just leave us alone. We're perfectly capable of figuring things out ourselves. She did kind of linger 1-2 departments away that way if I was walking around trying to find her for a question, she was always nearby, but not in a creepy way.

  

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• Whtara10 member

  

  February 2012

  We registered at bed bath & beyond. They have wide variety of things that are really nice. But aren't as expensive as Macy's. I noticed a lot of people are registering at multiple places. So you could always do both. I also heard target doesn't have a lot so you would probably need a second one if you go there. Good luck!

  

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• hoffse member

  

  February 2012

  Ditto PP - make sure you have at least one brick and mortar store that is near a large portion of your guests.  If there's not one that's everywhere, you might need to register at two or more places.  I'm from the middle of nowhere, so brides in my area typically do between 4-6 places in order to hit likely stores guests might encounter when travelling "to the big city."  People on TK say that more than 3 looks gift grabby, but I think it largely depends how many gifts you have total and their price ranges, not the number of stores you have.  I'm going to a wedding soon where the bride registered for the Nambe spice rack.... I mean, ok.  I like spice racks.  And I like Nambe.  But I'm not going to buy you a $150 spice rack.  Or that $100 set of coasters.  Please.  

  
  

  In terms of the store variety, I prefer a larger variety because I prefer shopping at some places over others; I have credit cards that get me better discounts at some places over others; I get coupons to some places and not others, etc.  Generally I think it's important to pick stores where you can find a large price range at each place you choose - $10 to $200.  I get annoyed when I'm like, "OK I want to buy her a gift from Macys" and low and behold the cheapest thing is the $80 waterford lismore wine glass... which you are sort of expected to buy in pairs.

  
  

  Something else to keep in mind are the various completion discounts.  Some are better than others.  Macy's, Kohl's, and Dillard's are probably the best, but Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, and Crate & Barrel let you add things on after your wedding and still apply the discount, which is super nice in case you're eyeing a new piece of furniture or something equally expensive that you don't want everybody to see you ask for.

  
  

  In terms of convenience and your younger guests loving you, you're probably not going to beat Amazon what with free shipping and no tax.  Of course, guests can't see what they're buying in advance, but some people don't care about that.  Just keep in mind that you need at least one physical store for your non-internet-savvy guests.

  

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• BiancaPrz

  

  February 2012

  Thanks so much for all your replies. I will keep all suggestions in mind once I get started on this. I can imagine that it can be overwhelming so I like the idea of doing a few trips instead of trying to get it done in one visit. 

  
  

  I like the suggestions for Crate and Barrel and Bed Bath & Beyond. And a wide price range is a must - I want to make sure everything is affordable.

  
  

  Are there any brides from Canada on here? If so, I wonder what your thoughts are on registering with The Bay?

  
  

  
  

  
  

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