How to inform people about registry and where to go to register?

Re: How to inform people about registry and where to go to register?

• jagore08 member

  

  May 2012 edited May 2012

  If there are a few things you want at several different stores then you should look into the Amazon Universal Registry.  It allows you to register for anything they have online and gives your guests the option of purchasing through Amazon or going to the store and purchasing there (they just have to mark it off on your online registry).  I've used it for the last wedding I attended and loved it.

  
  

  If you choose to go this route then I suggest also registering at a store that people can go into and print out your registry there (like BB&B).  It's a good idea for your guests who aren't computer savvy.  

  
  

  As far as letting your guests know where you're registered, you can put it on your wedding website or, when your guests ask, spread it by word of mouth.  Most stores will give you the little registry cards for their store, throw them away.  There's no need for them.

  Ignorance is a poor defense.

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• hoffse member

  

  May 2012

  Also consider which stores have physical locations near most of your guests.  A lot of people don't like online shopping, so you need at least one brick-and-mortar store that people can access relatively easily.  

  
  

  Another suggestion is to registry stalk your friends who have gotten married recently and who had similar guestlists to you - see where their guests preferred to shop.  I know in my hometown there's a china and giftwares boutique that everybody registers at for local china purchases.  There may be something like that in your area as well to consider.  Personally, I don't usually "count" places like that because so few people will shop there and your out of town guests aren't likely to know about it.

  
  

  If you and many of your guests live in larger cities, I recommend Macy's, Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma, and Pottery Barn.  I also like shopping off of Amazon registries.  I'm not a huge fan of Bed Bath & Beyond but it's a prettty standard mid-range place to register so you may want to think about it because many people look there naturally.  I also really like Bloomingdale's registries - Bloomies and Macys carry different china lines with some overlap, but each carries patterns the other doesn't so you might want to look through both before selecting china/dishes.  Avoid target registries - they're pretty terrible.

  
  

  As far as letting people know, put it on your website and spread it through word of mouth when asked.  If you do a national store or two (or 3+), many people know to look in the obvious places on their own (macys, BBB, WS, and PB are all very obvious for people who attend a lot of weddings).

  
  

  People on these boards say not to register at more than 3 stores - I say look at what others in your circle do.  4-6 is common in my circle because we don't have national chains near us (people hit the major places for those guests who travel to the nearest large city an hour and a half away), so I'm doing 4.  I also have major pockets of guests from all over the country and there isn't a single department store or national retailer that I can find that has locations everywhere.  I want the majority of my guests to be able to shop in-store if that is their preference.

  
  

  Register for things in a price range - plenty of items under $10 and a handful of items $300 or more.  People may want to go in on group gifts.

  
  

  Finally, get this figured out ASAP.  You may have guests who want to get you gifts during major sale days this summer, including memorial day.

  

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• hoffse member

  

  May 2012

  Oh and as far as registering, you can do it in person, online, or start it online and finish it in the store.  I recommend doing the third option so that the sales person doesn't enter your info incorrectly, and you are less likely to be pushed into registering for things you don't need or want.  It's pretty obvious how to register online at any of these places - there are links to gift registry info on the main page of all of them.  If you want to register in-store, just ask a sales person or customer services person and they'll get you set up.  Department stores and BBBs usually have dedicated registry consultants.

  
  

  Register for what you need, but also consider what you may need in the future.  There's a great list at the top of this board that you might want to browse for ideas.  Also realize this is the one and only time in your life when people are going to want to get you china, crystal, formal flatware, serving pieces, really nice and coordinated bedding, high-end towels, pots and pans that will last the rest of your life, etc.  Don't always register for the cheapest thing you can find.  Make sure you're really excited to receive every gift on your registry.

  

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• jmleejohnson

  

  May 2012

  Jeremy and I are getting married August 31st and we registered yesterday, I know what the PP's are talking about when they say "pressure you into registering for things you don't want" we left the store yesterday with 110 items on our "small registry" and this morning I went through and deleted a bunch of stuff that we not only didn't really WANT on there because we won't ever use it, but frankly didn't need. 

  
  

  Anyway, we registered at Bed Bath and Beyond which had pretty much everything we needed/wanted. We have been living together for 2 years so we already have pretty much everything we could ever want already.

  

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• blewis2105

  

  May 2012

  If we do not have a website and atleast half the people coming to our wedding are not very committed to the internet is it taboo to slight a small piece of paper with registration information in your formal invitiation?

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• librababy

  

  May 2012

  We're registering at too very well known stores (famous for wedding regstries) and putting the info on our website.  Not everyone will check the site so my bridemaids will put the info in my bridal shower invitation and tell guests about it when they call to rsvp.  I don't see the point in registering for gifts and then not telling people about it... then what is the point.  However, I hate the idea of people feeling obligated to getting you a gift, especially a gift you tell them they have to buy you.  I am having a hard time with that.

  

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• shaina925 member

  

  May 2012

  We are in the process of finishing up our registry at Bed Bath and Beyond.  That will be the only place we are registering at since we have a small wedding.

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• Marina Ova

  

  May 2012

  We decided to use a service that links your wedding website to your wedding registry well it's like the same thing really. It's just all on one site/page so I really like that. Then you don't have to mention registry since it's already there. Also, the registry is for cash only even though you can put anything you like even if you want to have money for home repairs (which is what we're asking for) and anyway everything you ask for you will get it's equivalent in cash.
  
  http://www.zankyou.com
  
  Anyone else using a cash wedding registry? what one do you think is best?

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