If you get overwhelmed, just walk away and work through the registry online or in multiple trips. I know for us we got overwhelmed since we knew we needed so much since he was living with his parents and I was living with roommates. We also focused more on the things you needed to see in person (china, dinnerware, bedding, bath ensemble, etc) while we were in the store and worked through finding good appliances at home where we could read reviews online.
Re: Any tips/suggestions?
Don't waste hours in store unless you truly want to.
DH and I actually did our registries (Macy's, Crate & Barrel and BBB) without ever setting foot in the store.