Wedding Registry Advice, Please!

I would highly recommend Bed Bath and Beyond. They sell many of the same items as Williams Sonoma and Crate and Barrel but you can get cash back unlike those stores. Say you get two of something, at BBB you can get cash back which is pretty awesome!

We're not married yet, but we have already registered at one place--Bed, Bath & Beyond. I think that was the best place for us to start because they set us up with a consultant who was very helpful the entire time we were there! She really made us think about our style and our needs/wants and suggested some great things. Be prepared to be there for at least a couple of hours--I think we were at BB&B for at least 2.5 hours, and I was mentally exhausted after that! We want to register at a couple more places--Target and maybe Macy's. We haven't talked about a honeymoon registry, but I think that's a great idea! (Since we have lived together for a couple of years now, we have a lot of the "necessities". We have been encouraged to not forget to register for stuff of every price range, and to register for some fun stuff too.)

I did Neiman Marcus and Crate and Barrel. I also did Williams Sonoma but deleted it because they weren't as easy to work with. I moved all my WS things to CB. I loved both my registry stores and were glad I did both. My tip is to not register for appliances with just one use, they take up a lot of space. Or silly things like a popcorn maker that you will end up stuffing in a cabinet. And if you want it, ask for it! You can always return it. Another tip--a full set of cups and saucers are a waste of space. We returned our fine china cups/saucers and have one set of everyday. When you get to the dessert/coffee course, your china doesn't have to match the meal. A good tip I learned! And I'm not sure we've used them more than once...in almost 4 years of marriage. But we'll have them forever!

I'm getting married in July, and registered at Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. Both were really simple to do. We tried to think about how much our guests would be willing to spend, and both places offer affordable, but quality items. We registered for a ton of kitchen stuff, and then bathroom and bedroom items.

I am not married but my favorite home items are my tea kettle and a really nice glass bowl, which you can use for salads (green ones and fruit ones).

Macy's and Crate & Barrel were my two- I second the comment about making sure to register for a price range for everyone! Also some things I received that I use/like the most: footed dessert bowls from C&B- they are good for everything from applesauce to shrimp cocktail and they look classy (but so affordable!), Le Creuset spatulas (i'm obsessed), Pyrex, nonstick frying pans (mine are calphalon), 800 thread count sheets (when else can you splurge like this? mine are Macy's brand), kitchen-aid mixer and my wine fridge.

Love a small rice cooker! Helpful for a quick rice dish or steaming veggies in a pinch (or when my stove is already full)! I also love my slow cooker and use it year round (bake peach crumbles in summer). I received a great set of fluffy towels for graduation that I LOVE and use all the time! Just have fun, think about how much space you'll have and the things you wish you had now that would be helpful in the future.

We registered at Bed Bath & Beyond and Macy's (they have Fiestaware AND star rewards so we got extra Cash back based on total purchases off our registry! plus the coupons so it was a good deal and sheets!). Fiestaware - everyday dishes Ralph Lauren - bath towels & comforter/sheets Le Creuset 5.5Qt dutch oven - FAVORITE wedding gift All Clad 4Qt braiser - FAVORITE wedding gift Cast Iron skillets - use these all the time Emeril double burner cast iron griddle & grill - use all the time silverware for everyday - we picked a heirloom pattern that won't expire - Gorham Studio silverware for china - we picked a heirloom pattern that won't expire

We registered at Macy's and Bed Bath & Beyond. I would definitely recommend BB&B because they're great about taking stuff back without a receipt...even if it's from another store. If they carry the product, they'll take it back. We went back and forth about registering for formal china and everyday dishes or just everyday dishes. We ended up just registering for everyday dishes and I'm so happy we did. So many people kept telling me how they've been married for years and have never used their china. Instead of trying to complete a formal china set, we were able to get some nice appliances and other things that we'll use everyday. My mom and grandmother have formal china they'll pass down to me so I definitely do not regret registering for just everyday china. Also, definitely register for good towels and sheets! Good luck!

We did Macy's & BB&B. Macy's was more of the towels, china (if you're doing that), bedding kind of stuff while BB&B was every kitchen gadget under the sun. granted, we didn't live with each other beforehand and had like none of that stuff. I highly recommend everything Oxo makes. I've had all their kitchen gadgets for the past 5.5 years and haven't had to replace anything.

We registered with our Photographer so that people could purchase credit that went to helping us purchase our photos. It was a great idea because those pictures aren't cheap but definitely something you'll want. :) Hope that helps!

I registered with both Crate and Barrel and Bed bath and beyond and really loved them both! A few of my favorite things we received were our dishes from c & b and my pots and pans from bb&b. The one thing we didn't register for, but we bought using gift cards we received: our Dyson vacuum! I absolutely love it and highly recommend it! This vacuum makes cleaning a little less of a chore! :-)

Our favorite gifts actually came not from our registry! It was those gifts that people bought us because they love so much. Our best gift was a Cuisinart Indoor Grill, which was not on our registry.

Crate and Barrel and Macy's. Both had fantastic sales and great deals when the wedding is done to finish off your registry. I wish we had not registered for the wine refrigerator - we never use it. I love all of the kitchen stuff that we did get. Some of the top gifts that we use a lot: Our dishes from C&B (Roulette) and our glasses, also from C&B. I also am in love with our pots we registered for - All Clad Stainless Sauce Pans. They're the greatest!!

We registered at Crate & Barrel and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Our favorite items are the Kitchen Aid mixer, Dyson Animal vacuum, nice stainless steel mixing bowls, simple white dishes from C&B, and our C&B toaster. We didn't register for china or beer mugs/margarita glasses/champagne flutes, etc! We don't have room for those and I don't think we'd get much use out of them. I know too many people with wedding gifts still in boxes! I think we did a good job of registering for things we know we can use and store.

Hey - I am getting married this coming October as well! LOVE this question and would love if you could forward me the responses you get! We have decided to register at Bed Bath and Beyond, Williams Sonoma, and Potterybarn. I've heard that an immersion blender by Breville is a MUST register for item as well as the dyson vacuums.

I registered at BB&B and C&B. I think 2 stores is enough, but I know people who registered at 3 or even 4 places. BB&B is good for essentials/basics - pots/pans, cooking utensils, small appliances, towels, etc. Then I would pick a place to do your dishes/glassware/flatware and home decor type items, which is where C&B or Macy's usually come in. I already had a ton of cooking stuff (food processor, immersion blender, some good pans/pots) since, like you, I love to cook. I figured out which size and type of pans/pots I could still use and just registered for those rather than an entire set (i.e., stock pot, dutch oven, small sauce pan, nonstick saute pan; mine are mainly Calphalon). I was way more excited about having matching dishes and flatware that wasn't cheapo falling apart stuff from college. We got a nice white everyday dish setting from C&B that works for everything, instead of also getting china. My last tip is to do a lot of your registering online. I wanted to be able to handle the dishes, flatware, glasses, and knives in person to choose, so spent a couple hours one day at C&B, but I did my entire BB&B registry online. Saves so much time and stress, especially if you or Matt aren't big shoppers.

i could probably talk all day about this, but when we registered we hadn't talked about colors that we both like, patterns, what we wanted, etc so registering took even longer than it already normally does. so first things first, if you and your hubby-to-be haven't talked about that stuff...do that! :) one thing that we did was register for a bunch of really cute plates and stuff only to find out that they're too big for most standard dishwashers, which means that we can hardly ever use them and when we do they have to be handwashed. i know that's a silly thing, but i wish someone had brought that to my attention! i absolutely love my kitchenaid stand mixer (sorry, can't remember the model...but get one if you don't have one!), really good drinking glasses (we have WAY too many of those), and a good grill pan for the winter :) ours is calphalon, and i love it, but there are other great brands out there too!

We are registering at Crate and Barrel and Bed Bath and Beyond. I heard the cash back thing about BBB from all of our friends and how great it is! We've registered at C&B already, and will hopefully make a trip to BBB within a few weeks. So exciting that your dress came in! Mine came in too big and it doesn't feel like "my dress" yet...the right size makes all the difference!

I would recommend Bed, Bath and Beyond. They are everywhere (easy shopping for your guests) and I had the most helpful consultant in the store that advised my husband and I before and during our registering. My favorite item I received was definitely my KitchenAid stand mixer. I'm so in love! We also got a really nice set of knives. I also registered for things to replace hand-me-downs I had brought with me from my apartment in college when we moved in together when we got engaged, such as new baking sheets, and pots and pans. My grandmother also got us a set of Lenox fine china, and we received a set of fancy Mikasa glasses. Some may think these items that you don't use as often are frivolous, but to me, there is nothing more fun and exciting than hosting a dinner party for friends or family and being able to set a gorgeous table. Happy registering!

We definitely went to Crate & Barrel and Macy's. So many people have Macy's cards and they have great rewards programs. Crate & Barrel has quality stuff and they also provide more affordable options as well as a completion program. We're debating a third which would be Pottery Barn or Williams Sonoma but we've been able to register for a LOT on both of Macy's & Crate and Barrel so far. It's super fun. Updating online is key once you leave the store. There are check lists available on both sites as well as the knot.com and Real Simple. Have fun with it! :)

My best registry advice is to register for things at many different price points because you never know what someone wants to spend. Probably my favorite thing that I registered for and got was a down comforter - eight years later, still on my bed everyday. I also on a whim registered for a small stool/seat for the bathroom which I got that gets tons of use and I hadn't originally envisioned what I was going to do with it, but it matched my bathroom stuff so I registered for it. Furthermore, if you go the coffee pot route, do not return any that you get. They are the most likely to break appliance ever.

I would say my kitchen aid mixer was my favorite wedding gift. China was something useless (@ least for us) you don't get all the pieces so you either go out and buy them, wait or return them - plus when we have people over we tend to be more casual. Register for stuff you know you will use & want to have taking up space.

1. We did Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Really great choice because they are EVERYWHERE! And if you are like us, people are coming from all over. Also, they take back anything on your registry if you choose to return it! We also did Williams-Sonoma for a few really cool items (my husband is a chef, so we wanted some higher end stuff). 2. Favorites - Le Creuset Dutch Oven (oval), everyday dishes, Dyson vacuum, Kitchen Aid stand mixer (already had one, but it's a must!) to name a few! 3. I would NOT recommend registering for China.... We did, received about 4-6 sets and returned them in exchange for our Dyson. We felt like it was a good idea at the time, but when we didn't receive all that we registered for we analyzed the situation and decided we would never purchase the rest, so it was better to exchange them for something we would use.

Registering isso fun but so stressful at the same time! We registered at Macy's and pottery barn, and loved both of our experiences. We got all of our kitchen things at Macy's and used pottery barn for the fun decorative things. I was nervous about putting some rather expensive items on the registry, but you'll be surprised with hat you actually get... So don't hold back! :). Enjoy!!!

We registered at Target and REI. I have heard Pottery Barn is a great place though! Word to the wise, over register! Some people feel bad putting stuff on a list but then two weeks before the wedding, when people are finally getting their shopping done, there is little to choose from. Give them options so they can still find a gift they feel has some meaning or thought!

Exciting! We registered at C&B (love the glassware there), Williams Sonoma, and Kohl's (for kitchen electrics). Best advice we got was don't register for sets--a complete set of pots and pans is not only super-expensive, but you probably won't use all the pieces; same with knife blocks. Instead, we registered for two nice chef's knives (so we can both prep at the same time!), a cast iron skillet, a nice sauce pan, and a 7.5 qt. lime green Le Creuset that we loooooove and use almost every day. My biggest registry regret was thinking "some day, when we have a house, it'll be great to have [fill in the blank]"--so we ended up having a bunch of stuff in our parents' basements and now that we have a house, we still don't have room for that second set of wine glasses or bread machine! So, I would say, think about what you'll use and enjoy now :-)

Bed bath and beyond and Williams Sonoma were our main 2, we registered at Macy's but didn't find much. BBB is good because it's everywhere and they do free gift wrap, bonus for those shopping for you. My favorite gifts we got would probably be our cuisinart food processor from BBB, and the Graviti salt and pepper mills from Williams Sonoma - they are battery operated and grind when you turn them upside down. Huge timesaver in the kitchen!

Hi Anne! We registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Crate & Barrel. BBB has an AWESOME return policy -- don't underestimate your need for a great return policy. (This is actually why we didn't register at Target; their sucks, from what I hear.) Since you already have a decent kitchen/home set up (I would imagine), use this opportunity to assess what you already have and don't need to upgrade -- like, say, a good food processor or a Kitchen Aid mixer. I registered for a lot of new bakeware because I love to bake, and my old pans were getting pretty beat up. We also got new dishes, glasses, serving dishes, etc. We did register for a few "splurge" items like a Le Creuset dutch oven, a nice coffeemaker, etc. I would also suggest that you register for little things at a variety of prices, so that friends and family with different budgets can make you little baskets of different items -- we did this with little kitchen gadgets, mostly. And, no one will buy you sheets or towels even though you will need them, but fortunately you'll get lots of gift cards so you can buy them yourselves. :-) Good luck!

We ended up registering at a bunch of places because we couldnt always find what we wanted at each. However, the last place we registered was Crate and Barrell, and they were my favorite. A really good blend of the stuff you find at WS and BBB, with some of the stuff from Macy's but more organized. I highly recommend looking their towards the beginning. Other ideas--registering at places to donate and "non-traditional" stores like REI for outdoorsy stuff!

We registered at Williams Sonoma, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Target. We felt like that would give people a big range, with things at Target for like $10, and some dream items from WS. I do remember returning like $100 worth of dish towels. They're not exciting, you might as well buy them on your own haha. Do you have a Kitchenaid stand mixer? It's my very favorite thing in my kitchen, so if you don't, I would register for that! Also, we ended up with a really awesome set of knives, which definitely gets the most use. Also remember that whatever you don't LOVE, you can return and go shopping for the things you need/really want. We ended up returning a lot of stuff, and I am still (a year later) working on my WS store credit!

I got married almost 2 years ago... We registered at a Canadian retailer the Bay... they have many location nation wide. they have a great exchange policy especially if you change your mind or get duplicates. Looking back we registered for things we thought we would use... - a couple sets of really good matching towels - a good quality set of dishes we went with demby - we looked for good soup bowls and a colour that would be some what neutral. - Sheets and comforter... we live in Canada and good quality and warm comforter is a must. - a good set of kitchen knives we went for things that would last and that were timeless... we use most of the stuff we registered for daily

We registered at Crate and Barrel and Williams Sonoma. Crate and Barrel was definitely easier to navigate and super user-friendly. I love the thank-you manager! We were pretty much starting from scratch, so we registered for a lot of basics, but also a few "splurge" items that close family would go for, including a KitchenAid mixer which I adore. Crate and Barrel had a lot of nice but budget-friendly items, too. The best part of the whole thing is thinking about the giver every time we use each item.

We registered at Target. I was a little hesitant at first, but it was so much easier for our guests (as there's a Target pretty much everywhere) that were coming from out of town. I am SO glad that I registered for my Kitchen Aid 9 cup food processor. The thing is a beast, and I use it all the time! It was stupid for us to register for a tent. Seriously. What. Was. I. Thinking. In 7 years we have NEVER camped together. We might one day, but I would rather have the extra space now and just buy (or borrow) one later if we actually needed it. In the end, my favorite gift wasn't on the registry at all! We got a cooler filled with 2 beach towels, 2 beach chairs, mango salsa, chips and a 6 pack of Corona. I will be copying that gift in the future for my friends (and maybe a post for MarryThis!) :) Have an awesome time Anne! Registering is so fun!

I agree with a lot of the other comments... keep a good price range. BUT - don't be afraid to register for some big price tag items either. A group of people may get together and buy that one big item as a group gift. Worked for us, anyway. Enjoy! I really had a lot of fun registering for my wedding.

I am coming up on my ninth anniversary and can say that there are some hits and misses from my registry---I have yet to even use a few items--- Misses-ice cream machine, expensive silver, etc. Must haves: ANY Le Creuset item, from the dutch ovens to the round soup pots they are the most used pots in my house and I KNOW I will probably be passing them down to someone someday as they are by far the most durable item. My All Clad 1 1/2 quart saucepan that is used atleast once a day and several other All Clad pots. A good paring and chef knife. Bed, Bath and Beyond was not an option back then for me so I went with William Sonoma but seeing all that BBB has to offer I would definitely have them as an option. If you are iffy on any gift that was given, I would say return and get what you REALLY want..... Resist the urge to check the registry every day to see what has been bought...it was like crack for me....

I'm not married yet but will be in just over 2 months! We registered at Bed Bath and Beyond. Everyone that we asked said we had to register there and I'm glad we did. The whole process was really easy and everyone was super helpful. It's also nice because whatever is on your registry that you don't get for you wedding you get 10% off of if you buy it yourself after the fact. The hardest thing for me to decide was if I wanted china. In the end I decided NO. We are not fancy people and neither are the people we entertain lol. The people at bed bath and beyond helped me a lot and advised me to get everyday china which is nicer than your everyday plates but not as fragile as actual china. I think it's under casual china on their website. We ended up going with noritake and i can't wait until we get them! Good luck with everything

I LOVE our Amazon registry. You can put literally anything on it. We have flashlights, folding tables, travel golf club bags, etc. And pretty much everyone is comfortable with shopping at Amazon. So far my favorite gift are our Schott Zeisel wine and champagne glasses. They incorporate titanium into the glass and are almost unbreakable. And pretty too!

Wedding registry - such fun! My biggest tip would be to make sure you register for things in all different price points. That way everyone can get you something you really want - older relatives might go for the bigger ticket items, and grad school friends can get you something in their budget and still know that you'll be excited about their gift. My hubby and I registered at Macy*s and Williams-Sonoma, and both were great. One of our favorite gifts was an electric fondue pot, which we have really enjoyed. And we got a KitchenAid stand mixer, which I LOVE using. We also registered for formal china and silver, which we don't use as much although I really love it. If I had it to do over again, I would probably still ask for the china and silver because they are so much fun to bring out for special occasions. I think Crate&Barrel would be another great registry choice - I have friends who registered there and were very happy with it. I've heard not-so-great stuff about Target (that they don't update the registry immediately after a purchase, causing you to possibly get duplicates - the opposite of the point of registering! - and then that they aren't great about returns). Not sure how true that is, but I shied away from Target as a result. Enjoy! Registering is fun. :-)

I'm getting married in November and have been putting off registering - seems stressful to me! I'm sure it'll be fun, but my fiance and I have lived together for 2 years and have everything we "need". I guess it's a matter of figuring out what we want to upgrade! I'll definitely be coming back to read all of these comments and see what you decide, as well!

We just got married in July and ended up registering at Target and Macy's. Our absolute hands down favorite and most used gift so far is our kitchenaide mixer and our crockpot and pizza stone. Those things get used almost weekly!! Have fun registering! And my advice is try not to tackle all the stores in one day.

Also, another thing that I learned when registering at PotteryBarn and Williams Sonoma is that they are owned by the same company. You can use giftcards from one store at the other. So say for instance there were a few things that you liked at PotteryBarn but felt that you wanted/needed more from Williams Sonoma, you could use gift cards and/or return at item to get those things that you wanted at PB. Sidenote:PB has awesome everyday glassware that you can buy in sets or separately. So if one breaks, they are very easily replaceable.

Definitely register at BB&B. Here are my fav kitchen/registry items: - Crock pot with timer - Pizza stone - Wusthof knife (even just one nice chefs knife is awesome) - Cuisianart 11 cup food processor - A good can opener (Oxo) - Set of nice sheets and towels Avoid: - Kitchen Aid mixer, it is heavy, hard to store and not used very often unless you bake constantly - a nice small hand held mixer will more than suffice - Target, don't even go there. they are awful about registries, returns, etc - Fancy china, see comments above

We got married in the fall (here in Chapel Hill!) and registered at Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, and Pottery Barn. We loved Crate & Barrel: the registry was super easy to use and all of the folks we worked with in the store (at Southpoint) were SO helpful. If I were to do things over again, I don't think we would register with Williams-Sonoma. We had some issues with items that were purchased not showing up as such and some of the folks we dealt with at the store weren't the most helpful. I don't have any complaints about Pottery Barn, but think we could have gotten most of the things we registered for there somewhere else. I've heard great things about Bed Bath & Beyond and am still not sure why we didn't register there! Plus the 20% off coupons are so prevalent that many folks can use those to get gifts for you. Like some other folks have mentioned, I've heard some not-so-great things about Target's registry, specifically when it comes to returning items. My favorite things we registered for were our Wusthof knives. We use them all the time and having nice knives makes cooking SO much easier!

I registered at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Guests tend to be familiar with BBB and they're more common. I grew up in the sticks where the nearest BBB was over an hour away and things like PotteryBarn were almost 2 hours away and out of the price range of a lot of family and friends. BBB is GRRRREAT about returns. No receipt necessary, no questions asked. THEIR COUPONS DO NOT EXPIRE. So, start collecting them. And, you can use AS MANY AS YOU WANT per transaction. After our wedding, we returned a bunch of stuff, took our giftcards and filled two carts with stuff, and used a 20% off coupon on every single item. Depending on who your cashier is, some of them will let you stack coupons --- use 20% off on each item AND a $5 off coupon -- not all will let you but many will. My favorite items: - Calphalon pots & pans with lifetime warranty (we've already taken one back and gotten a new one, no questions asked) - Microwave food cover (great for reheating two plates at a time, keeps microwave clean)

My fiance and I are also getting married in October, and we ended up registering at Target, Macy's and Bed, Bath & Beyond. It worked out perfectly for us to register at all three because we had much more variety to choose from! I highly recommend Bed, Bath & Beyond because they're very helpful. Have fun registering...it's a blast!

You can always use giftregistry360 to have all your registries in one place and also be able to put single items from other stores that you may want. We registered at CB and Macy's (for relatives that insisted we have a registry) but also did a list of several local charities that we're supporting since we've lived together for a while and have all the kitchen/home stuff already. Good luck!

Hi! Congrats to you :) We're getting married in June! We registered at Crate & Barrel and it couldn't be easier. It's also SO fun to go in and go crazy with the gun. The only thing that has been slightly annoying is when items are phased out, which happens fairly often. However their website is so user friendly, it couldn't be easier to edit/remove/add items. Highly recommend!

I definitely reccomend Macy's! They give you 10% back of what people spend on a gift card plus 20% off your remaining registry items. Plus they carry most higher end brands -at least online or in store at Tyson's Galleria. In general, look for stores that give you an incentive to use them. You are giving them sales by registering with them, they should give you something back!

How exciting! I would say to definitely register for a NICE knife set (think Henckels or Wustof), it makes a world of difference and you'll get a ton of use out of them! I found Bed, Bath, and Beyond to be a great place to register. It's very easy to modify your registry, plus when you return things from your registry you get cash back! Have fun! :)

I think Target and Kohl's are good places to register.

I am recently married (September 2011) and we registered at Pottery Barn, Target, and Macys. We have plates and place settings from PB which I love but the spoons and forks and some dishes are really big but they wash up well. A lot of baking stuff I got from Target and also little things like pizza cutter, spatulas, etc. I love Giada's line at Target and use that stuff all the time! At Macy's I just registered for the big kitchen aid mixer and I LOVE that thing to death! I don't know how I lived before I had that. I think the best presents I received were the ones that were homemade (pillow cases and quilts, etc).

We eloped in 1967 and my husband was deployed 3 days later. We received gifts from our families and friends and back then you did not register you received your gifts and sent a personal hand written thank you note. I know, I know, I'm an old fogie, says my kids. They do things differently these days, so I would suggest Target. You, Anne, seem to love Target and they have very good products. Macy's is good. I know I'm different than most, but I love getting money or gift cards. Bed Bath and Beyond is good too. I hope I spelled (fogie) correctly.

The best advice I got was to register for 2 sets of every day dishes. Pick out 1 inexpensive set AND slightly "nicer" set. I did this instead of registering for fine china, because I knew I would use china so infrequently ... Having a slightly nicer set of dishes for daily use is great for parties, photographing food, and on a night when you just want to eat on something fancier. It was also made for more budget friendly options for my guests.

We got married in October and we registered at Crate and Barrel (just because it's my favorite store) and Kohl's. We started one at Macy's but felt there really wasn't a lot of stuff there we wanted. We decided to go more functional in our choices, so we picked a table set that we could use every day but was still nice enough to be used on holiday's and special occasions. We also registered for a lot of entertaining stuff, so things like serving dishes and cookware. I definitely made sure I got a nice cookware set, since I knew I probably wasn't going to buy one myself (people asked me what I really wanted). I got this one because it was on sale and you get extra pans: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/cookware-sets/calphalon-contemporary-stainless-13-piece-cookware-set-with-double-bonus/s382101 I also second people on the multiple price points, some people will only be able to buy you a few towels and kitchen utensils, but some people might want to buy you something more expensive. Check to see if the places you register at will also give you a discount after you get married. I think Kohl's gives you a discount to buy stuff off your registry after you get married, and if you sign up for the store card and use some of their discounts, you can save a lot of money. We went and completed the number of plate sets we wanted at Kohls, ended up spending almost $700 on it and actually only paid around $250 because of all the savings we got. A lot of stores also have checklists for registry ideas, which was also helpful. It can help you go through and say "yes, i need this" or not. I think Bed, Bath, and Beyond definitely had one of those but you can always check online!

We're getting married this June and completed our registry in early January. We chose to register at Macy's (great rewards program), Crate & Barrel (good completion discount and great website) and Pottery Barn (guilty pleasure). We registered at William Sonoma originally and deleted the account - the service wasn't very good and you can find a lot of the items at other stores (Macy's, etc.) Here was what we learned through the entire process: - Register for all different price points - Register for MORE than you think you need (guests are always complaining there isn't enough, and you can always return!) - Choose stores that reflect your personal style (we didn't choose BBB because the decor, particularly the bedding, wasn't us) - Eat before you go! :)

We also registered at Bed Bath and Beyond. They were nice to work with and it is easy for most people to get to one. The absolute best present - something I use almost every single day - is a very high end ($100) knife. Pick one that is comfortable to you - the consultant at BBB helped us with that. We actually registered for more knifes, but my uncle (who bought us this present) did a good job in choosing one that serves several purposes. I find I really don't need the others (although a paring knife would also be nice.) Have fun!

I'm registered at Macys, Crate & Barrel, and Pottery Barn, so it appears we are the same demographic! ha. Macys is a good registry, and my relatives seem most familiar with it (by far the majority of the purchases so far are off of that one). We've had a few problems, however. A LOT of items were discontinued in the months before our wedding, and they don't notify you when that happens, so you have to keep an eye on items yourself. We've also had issues with things not being marked as bought - we've received two of the same table runner and cutting board (and all were bought online, so this isn't an in-person versus online issue). That said, it's familiar and the bonuses are decent. Note that some benefits to the registry program don't come to you automatically - I only recently realized that once we have ten sets of our fine china, I can go into a store and get a serving item for free. Noone told me that, even when I was registering in person. For ideas on what to buy, I highly recommend signing up for an electronic account at the Cook's Illustrated website - they have extensive and trustworthy equipment reviews. What you register for will depend a lot on what you use (we entertain a lot, so I am genuinely really into getting and using fine china), but I'll note that I think knife sets are rarely a good idea. You should get the knives you actually need, and often the best paring knife isn't made by the same company with great steak knives, etc. Finally, a couple quick thoughts on C&B and PB. C&B is awesome, and actually have a lot of the same kitchen items (appliances, pots, etc.) that Macys has, except for lower prices. I'm happy with the items we've registered for at PB, but their casual china is BIG. Like, too-big-to-go-in-the-dishwasher big.

we registered at macy's and target. i loved macy's for their linens, towels, and nicer kitchen appliances. target was great because you can get ANYTHING there! i found that a lot of people gave us gift cards to where we registered, so make sure you register at a store you can find lots of things you'd use and need.

My husband and I registered at Bed, Bath and Beyond and we loved our experience! We were there 2 hours before they even opened; they brought us bagels and coffee from Dunks and we had the 2 hours to browse the store without any other customers there. We both had some hand me down items, so we didn't go really crazy with our list. We actually stayed in the one store (we didn't register anywhere else). Our big ticket items were the All Clad cookware (which is the BEST!) and a vaccum. :-) But definitely be ready to get items that you didn't even ask for! Haha. Have fun!!

As a wedding guest I love when people register at Amazon. Point, click, ship and done and usually no shipping fee. A more traditional store is great for older relatives and family friends, but young professional friends will appreciate the ease of Amazon. A lot of store can add $10+ dollars in shipping fees.

We registered at Macy's, Target, and amazon.com. Best things we registered for: GPS, luggage, crock pot, cookware set, nice bath towels Things we got but don't use: panini press, slap chop, waffle iron Wish we registered for: food processor, comforter and duvet cover (we just registered for a comforter from Target- it's already falling apart), shark steamer

We are going to do a small registry with Crate and Barrel for our traditional guests and then do a honeymoon registry. We've been living together for almost four years and don't really have room for a lot of new stuff. We want to go on a pretty extravagant honeymoon, so setting up the registry seems like a good idea for us. Good luck!!

Bed Bath and Beyond and Target. The best part of Bed Bath and Beyond is that once a quarter they have a registry completion event. After your wedding, at the event, you can get not only anything left on your register, but anything in the store (including sale and clearance items) 20% off

We registered at Bed Bath and Beyond and Amazon. I love Amazon because they have the "universal registry" and you can register from any online store. I think Amazon was less popular though with our wedding guests. Amazon also has a "thank you list" to tell you who bought what. Bed Bath and Beyond has a really nice countdown to your wedding date. I didn't register for the Shark Navigator cordless vacuum but bought it with a gift card and use it daily. I registered for a lot of random stuff that I never use like placemats and a table cloth that matched our china.

We registered at Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Macys, and a local Savannah store. There are some people, especially elderly, who love a local store and it was wonderful as they carried our china, some unique Savannah items, etc for our home. Here are a few of our favorite items: 800 count sheets Kitchen Aid mixer Vitamix nice knife set our hutch (our wedding party each pitched in $50 for this gorgeous piece that is now our favorite piece in our home and always reminds us of them) popcorn popper (crazy I know) cast iron pans grill (we registered for this but had to return it when we moved to NYC...however it would be a great item)

Hi Anne- I've been married a little over a year, and we registered at Crate and Barrel, Target and Macy's, and Williams-Sonoma. All three were great and don't forget to register for gift cards, too! We used www.giftregistry360.com because it aggregates all of your registries into one page, so your friends only have to go to one place to find all the gifts you've registered for. I would also recommend updating your registries monthly, because if you complete them too early, sometimes what is available changes and you have to alter your selections. Congratulations and have fun!!! I love my Cuisinart Food Processor and food-specific cutting boards (veggies, meats, fish. etc.)

Fun! I registered at Amazon (which allowed me to go to lots of places and add them there through the Universal Registry, which Laura mentioned above), Crate & Barrel & William Sanoma. Amazon is also cool because if people buy something at another store for less money, they can still go back and take it off your registry for you. The best part is the registry completion discount after you're married. I love my knives (wusthof) and cutting board - they make cooking sooooo much easier and less annoying. Aside from my plates, glasses, etc., I use those things the most. I am really glad I got this Cusinart griddle that opens to become a griddle, closes to be a panini maker, and has inserts to be a waffle iron. I also love my le creuset pots - not because of the brand, but because they are solid and I use them the most often. I can't think of anything I don't use appliance wise. There are some things I use less - like for entertaining. I registered and got a juicer, which I returned and wish I kept. I think now is the time to register for all the fun things you want! At first I thought I wouldn't register for things like towels or sheets, but then people started buying them for me in colors I didn't want, so I went back and added things like that.

One piece of advice I am so glad I took was to register for 12 place settings. It seemed like way more than we needed, but we've already had dinner parties where we've needed every plate! Also, don't feel guilty if people start telling you that you didn't register for enough stuff - we had to restrain ourselves from adding things that we didn't really need / wouldn't actually use just so that people who were buying last-minute would have things to buy. We ended up with BB&B for the most part, but registered for place settings w/ Heath Ceramics. They're timeless, perfect for daily & holiday dinners, and just so pretty.

Macy's and Crate and Barrel are awesome. I LOVE the pots and pans we registered for at Macys.. the KitchenAid Architect line - they're clad + dishwasher safe. Love them. Also, the Cuisinart griddler... AMAZING. It's a grill, panini press, griddle, all in one. We use it a lot!

Absolutely do Crate + Barrel and/or Pottery Barn. Absolutely do not do Target/Wal-mart or other stores you can afford :) Best thing I registered for was a pair of PB sateen sheets - a stretch because they were expensive, but one of our distant family friends got them and they continue to be my favorite pair of sheets 6 years later! Register for things you wouldn't buy yourself (and I'll buy you one!)

Macy's had the best policies and customer service. They are also very helpful with what to register for. You get a printout based on how many people are coming to your wedding that breaks price ranges of gifts into groups. For example, register for ten things in the $50-$75 price range, etc. Their return policy is great. If you have a Macy's charge, you get a check for a certain percentage of the amt people spent on your gifts as a refund. If you don't have one, I recommend getting one for that reason. You also get a discount on anything in your registry that wasn't purchased.

We registered at Target, Crate and Barrel, and a family-owned giftshop. We got a lot of really great items; however I really wish I would have registered on Amazon. I think my favorite item(s) that I registered was my china. I never really thought I would be into china, but it is a tradition in my family and I opted to pick out my own design (or else my aunts would have picked it out for me!). Anyway I fell in love with this pattern: http://www.crystallia.com/crystalchina/vwgildleafchina.html I was almost "against" registering for fine china, but I ended up falling in love with the pattern, and the thought of having such a beautiful set to use on special occasions and to pass on later in life just sort of changed my mind :) My favorite non-china items: Shun Knife Rubermaid Food Storage Containers (I know it sounds weird, but have nice containers is so worth it... I haven't had to replace any in the two years that we have been married!) random kitchen gadgets that we didn't already have (having a lot of smaller and less expensive items is nice for people that want to buy something, but can't afford a large item... we received almost all of these!) Things I wouldn't register for again: bedding and throw pillows (I thought someone might buy us this in a set or something... instead someone bought us ONE pillow... one... that was in a set of three. It was really thoughtful, but kind of awkward) Have fun! I have had many friend register for camping trip supplies and then go camping on their honeymoon :)

I recommend Macy's. You sign up with them, and make sure to sign up for the rewards program (forgot what's called). You'll get a percentage back in credit for everything that is bought from your registry (which basically allows you to buy the rest of your registry!), AND I think 10 or 20% off everything that's been unfilled from the registry, post-wedding date, so we bought a few things ourselves for a huge discount after the wedding. I found that it helped to see what others are registering for, here is ours if you're curious: http://www1.macys.com/registry/wedding/guest/?registryId=105625 (though lots of things are out of stock, since it's been over a year). I think the over-cabinet waste basket is our most used item! So convenient when chopping things as you can just throw it away right there, and since it fits a grocery bag, it's roomy enough for your garbage, but not too roomy that you'll have things rotting in there from a week ago.

i'm getting married in may and we registered at macys, crate and barrel, and restoration hardware (their towels are to DIE for, seriously). I just stumbled across this post yesterday: http://www.shutterbean.com/favorite-kitchen-tools-guide/ Oh, and I didn't do bed bath and beyond because I don't really like their website or shopping there in general.

Hey Anne, I'm not married yet but my favorite home items are Williams Sonoma Panini Press, a nice water carafe for dinner parties and a good cheese plate for entertaining :) Hope this helps and have fun!! x

If you register with the "I Do" Foundation (https://www.idofoundation.org/welcome/registries/giftregistry.html ) a 3-5% of whatever people spend on your gifts will automatically be matched by the company (like Macy's) and given to a charity of your choice! I think it is a wonderful way to give to charity and not even have to give any of our own money! Weddings are such a blow out and it's nice to remember the importance of giving back.

I know I am a little late but thought I would put my two cents in... We registered at Target and Macy's and that was almost 10 years ago. One of my favorite tips is to make sure you registry for a lot of stuff and at a lot of price points. I know in my family there are some people that making the drive 650 miles to my wedding was hard enough financially let alone they wanted to give us something. To me their presence was the most important thing but they felt they had to do something, so giving them $20 items from Target was much more doable than spending more on something I may or may not have used. This also comes back to accessibility of stores by your guests. Also registering for some silly things that you will use just to see. That ended up being the one thing that made us laugh over and over. Just to be funny my hubby registered for Dr. Pepper (he drank a ton of it when we got married) and my Uncle got it for him as a joke along with the rest of our stuff. It is still a family joke. Last but not least, make sure you register for a lot of stuff. I know I am more willing to spend more on a gift I like then what I give in cash. My cousin had barely anything on their registery and I sent $20, but I probably would have spent $40ish on a gift that I loved.

I'm not married but I've been an MOH 4 times (ha!) and havehad to do this process with multiple people. My biggest advice is to not register at Target--which makes me so sad to say because ordinarily I love this store. They will generally not let you return an item if you don't have a receipt (I think you maybe get 3 returns without a receipt per year) and even if you do have the receipt, they will only give you Target cards back in return. They also tend to not update their registry as often. Maybe their policy has changed but that's been my experience in the past few years.

I saw this post and was excited since we're getting married in November and have only registered for a few things at BB&B. I JUST registered at honeyfund.com since that's what we really want. :) I've been looking at honeymoon registries but didn't see any that I really liked until I saw your post and went to honeyfund.com. SO EASY!!!! Thanks for the tip!

I'm registering with RegistryLove and I LOVE it! It's the only website that lets me register for my honeymoon and regular items all in the same place, and it looks good too :)