Bridal Registries Simplified

Planning a wedding is a lot of work and so if building a home. If you're a young couple or just really getting started on your own for the first time you're going to need a lot of stuff. That is what bridal showers and wedding presents are for. The problem is, with so many things to choose from and places to register it can be overwhelming trying to decide what color scheme and theme you're going to want in each room of your new home. Even if you've been living together this is an opportunity to get new things and change styles around. So where do you begin?

First you need to plan ahead. You should be registered or at least have started your registries two weeks before the bridal shower announcements are send out (if you're having one). Women love bridal showers and will drool over your registries at all of the beautiful items you've chosen that they can purchase for you. I started my registries about a week before the shower invitations went out. Big mistake. We went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and walked through the store scanning items. We thought we had picked quite a few items and since my other half was tired of shopping after about thirty minutes I decided I would just add a few more items online. Later in the week we went to Kohls and did the same thing.

Two days after the invitations had gone out almost half of my registry was already gone. I had no idea what I was in for. I didn't realize how many gifts one might actually receive during "wedding season". It's incredible. So, I began adding more items online as I thought of things we didn't have or it might be nice to have. One week prior to my shower my mother-in-law started receiving phone calls from people saying that we didn't have enough stuff on our registries. Now, mind you, our wedding was a 250 person event. We were having quite a few guests. And looking back, we didn't have enough stuff on our registries, but oh well.

If you're just starting to plan your wedding the information below might be useful. Know that most people register at three to five stores, usually of varying merchandise types as well as price levels to accommodate the variety of guests. You don't have to register anywhere if you don't want to, but it is a lot of fun and you can get some really great things for your new life!

The following is a list of place I recommend to set up a bridal registry. Most of them allow you to update your list online meaning you can add, delete or change the quantity of any item from the comfort of your home. You can also see what has been purchased as your guests prepare to celebrate your big day.

Bed, Bath and Beyond. They have a section of each store squared away just for bridal registries. You can sit down and talk to someone about any questions you have, they will help you with your selections if you wish and give you a packet of goodies which will aid you in all of your planning needs. They are the one stop shop for every room of the house and you'll be sure to find lots of great stuff for every taste.

Macys. A large department store that most people know and have near them to shop at. Registrants receive a gift card for five percent of all purchases made from their registry to spend at the store. They also get a ten percent discount on the purchase of any remaining items on their registry after the wedding.

Home Depot. A great choice for the guys. They can pick out all the tools and home improvement things they desire. Male guests enjoy it too as they would rather give their buddy a power tool than a set of dish towels. Here registrants receive an email alert when items are purchased from their registry.

Sears. If you want quality tools Craftsman tools are among the best and Sears has a lifetime guaranty on them. Besides great tools they carry everything from home furnishings to clothing to gym equipment. Great all around selection.

Target/Kohls/Walmart. Essentially a lot of the same things. You might one to pick one of these places because they have a lot of great home and office items at affordable prices that your guests will really appreciate.

Bloomingdales and Tiffany & Company. If you want to select china and fine dining ware these are the places to do so. They have a wide variety and carry only the best lines of merchandise.