Making Gift Giving Easy
Bridal registries have come a long way since your mom and dad got married. The days of single store, housewares only registries are long gone. With the Internet and the ever-changing ways couples are living their lives nowadays, new and creative options are quickly taking hold and changing the face of bridal registries forever.

With a traditional registry, you sign up for just about everything that could go into your new home, from china and crystal to table linens, cookware, luggage, and even yard equipment and power tools.

By checking with your registry, family, friends and wedding guests are assured that the gift they bring will be needed and wanted, since you have pre-selected it yourself. In the case of fine china, sterling and crystal, guests help you build the sets that will be with you for a lifetime.
If you and your fiancé are from different parts of the country, it may not be possible to find the same retailers in each other’s respective towns. Although it is possible to order gifts by phone or over the Internet, many people prefer to shop in person. Feel free to split your registry among various stores if this is the case.

Non-Traditional Registries
Don’t feel bound to choose traditional household items just because they are included in a bridal registry, especially if you’ve already got what you need. Be creative and call a travel agency to set up a honeymoon registry, or contact a mortgage company to establish an account so friends and family can contribute to the down payment on your first home.

Etiquette Tips
The accepted way to inform your guests about your registry is for the bridesmaids, mother, fiancé’s mother and other relatives to get the word out. On shower invitations, it is perfectly acceptable to include, "Registered at __________." It is not proper etiquette, however, to include such information on your actual wedding invitations.

High-Tech Solutions
Most stores now offer a computerized bridal registry meaning that when you register in one store, the registries at all the other branches will be kept current by a computer network system. This helps prevent duplicate gifts, while also ensuring that anyone who is shopping for your wedding present will know exactly what you need and want. You can also register online with several major department stores across the country.

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