Overwhelmed by the Registry?

[Amanda.Rx]

Hi Ladies!

I''m starting to think about creating my registry. Anyone else feel overwhelmed by this process? Where did you register? What items did you love?

I''ve heard that you should pick 3 different places with 3 price points, but my concern is- most of the places have the same type stuff & I don''t want a bunch of mis-matched pieces. What''s a girl to do?

I guess I''m also having a really hard time envisioning what I want in my HOME, since I''m coming from 6 years of college life in apartments. Any direction on where to start?

 

[charbie]

I agree- it can be overwhelming, and you totally can either go overboard and scanner happy, or get overwhelmed and not put enough stuff down!

We were going to do 3, but when it came down to it, I realized that 2 stores had enough of the stuff we wanted, so I just stuck with the 2. We did Kohls (FI''s FAVORITE STORE) plus they always have coupons and sales, so people could get you more things since its on sale! And also Bed Bath and Beyond. I like their things.

We did most of our kitchen stuff at Kohls, then did bath and bedroom stuff at BBB. I think that makes it easier, so people can get almost a "suite" of things at one place. My advice is just divide it by room and go from there! Have fun, and you can always go back online and switch items out if you change your mind. I did that a few times.

 

[ash313]

I wanted to echo charbie''s response to divide up by rooms. That helped us to get lists going.

We registered at Crate and Barrel, Macy''s and Restoration Hardware. All of these places gave us "registry guides" that helped us to decide what we needed and what we didn''t, so that was helpful.

We ended up doing all servingware and flatware, bedding and home decor (several nice frames) at Crate and Barrel, because we really liked their designs. Then we did kitchen appliances (coffeemaker, crockpot, etc.) at Macy''s, as well as crystal and luggage (just a few crystal pieces). Restoration Hardware is all of our bath stuff.

It was helpful for us to come up with "rules" (but we are that kind of a couple, so you gotta do what works for you!). For example, we didn''t want someone to gift us with something we would be sick of or get rid of or would break in a year or two, so everything on our registries are in neutral, classic colors and many will last a lifetime (with the exception of linens). Fine crystal, stainless steel kitchenaid and cuisinart appliances, Swiss Army luggage, that sort of thing. We didn''t put anything on there that was too trendy or "loud" in terms of color or design.

However, you might be the type of couple that loves to mix and match trends/colors, etc. In that case, go for it! So maybe your rule would be: "If we love it, put it on the registry!"

It''s a lot of decisions to make, one right after the other. If you end up doing C&B, I would recommend going to one of their "events" where they close down the store for couples who are registering. They serve you coffee, bagels and mimosas and let you set your table with all of your chosen serving ware - that was so helpful to see it all together!

We were exhausted when we were finally done, but we had a blast. It is overwhelming, but we kept picturing serving Christmas breakfast to our kids on these plates in 10 years, or cocktail parties with our siblings with these martini glasses, and it made it so delightful!

Enjoy!

 

[tropiqalkiwi]

The registry was a bit daunting for me at first too. So I ended up doing a lot of research for it. Like LeeNY we really wanted to make sure that everything on our registry was something we would keep and use for a very long time. We really felt strongly about only asking guests for things we would enjoy through our entire marriage

First we sat down and figured out which items we wanted/needed for our new home together. We are both a bit stingy with money so even though we had been living together for over a year we still had plates from goodwill, silverware from our parents and cookware cast-offs from friends. So I was itching for a kitchen that matched!

Because of this we really went the "nice stuff for the home" route with our registry. I researched cookware to figure out what would stand the test of time (NOT non-stick apparently) and so we registered for a good stainless steel set. We went for bone china as our dishes (we use it even for breakfast And we got some really nice towels that had good reviews online. We avoided most appliances because they didn''t fit our "forever" policy.

So I would say before you even go to a store sit down with your fiancee and figure out what type of gifts you will enjoy together. Maybe you already have the kitchen thing down pat but really want a home theater. Or maybe you have always dreamed of having an artisan handmade tea set. Or perhaps you are big on entertaining and need glassware, trays, and beautiful serving pieces.

Then figure out who sells what you want....then ta-da register there Don''t chose the stores then just pick from what they have. They might be a good fit, but you also might end up just settling for what they offer.

Sorry if this was way more than you were asking for, but this is my registry advice and I hope it helps!

 

[tropiqalkiwi]

I reread your post and see you are also asking for advice on finding your style, (sorry to have missed it) which is way harder than just registering!

Try going to the library and looking at home decorating magazines/books and see what you like.

Find the art section and look into art movements of the 20th century. Do you resonate more with the simple looks of the 1850''s craftsman period, the art deco look (1920''s-30''s), the modern international style (1945-1965), or post-modern looks of the computer age? Most current home decorations/furnishings draw from one of these eras.

What feel do you want your home to have? cozy? sleek? vintage?

Take a day to enjoy doing this, find pictures online of stuff you like (doesn''t have to be home related) and then put all the imagery together. You will see similarities and those are what you can use to start figuring out what you want your home to look and feel like.

Again sorry if this is TMI, but hopefully it is helpful instead

 

[mayachel]

It is waay overwhelming when you start. We''ve found that just that first trip in is the hardest. Since then, I come up with stuff here and there and go back and add it on. Clearly, not having "announced" that we''ve made one yet. Still, friends and family have tracked it down anyway.

 

[Haven]

I remember how overwhelmed I thought when they gave me that laser gun and said "just point and shoot!"

We registered at Crate & Barrel and Bloomingdales. We registered for fine china, everyday servingware, cookware, small appliances, bath linens, and table linens. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what I would *really* use once we lived together vs. what just looked good at the time.

My only regret is that we registered for a much larger coffee maker than we need, it''s one of those coffee and espresso makers, and it takes up a ton of counter space.

It helped that we knew where we would be living together, so I knew what kind of storage space I''d have. As for finding your style, we went with basics for our registry, and we''ve developed our style with accent pieces since we''ve been living together.

I also knew I''d be entertaining a lot, so I knew I would get use out of large serving pieces and whatnot. If you plan to entertain, definitely register for some beautiful serving trays and bowls, our friends and family love seeing their gifts to us out on the table when they come over.

DH and I did one of those closed registry events at Crate & Barrel, it was a lot of fun. They served food and wine, and shut down the store, so we could easily move around and see what we wanted.

I say register for what you think you will use, but don''t open anything until you actually use it once you''re in your home. That way, you can return things you don''t use in the first six months or a year.

Have fun! We had so much fun thinking about our home together and how we''d use all of the pieces when we were registering.

 

[blackbetty]

I was totally overwhelmed by the process! I didn''t know what I needed or even wanted. I chose modestly in a variety of price ranges so everyone could find something. What was toughest is we''ve tried for 2 spring-fall seaons to sell (not this year with the wedding coming up & the housing market worse than ever) so I''m registered for a place I don''t live yet, a king size bed we''ll buy when we move cuz it would never fit in here, linens to match a room I''ve never seen, dishes, glasses, & cookware I can''t even store. Everything we received at the shower today is in my parents basement.

 

[lliang_chi]

We just did our registry this weekend. I''m pretty set with the kitchen and housewares stuff, but there was a few things that I REALLY wanted/wanted to replace. So we knocked those out. Bed Bath and Beyond we were done in under an hour.

REI we spent like 1.5 hours in. That look a lot longer because James was more interested in that stuff so he actually cared what enough to stare at it for a long time. I haven''t added any ski stuff just yet, I wonder if ppl will buy that for us. James really would prefer to just have cash, which is why we registered in BBB, they have a GREAT return policy.

But what I did was make a list of stuff you find yourself needing/wanting more often. That''s basically what''s on our registry.