I recently registered. For my wedding, that is. It was a daunting task. There is so much to look at and so many different options for linens and dishes. Do you go with fine china or casual? In our case, we did both. What brand of pots and pans and do you register for a set or individual pieces? We did set and are also registering for a few random pots that could stand alone, that way people have the option to spend a lot or spend less (and still give an amazing gift)! When it comes to registering I am very thankful for three things: my mom, bridal boards, and the the internet (of, course). My mom has helped me out so much. We live thousands of miles away, but whenever I would see something I like, I would send her an email with the photo and she would tel me her thoughts. She also has been so helpful with providing me with a good foundation of knowledge as to what are good brands and how many of this and that we should be asking for. She also does some pretty awesome research on her own. Love her! Reading bridal boards and the searching the internet have proven to be extremely valuable. Whenever I have a question (that mom couldn’t answer) I surf the web and usually find helpful advice. I can’t say enough good things about Bridal message boards (like WeddingBee). You can visit the site and basically type in any question or concern you may have about anything related to weddings and so many different streams pop up where individuals with questions just like yours, post on similar topics.

So how did I take the plunge and actually start registering? Well, first off, I eased into it, which I think is the best advice for any bride-to-be. Begin researching china and you’ll really get a sense for what you like and what your style is. I tend to like bright and colorful designs, but Eric prefers more traditional and classic pieces. As much as I loved some of the floral options, I quickly realized that something so in your face more than likely will get old (and fast). I want something that we can grow old with and years from now will still be in vogue and pretty. So we opted to go with a clean white (yet in my opinion, still somewhat fun) design for our fine china and for our casual ware we went with a bright blue. Finding the places we would register at wasn’t too difficult. I wanted Fiesta Ware (our casual china) so finding stores that carry that brand automatically narrowed down our selection. Next I chose our second registry location. This was decided based on linens and bedding that i liked. Again, I was drawn to bright crazy colors, but thankfully Eric was able to talk some sense into me and we decided on some gorgeous white linens (which, in my opinion is the way to go because you will never tire of a basic white. And you can always have fun adding pops of color with patterned throw pillows, blankets and other creative accents… which I intend to do). After deciding on our two registry locations it was time to actually start registering. This took awhile (I think even longer than deciding on the stores)! There are so many things married couples need! Thankfully I had countless registry check-lists (courtesy of my Bridal magazines) that listed practically evrything we could possibly need or want! I also searched on Wedding Bee to check if certain brands were good and to read reviews (I really had no idea what type of vacuum to get or what brand of pots and pans was the best). We went with a Dyson vac and a Cuisinart pan set. After all of the big items were claimed, I started adding the odds and ends (salt and pepper shakers, salad mixer, the prettiest teapot, etc.). For the most pot, our registry is done. Until, of course, we think of yet another item that we need!