Registries: The Joys and Pains

The time has come for us to start putting our gift registries together for both the bridal shower and wedding day.  Where to start?  For those couples who don't own a home yet or have their own place, the list is probably pretty easy: one of practically everything.  But when you already have a house with plenty of furnishings, what DO you ask for?  And where should you register?  Registering for gifts should be viewed as a fun shopping experience, but without actually having to purchase anything.  The store just gives you the scanning gun and turns you lose to scan anything the heart desires, regardless of price.

Eric and I chose to register at Bed Bath & Beyond (I mean, that store is HUGE and has TONS of stuff!) and Sears (for the tools and electronics, of course).  We also are giving people the opportunity to "donate" towards our honeymoon trip, in which they can go directly to the travel agency and make a contribution.  This seemed like a great idea for us since we do already have a house with many furnishings, and it makes it easy on others who don't like shopping and searching for items off of registry lists.
Now the actual experience: not so fun.  We ventured out last Sunday to Bed Bath & Beyond.  Poor Eric had to be pushed around in a wheelchair because he recently had knee surgery and there was no way he'd be able to crutch around the store for 2+ hours.  I thought it would be something fun to do and get him out of the house.  WRONG.  Note to self: the aisle ways at that store are ridiculously narrow, and when you have a leg sticking out that can't be bent, it makes it very challenging to get around.  Long story short, we both became frustrated and left after only having a measly 87 items on our registry when they recommended that we have between 400-500.  Not so successful.  We decided that we will wait until Eric is off of crutches to return to Bed Bath & Beyond, and will then go to Sears too.  Something tells me there will be nothing miserable for Eric about completing our Sears registry.  The good news is that we can soon look forward to lots of new stuff, and that is something to get excited about!

Other stores I recommend for registries:

• Target
• Macy's
• Kohl's
• JC Penney
• The Anderson's
• Pottery Barn
• Ikea

When registering, scan EVERYTHING that you think you might like, regardless of price.  You never know who might want to buy that special gift for you, or even have a few people go in on a big gift.  Giving your guests options at all different price points will make it easier on them.  Even if you receive items off your registry that you decide you don't really need, most stores will let you return it for store credit.  So, let the scanning begin without the slightest hesitation!



Tux vs. Suit

Now that the colors and bridesmaid dresses are all squared away (we went with the cobalt blue!), we can move on to the guys' attire.  Eric and I have talked about our options and pricing differences between suits and tuxes.  Overall, the tuxes look more complete and pull everything together... that is, with the jacket on.  Here are the problems I have with tuxes:

• They add extra layers of clothes, which reduces breathability
• Every guy will take his jacket off once the ceremony is over, revealing that ugly back part of the tux
• Sometimes even the vest is removed if the guys get crazy and too sweaty, leaving just the tie and collared shirt
• They cost a fortune and have to be returned the next day to the store- talk about inconvenient!
• That ugly (did I mention I think tuxes have ugly features?) stripe down the side of the pants- what IS that!?

We have decided (and all the groomsmen agree) that it would be nice for the guys to actually purchase and keep their attire- every guy needs at least one nice suit for special events.  We figure that for nearly the same price, the guys can keep their nicely tailored and studly suits rather than returning them the next day for zero dollars back.  Having a late July wedding means it will be hot, and I know the guys will shed the jackets as soon as possible, so why put them in excess layers which have features that I personally hate?  Eric and I plan to start searching and pricing suits this weekend to try to get the guys the best deal possible (hopefully a buy one get one free deal!) to save them the most money AND they get to keep it.