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When it came time to register, Mr. PN and I didn’t even know where to start! We wanted a registry that we could easily update online and guests could easily purchase from online too. We also needed to register for at least one store that was located in Northern Minnesota (where our wedding shower took place) and also in the Northeast (where we and most of our friends and Mr. PN’s family lives). We also wanted the store to have a lot of affordable choices. Having a destination wedding meant that everyone attending will be paying quite a bit just to be there—we didn’t want to put them out further by requesting outrageously priced gifts.

Mr. PN and I both lived on our own before we moved in together about four years ago. We have a lot of the basic essentials but many items are not of the best quality.

Now, if it were completely up to me I would have registered for a charity, our honeymoon and a socially-responsible store. But alas, it is not completely up to me, it’s about me and Mr. PN (I have come to believe the wedding planning is the ultimate test of compromise). Also, when it comes to guests and registries, it is also about your guests, and many guests like to buy tangible items like kitchen accessories and bath towels. With these factors in mind, we decided on the following three registries.

1. JCPenney
We chose JCPenney because it is located in northern Minnesota and (somewhat sparingly) in the Northeast. Having our wedding shower in Minnesota meant that we needed to pick a place that the shower guests could get to without much hassle. Now I love where I grew up, but it is a bit limited in the shopping arena (Mr. PN likes to call it a frozen tundra). There is no Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, or Bed Bath & Beyond. We do not have a Williams & Sonoma, Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel. Our options for chain department stores were limited to Kohls, Target or JCPenney. Kohls isn’t too common in the New York area and Mr. PN didn’t really like the idea of registering at Target, which left us with JCPenney.

We were so excited for our first trip to register. We trucked out to the JCPenney at the Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst, Queens. We arrived all geared up and ready to shop. We approached the customer service like giddy teenagers. Our hopes were quickly squashed when the customer service representative informed us, and I quote, “The scanners are broken and I don’t know when they will be fixed.” We deflated instantly.

The next weekend we went to the JCPenney in Trumbull, CT. I called first to make sure that the scanners were working—they were—and off we went. Trumbull is a bit of a drive from NYC, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, but it was a nice drive and a chance to get out of the city! I loved the set up for doing the registry at JCPenney (when it works) because there is a self-serve kiosk so you don’t need to wait for anybody to help you!

Extra Perks: 10% completion discount for one year after the wedding, free wedding planner notebook, free 8×10 engagement photo and no sitting fee. Plus, WeddingChannel.com will make a donation to the charity of our choice every time someone uses WeddingChannel.com to purchase you a gift from our JCPenney registry. It is a pretty small amount, but everything helps.

Downside: Many of the items in the store are not on the website or vice versa. Also, the website isn’t as user friendly as others (like Macy’s).

2. Macy’s

We ended up registering at Macy’s by accident. Well, maybe not by total accident—it wasn’t like we were shopping one day and the scanner just fell into our hands. There happened to be a Macy’s right next door to the JCPenney in the Queens Center Mall. Originally we did not plan to register at Macy’s because we thought that a lot of their items can be overpriced. We were so excited about doing our registry that day that we visited the Macy’s to rethink our original plan. We realized that the kitchen and housewares were actually quite comparable to other stores. We checked in with customer service and, lucky for us, the scanners were in full working order. At Macy’s we registered for most of our kitchen items including everyday dishes, utensils, cookware, etc.

Extra Perks: Great website, easy to use, and a very useful thank you manager. Like JCPenney, WeddingChannel.com will make a donation to the charity of our choice every time someone uses WeddingChannel.com to purchase a gift.

Downside: Not a great completion discount - 10% completion discount on many items for only 90 days after the wedding.

3. Uncommon Goods

This is personally my favorite registry and the option that fulfills the desires I listed above. It is an online marketplace that features a unique selection of housewares and gifts. Many of the products are made of recycled materials or by independent skilled artisans. In their words, “In addition to providing unique items of outstanding quality, we also endeavor to feature merchandise created in harmony with the environment and without harm to animals or people.”Extra Perks: Unique and extensive collection. Great website, easily organized and easy to create a registry. Store policies and mission are good for people and the environment!

Downside: No brick-and-mortar store, no completion program, no thank you manager.

Some of my favorite items from Uncommon Goods:

Steel and Stone Man Wine Holders

Teak Wooden Serving Bowl And Servers

Recycled Windshield Beer Glasses - Set of 2

Miss Cookie just did a great post, The Cookies’ Guide to Registry Bliss!, which gives 12 great steps for creating your wedding registry. In addition to these tips I would include three more:

13. Make a List: We used Wedding Channel’s Registry Checklist when deciding what to register for. We went through the list and decided what we needed and what we didn’t. For example, we decided not to register for china (we don’t have space, we aren’t too formal, and I break fragile things—like wine glasses—when washing them). On the other hand, the checklist reminded us that we really needed new luggage.

We also tried to stick with a theme at each store. We registered for most of our kitchen items from Macy’s because they have the best selection. At JCPenney we stuck to mostly towels, table linens, sheets, and pillows, as they would be easier to transport from Minnesota to New York.

14. Bring Snacks: We got really hungry while we were registering and this made us crabby and frustrated. Bring along some light snacks like carrot sticks or granola bars so that you can keep your energy up!

15. Check on Extra Perks: Many stores offer a completion discount that gives you a chance to purchase the times off your registry after the wedding for a discount during a limited period of time.

Where did you register? Did you include any non-traditional stores or items?