Weddingbee Blog

…to register.

I’m sure it is not a shock to many of you ladies that I had to beg and plead Mr. Turkey to help put together our registry. The conversation* went something like this:

Miss Turkey: I’m thinking we should probably register.

Mr. Turkey: OK.

Miss Turkey: I’m thinking we should probably have between two and three registries.

Mr. Turkey: OK.

Miss Turkey: I’m thinking we could go next weekend.

Mr. Turkey: WE???

I’ll save you the rest of the conversation, but basically I had to “reward him” for each of the three places we registered.

To make the registration process as painless as possible, I did a couple things before involving Mr. Turkey in the details. In terms of registry locations, I netted out with Macy’s, Pottery Barn, and Williams-Sonoma based on what we needed and our personal tastes (e.g., Crate&Barrel was a bit too “minimalist” for us).

I then narrowed down the different categories of items we were looking for and divided that among the locations. This list isn’t anything scientific or earth shattering, but rather based on what I thought / knew we needed. Keep in mind that some of the “bigger” registry items, like a Crock-Pot, skillet, and stand mixer, weren’t on our list since we already had them.

The KitchenAid mixing up some sweet potatoes—I purchased this beauty on sale on Rue La La last year.

However, there were a couple fundamental home goods that we couldn’t WAIT to get—like a new vacuum and a new toaster. I know these are fairly simple items, but seriously—they can’t arrive soon enough. Our current toaster is from my junior year of college (you can do the math) and generally produces half-toasted toast; the vacuum spits out hairballs more often than it actually suctions anything. Poor form.

So, without further ado, I share with you our registry list:

1. Macy’s

• China
• Stemware
• Silver (if we go down that path)
• Crystal/frames (We wanted one with an invitation space.)
• Comforter (for the duvet cover)
• Vacuum
• Iron
• Steamer
• Luggage

2. Pottery Barn

• Bedding
• Bathroom
• Everyday plates
• Decor/organization
• Linens

3. Williams-Sonoma

• Fancy cooking stuff (like a roaster)
• Cooking tools
• Electronics (hand mixer, juicer)
• Serveware
• Potential barware (they have a sweet monogrammed decanter)

4. Up for grabs (have to see what we like)

• Everyday drinkware
• Cutlery
• Toaster/toaster oven

Ladies and gents—if you can make a list like this, I highly recommend it. Since we knew what we wanted to get at which place, it significantly reduced our shopping time (and any accompanying whining that might come with going too long).

Anyhow, on to the actual registry process…

Mr. Turkey agreed to the first registry, at Macy’s, when I told him that it was part of a “Sip and Scan” event and he would get some drinks and snacks. Cue happy fiance with a scanner.

Yes, I gave him the scanner.

We spent the most time in Macy’s choosing our china since that seemed to be the “biggest decision.” We ended up going very classic with our choice—Mr. Turkey actually made the final decision!

Overall, the “Sip and Scan” event was mildly entertaining—they had a DJ and some snacks, but nothing spectacular. They had also promised a “fabulous gift,” but we never got anything that would qualify as such (unless you count a grocery-type bag). Mr. Turkey’s reward for making it through this registry was a trip to Seasons 52 for dinner (snacks weren’t enough).

The next two registries were knocked out in one afternoon, but unfortunately I don’t have any photos. However, I can share our experiences…and Mr. Turkey’s rewards.

For Pottery Barn, a lot of the items that we wanted to register for (like bedding) were not available in store. We were probably in the store for less than 30 minutes…and 15 of those were spent waiting for a scanner. Unless you want to see or feel something in person (like silverware or dishes), I might recommend just doing your Pottery Barn registry online. Much easier and, even though we made a trip to the store, there ended up being a number of edits and additions made online. Mr. Turkey’s reward for completing this registry—lunch at Chick-Fil-A (OK—this was a reward for me, too).

Williams-Sonoma was a bit more fun but, again, there are a number of items that we couldn’t find in store (like the hand mixer we were interested in). They gave a little cookbook as a registry gift, which was a nice gesture (speaking of…I’m not sure where that is). The highlight of this trip, though, was that they were showcasing a blender/juicer and giving out free smoothies. We may or may not have sampled more than our fair share. We did a lot of registry clean-up online to complete our selection at this store as well. Mr. Turkey’s reward—a trip to the watch store to peruse some arm candy (for him).

Overall, we’re very happy with our registries, but we learned some things in the process. The online systems are so simple that sometimes you don’t even need to make a trip to the store—especially if those things can’t be viewed in person (looking at you, Pottery Barn). Contrary to a lot of what I’ve heard online, we found Macy’s to be the most convenient registry location thus far. Also, who doesn’t love their constant sales and the ever-popular friends-and-family discount around the holidays??

Any registry best practices from any of you out there? Was the grocery bag the “fabulous gift” from Macy’s?

*Note how I used “I’m thinking” before every sentence? I think this was/is my way of illustrating that I haven’t fully committed to something without his input. Or lack of input.