This was probably the most difficult part of the planning process for Mike and I. Everyone told us how much fun it would be to use one of those handheld scanning guns and picking out everything that we think is cool that we wouldn't have to buy for ourselves. Some friends told us that if we could argue about designs and styles and walk away unscathed, that other negotiations in our marriage would be a breeze.

It's funny...we didn't argue once about the designs. We both like the same things, strangely enough. (Go figure, "Martha Stewart" plus "Spencer Gifts" styles equals "Pottery Barn" after a single round of negotiations.) The problem was finding what we wanted without having to register at 12 stores, selecting stores that were available in most parts of the country, having to make appointments to register (and scheduling them during our crammed weekends when we see each other), showing up and not finding anything they said they'd have or what was on their website or catalog, liking furniture but not having a house to put it in (or even adequate storage until we buy our own place), and fighting the crowds that pack into these stores on Saturdays before and after Christmas. All the while groaning when someone would ask where we're registered or when we'd be done with registering.

You might think it's pretty "bratty" of us...bitching and moaning about selecting gifts that people are going to spend their money to buy for us. But if you haven't registered for your wedding in the last couple of years, you really have no idea! Mike and I have been to about a dozen malls between VA, MD, and NJ, over a dozen different stores, visited about 50 websites (no exaggeration), and flipped through more catalogs than I care to remember. I said we were of one opinion when it came to our style, but I didn't say our style was that easy to find!!

It always comes down to Murphy's Law, doesn't it? You can always find what you want and what you like when you're out leisurely shopping without an agenda or quest, but armed with a mission to find specific things that you will have to like for a lifetime, that will fit into a house that you don't have yet, that won't go out of style, that will last you a long time and provide you the functionality you're not even sure you'll need, you're completely at a loss to find a single item.

So, let me cut to the chase and give you a list.

Where We've Formally Registered (links are for stores with our lists online):

Where We Wanted to Register (but they didn't offer registry services or we didn't find enough things to warrant a formal registry), But We Would Love a Gift Certificate or Gift Card to:

Now, although these are the stores that we've listed with, there is absolutely nothing preventing you from getting these items at other stores, websites, factory warehouses, outlets, etc. We saw a HUGE price disparity between just Macy's and J.C. Penney's. For example, our 5-piece stainless steel flatware set was $80.00 at Macy's and $35.00 at Penney's. Big difference, huh? These were non-sale prices, too. So, please, feel free to use your bargain-hunting skills. We think that half of the things we registered for had inflated prices, but we didn't have a choice of stores in many cases. We're not tied down to store names...we just like our designs. The only benefit of a formal registry is that you can see what you still need in your sets, they offer incentives to complete your sets, and it's easy to make returns on items you get in duplicate. So if you don't purchase at the stores we've registered with, we humbly ask that you please make sure to get a gift receipt just in case we get duplicates. That will make our lives so much easier.

By popular request, here are the names/pictures of our patterns:

Formal Dinnerware (China): Royal Doulton Atlanta


                    Formal Flatware (Stainless Steel): Oneida Michaelangelo 


 

    Casual Dinnerware: Wedgewood Watercolour 
 

So I hope this page answers all of your gift-giving questions, but feel free to email me or my mom with any further questions, concerns, or clarifications you may have. And thank you, in advance, for your thoughtfulness, generosity, and shopping efforts.