Going to the Web
All-in-one registries let you register for all the items you want – all in one place
By Melissa Tussing CTW Features
It’s one of those quintessential activities for a newly engaged couple – getting scanner-happy in a shop selecting items for the wedding registry.
Yes, the scanner is fun, but it does come with some limitations. Like, you can’t bring it to another shop to list a dish or sheet pattern you have your eye on. And chances are if you want to register for an iPod, bookends and a Snuggie, you’re going to need to go to multiple stores to list everything.
Cue the tech-savvy alternative: all-in-one registries consolidated online where you can link to items from any store around the world.
“We’re very eclectic and evolved human beings,” says Nancy Lee, president of MyRegistry.com. “What we really want is not all from one store.”
All-in-one sites like MyRegistry or Wishpot.com allow couples to list items from any store in the world. Couples can browse multiple online storefronts for items and add them to their registry with a single click.
That way, they can list a dish pattern from Bed Bath & Beyond, sheets from Macy’s and kitchenware from Williams-Sonoma, all by storing the link and item information online. Or, if the item isn’t online, they can post digital images of an item with a full description and where to find it.
Once the items are listed, the registry directs friends and family to the Web site or shop where the gift can be found. Another page will pop up to ask if the gift has been purchased. When a guest marks that it is, the item becomes unavailable to other guests on the registry site.
More options cut down on the chances couples will register for something they don’t really want to the list, Lee says. That’s a huge perk for engaged couples who don’t need help outfitting their kitchen or already have enough home décor than they know what to do with.
Ruben Arcila and his wife Damaris owned a home when they were married about two years ago. Since they were already established, they wanted to let their guests know what they needed. Instead of feeling limited to one store, Arcila decided to start ItsMyGiftRegistry.com so that anyone creating a registry would feel free to shop around.
Arcila also hoped people would feel free to find online deals for products. “A Dyson vacuum can be at a department store for $499 and you can buy it for $379 [online],” Arcila says. He recommends checking out cash-back sites, which offer commissions to users for buying discounted products through their sites.
Other perks of all-in-one registry sites include the ability to build a registry Web site, complete with uploaded images of you and the fiancé, different Web design templates and e-announcements for bridal showers or the even the wedding itself.
Since couples can register for anything their heart desires, Lee says some interesting requests pop up. “Seventy to 80 percent of the gifts are more traditional gifts,” Lee says. The other 20 percent can include scuba equipment, power tools, a honeymoon or home down payment fund or camping equipment.
With online capabilities, the sites also allow the couple to get the word out. The registry can be accessed anywhere and linked on Facebook. Because, “ultimately, if people don’t know where you’re registered,” Lee says, “it doesn’t matter if you register with us or at Bed Bath & Beyond.”
