Now, if some of you recall, I worked at a snotty bridal salon for a while, but some of you may not know, I also spent nearly 3 years in college working as a bridal consultant for Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Retail Nightmare, but I actually loved working with couples! It really was fun, I felt like I was helping these people find the stuff that would help them start a life together. Now, if you are like me, while presents are amazing, you feel a little like a dirtbag asking for stuff... but TRUST me, if you don’t register somewhere you will end up with a mountain of crap you can’t use or return!! So over the next two blogs, I am going to share my important tips and and just some helpful info to help make registering a breeze. Today we are working with the when, where, and who...

Where to Register:

My faves are Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Macy’s, Crate & Barrel, Williams -Sonoma, and if you are feeling really fancy Tiffany’s. Personally, I thinks it’s outdated, but if you are a Rockefeller you probably should. Stores like Triple B and Macy’s have a nice advantage because they are freaking everywhere, plus, they have just about everything you could possibly need for your home! You can do Target or Walmart, but I think BBB and Macy’s are similar in price and feel much more special. I like BBB because they send out coupons often and here’s the kicker... if you get multiples or decide you don’t want something, if it’s on your registry you can return it for CASH! Sorry, that sounds greedy, but it really is a sweet deal. I’ve never heard of any other store doing that. Plus, they keep your information for two years so people can still reference it for holidays and whatnot after. I am so plugging Bed, Bath, and Beyond! Macy’s is another great option for all of the little things and I swear the entire store is constantly on sale! So that’s a major bonus for your guests!!! I also love Crate and Barrel because it just has the most interesting kitchen and home stuff at really reasonable prices. Plus, gift cards there could go towards much larger purchases like furniture. My only beef with them is that trendy or seasonal inventory constantly changes, so if you register too far in advance, you may have to update if things become discontinued. Williams-Sonoma has the same feel as Crate and Barrel, but to me is a bit more upscale... prices tend to be a bit higher, but are generally competitive on appliances and small kitchen what-nots. I would keep the number of stores you register at to three, two being ideal.

When to Register:

It’s a good idea to register around the same time you send out save the dates because people will start shopping then, roughly 6 months before, any earlier and you may have to deal with products no longer being available. Although, most stores will notify you by phone/email if something you have registered for is low in stock or being discontinued.

If you don’t want to deal with crowds head out on a week night, the crowds are much lighter and the store should be open until at least 9, if not later. If you have to register on the weekends get to the store early! Like as soon as the store opens early. Beware if you hit the store up right after lunch on a weekend, there are only so many scanner guns and employees so you risk waiting. No matter when you go, my best advice is DON’T go hungry! That is one of the biggest things, grooms whining about being hungry, so make sure you and your man are fed. Trust me, you don’t want to draw this process out, but remember, you can also add/delete things online at anytime. Side note: I wouldn’t register completely online because it’s hard to really know what you are getting. I think that you should hold the stuff in your hands and make sure you are cool with using it for the next couple of years.

Who to Register with:

Personally, I had loads of fun with my hubby picking out all of our stuff! But seriously, some of the fiancés I dealt with were JERKS!!! Like the kind of jerks where you wonder why they are getting married in the first place. Any who, if the fiancé isn’t up for it bring your momma or a trusted friend with your same taste. If you bring someone with totally opposite taste you are going to have a looooong day. If you and the future hubby don’t always see eye to eye, let the consultant come around with you, trust me, they know what they are doing! They train in every department and should be able to give you knowledgeable information about everything, they can also help act as a mediator. And if you don’t want the help, just politely let them know you prefer to register alone. No reason to be snotty, got it bridezilla?

So that’s just a wee bit of knowledge I have picked up over my time as a consultant. I will be back soon with part 2. What to register for!?

Lauren